la Spezia port - best way to DIY some of the Cinque Terre towns

sgmn · February 3, 2023

Just doing some research as this is our first time in this port. There seems to be two ways, one by train and another by boat

Question to anyone who has done this type of DIY tour

By train

Do you book your 1 day train pass in advance on line or when you get to the station and does it have to be stamped on the first trip?

Is it easy to walk to the train station from the port terminal - we're in our mid 60s but pretty healthy and able to walk a few miles

are the trains frequent?

DIY by sea

again did you buy your tickets on line in advance or at the harbour?

how far and how easy is it to walk from where the ships docks to where the boats depart from, do you have to take the port bus to the port terminal first?

We are in port 8.30 to 8.30pm - how many towns would you recommend for a comfortable visit and how long do you stay in each one

are there any towns you would recommend visiting over the others

Sorry for all the questions and thanks for any help

FionaMG · February 3, 2023

1 hour ago, sgmn said:

Just doing some research as this is our first time in this port. There seems to be two ways, one by train and another by boat

Question to anyone who has done this type of DIY tour

By train

Do you book your 1 day train pass in advance on line or when you get to the station and does it have to be stamped on the first trip?

Is it easy to walk to the train station from the port terminal - we're in our mid 60s but pretty healthy and able to walk a few miles

are the trains frequent?

DIY by sea

again did you buy your tickets on line in advance or at the harbour?

how far and how easy is it to walk from where the ships docks to where the boats depart from, do you have to take the port bus to the port terminal first?

We are in port 8.30 to 8.30pm - how many towns would you recommend for a comfortable visit and how long do you stay in each one

are there any towns you would recommend visiting over the others

Sorry for all the questions and thanks for any help

It's very easy to DIY. We've been there twice and did it by train both times.

It takes about 20-25 minutes to walk to the station. Part of the walk is slightly uphill.

You don't need to buy the tickets in advance. There is a dedicated ticket office just inside the station (or at least there was pre-Covid) where you can buy the tickets. The staff are very helpful and will give you a map and timetable of the trains you can catch along with the tickets. They also sell guide books there.

There is a cheaper fare for the over-somethings (can't remember the age; I think it might be over 65. Just ask.) Once you have your tickets you have to validate them by sticking them in one of the ticket punch machines on the platform.

We have done this twice. The first time we got off the ship quite late so we didn't make it to the last village, Monterosso. The second time we used a different strategy. We visited the first village, Riomaggiore, which had been our favourite on the previous trip, and then went all the way to Monterosso, where we spent a bit longer and had a tasty panini lunch at a beachside restaurant. If you enjoy beaches and think you might want to spend some time there, it might be worth sticking a towel in your bag and wearing a bathing costume under your clothes. Doing this had an additional benefit. The trains get quite busy in the afternoon with people making their way back to La Spezia. Since Monterosso is the last of the five villages going out, it's the first one on the way back, so we got seats on the train. From the second village onwards, it was standing room only. That said, the total journey time is only about half an hour.

Riomaggiore (has quite a steep hill)