At a glance
- Cinque Terre consists of five villages: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. Going straight from Florence to a village with your bags, then carrying them out again, can take more time than you expect. If you arrive late on day one or need to return to Florence the next day, staying in La Spezia is the simplest option.
- Before you leave, save the arrival time for your train from Firenze S. M. N. to La Spezia Centrale in Trenitalia, along with the train back to Florence from La Spezia on day two. Plan the village order around those trains. Within Cinque Terre, the local train between La Spezia and Levanto is the main way to get around.
- On day one, leave your bags in La Spezia and take the train to Riomaggiore. Explore the lanes and harbor, then walk toward Manarola only if you have a Via dell’Amore reservation. The trail requires a reservation and is one-way. If the reservation time doesn’t work or you’ve missed the last entry time, take the train to Manarola instead.
- Manarola makes a good last stop on day one. Have dinner with a sea view, then return to La Spezia. Add Vernazza on the same day only if you arrived early from Florence, have already stored your bags, and have checked the evening train back.
- On day two, choose either Vernazza or Monterosso. Pick Vernazza for the harbor and fortress views, or Monterosso for a sandy beach and a long lunch. Corniglia takes time to reach from the station, so you can skip it on this trip without regret.
Know the order of the coastal villages, and the train route becomes clear
The upper left is northwest; the lower right points toward La Spezia. The numbers show locations on the map, not a visiting order. For day one, go ⑥ → ⑤ → ④; for day two, choose ② or ①.
See the travel guidance for each stop below.
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Monterosso Day 2 choice · Beach
Choose this village if you want a beach and a long lunch. Check your return time to Florence before adding it alongside Vernazza.
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Vernazza Day 2 choice · Harbor
Choose this village for the harbor and fortress views. Take the local train back to La Spezia.
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Corniglia Skip on this trip
You can skip Corniglia on this 2-day, 1-night trip, given the time needed to climb from the station to the hilltop village.
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Manarola Day 1 · Evening
Take the train from Riomaggiore. If you have a Via dell’Amore reservation, you can walk from Riomaggiore in this direction. Return to La Spezia after dinner.
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Riomaggiore Day 1 · First village
Leave your bags in La Spezia, then take the local train in. Explore the lanes and harbor before heading to Manarola.
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La Spezia Luggage storage · Overnight base
Arrive from Florence and leave your large bags here. Check both your return train the next day and the local train from the village.
Day by day
Suggested itinerary
See each day's route, highlights, background and stay together in one place.
Plan around the actual arrival time of your train from Florence. Leave your bags at your La Spezia lodging or the station’s luggage storage, then take the local train to Riomaggiore.
After arriving in La Spezia, add up the time needed to store your bags, wait for and ride the regional train, visit Riomaggiore’s harbor and lanes for 45–60 minutes, and get to the reserved entrance and wait. Choose a Via dell’Amore entry time that fits. Walk toward Manarola only if you have a reservation; if the timing does not work, take the train. Have dinner in Manarola and return to La Spezia.
Choose Vernazza for the harbor and fortress, or Monterosso for the beach and a long lunch. If you want to see both, first check that you’ll have time to collect your bags in La Spezia and make your Florence-bound train.
Work backward from your Florence-bound train’s departure time, allowing time to collect your bags and make your connection, then choose a local train to leave the village. If possible, take a local train one or two departures earlier. If there’s a crowd or delay, skip the extra stop and return to La Spezia.
Places and meals
The southern gateway. Good for a short walk through the lanes and around the small harbor.
Google MapsA village of houses along the cliffs and sea views in the evening.
Google MapsSee the harbor, church, and fortress along one route.
Google MapsThe village sits on a high headland, not by the beach, so allow time to climb from the station.
Google MapsChoose this village if you want time to relax at the beach.
Google MapsHow to fit it in
For a two-day, one-night trip arriving from Florence, do not move your lodging from village to village. If large bags, an early return, and budget are priorities, use La Spezia as your base and take regional trains into the villages. If you want to relax at the beach until late, you can choose lodging in Monterosso, but the map and itinerary below are based on one night in La Spezia. If you booked in Monterosso, stay there the first evening instead of returning to La Spezia, and on the second day, after picking up your bags, look up a connecting train from Monterosso to Florence. Calculate stairs, lodging prices, and return time separately.
Reality check
Use regional trains to travel between villages instead of driving. Individual tickets may have different validity start, activation, and validation requirements for paper and digital tickets, so follow the visit date instructions on the Trenitalia purchase screen and complete any required steps before boarding. Roads and parking eat into your travel time. Ferries depend on the season and sea conditions, so do not rely on them as your main transportation between villages on the day you return to Florence.
A realistic 2-day, 1-night trip from Florence means two villages on day one and one on day two. To see every village, add at least one more night or accept spending less time in each place.
The Cinque Terre Treno MS Card includes regional train travel between La Spezia and Levanto, but check the sales conditions for your date and the park access conditions. You cannot enter the Via dell’Amore with only an individual regional train ticket. On the official booking page for your visit date, choose a Cinque Terre Card Trekking or Treno option that includes access to the Via dell’Amore, then reserve an entry time. If you have already bought a card, you can also choose a time later using the booking voucher. If your card includes access to the Via dell’Amore, there is no separate entry fee. However, since you need to buy the card, compare its price with the total cost of individual tickets based on how many train trips you plan to take that day before you set out.
Coastal trails may close because of rain, rockfall inspections, heat, or crowds. When checked on September 13, 2026, part of the Sentiero Verde Azzurro between Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso was closed for geological inspections. Use only open trails. The national park’s official hiking guide prohibits open-toed shoes and smooth-soled shoes on park trails. It requires shoes that are closed, waterproof, cover the ankles, and have slip-resistant soles. Choose your footwear with the difference between walking around the villages and hiking the trails in mind.
If plans change
See only Riomaggiore and Manarola, then return to La Spezia. Leave Vernazza for the next day, and take the train straight away if you don’t have a Via dell’Amore reservation.
Don’t insist on visiting all five villages; travel by train instead. Rather than looking for an open trail, spend more time eating and walking in Manarola or Vernazza.
Small tip
Skip Corniglia and the long coastal trails on this trip. See Riomaggiore and Manarola on day one, then either Vernazza or Monterosso on day two. It’s more disappointing to miss your last train or dinner just to squeeze in one more place.
Final check before departure
- First, save the Florence-to-La Spezia outbound trip and the La Spezia-to-Florence return trip on Trenitalia.
- Check the national park website for that day’s trail openings, Via dell’Amore reservation time, and last entry.
- Check luggage storage, stairs, and late check-in with your La Spezia or village lodging.
- If you plan to buy a pass, compare how many local trains you’ll take that day and whether the pass includes the Via dell’Amore.
- If you plan to take a ferry, separately check the operating season and sea conditions for your date.
- Prepare for stairs between your lodging and the station, a plan for storing large bags, and shoes with slip-resistant soles.
Information checked on September 13, 2026. Cinque Terre trails, Via dell’Amore reservations and hours, ferries, and local trains change with the season and safety notices. Replan your route using the official notices and schedules for your departure date.
Information checked: 2026-09-13