The Cinque Terre are five beautiful villages in the northwest of Italy, in the Liguria region. Five villages that follow one another on the cliff and that reveal themselves in the curve of the streams, along the Mediterranean: Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, Corniglia and Riomaggiore. A further sign of its richness and beauty is the classification of the site as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1997.
We wish you a good trip in the colorful villages of Cinque Terre.
When to go to the Cinque Terre?
With a mild Mediterranean climate, it averages over 20° during the day from June to October. As usual, the months of July and August attract an influx of tourists. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you choose the months of May, June, September and October.
How to get there?
The villages are located in the region of Liguria (North-West Italy), 80 km from Genoa (1 hour 20 minutes by motorway) and 90 km from Pisa (1 hour 15 minutes by motorway).
Going by plane
The two nearest airports are in Genoa and Pisa. Many airlines serve these two cities from Spain. To compare the rates of your departure city, you can go through an online comparator such as Skyscanner. Depending on the dates of your vacation, you will be able to see the best prices immediately.
When you arrive at the site, you will have to complete the rest of your journey by train or by renting a car.
Going by train
All the villages are connected by the line from Genoa to La Spezia. You can buy your train tickets before your stay directly on the TrenItalia website.
Once there, a special card, the Cinque Terre card, allows you to travel unlimited between the villages. We’ll explain how this card works immediately afterwards.
How to arrive by car
Finally, it is also possible to drive to Cinque Terre. Careful, they won’t be able to reach the villages directly. They’re banned from circulation! Therefore, you will have to leave your car in a parking lot in the nearby city.
During your stay there, you can leave your car in Levanto, the village that precedes Cinque Terre. Therefore, there are several car parks available so that you can easily catch the train later. We advise you to go to the Tourist Office in Levanto (Piazza Cavour) on your arrival to consult the map of the city’s car parks and have all the necessary information for your getaway.
A word of caution when travelling by car in Italy: some areas of the city centre are forbidden to cars (except for residents), but are only indicated by a simple traffic sign with a red circle “Zona traffico limitato”. Be careful not to pass one: the surveillance cameras are watching and the fine is one hundred euros for one pass!
How to move between villages?
A rumour has it that a quota has been established to limit the number of tourists on the Cinque Terre trails. This is not true. There is no evidence or action at this point at the time of writing.
To better discover the villages and see them from a new angle, we advise you to change from one to the other by varying the means used.
Discover on foot, on hiking trails
To connect the Cinque Terre, take a small height and arrive with a magnificent view over the villages, you can take the road along the Mediterranean. This is called the Azzuro Trail. This route is divided into four parts, the most famous of which is the Via dell’Amore between Riomaggiore and Manarola. However, this 12 km trail is not free. Therefore, you must first obtain the Cinque Terre card. For information, here is the daily rate for 2017: €7.50 per adult (€16 including train). Ask directly at your nearest point of sale for discounts for children up to 12 years old, over 70 years old and groups. These maps can be purchased at all stations. Either at the tourist offices in the region or at the entrance to Via dell’Amore.
Good to know: the Cinque Terre card also allows you to have a free Wi-Fi connection at the stations.
For more articles on cities and regions to visit in Europe, we recommend the article on Dublin.