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Ride the Cinque Terre Express train between the villages, Cinque Terre

Scenic & Viewpoints

Ride the Cinque Terre Express train between the villages

Cinque Terre · Liguria

QUICK INFORMATION

CATEGORY
Scenic & Viewpoints
COUNTRY
Italy
REGION
Cinque Terre · Liguria
DURATION
A few minutes between each village
DIFFICULTY
No effort — board the train and ride.
BEST TIME
Spring to autumn; the trains run a reduced service in winter.

ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE

The Cinque Terre Express is the local train that runs along the coast from La Spezia to Levanto, stopping at each of the five villages in turn. It is the way most visitors move between the villages, since the road between them is narrow and the parking is almost nonexistent, and the ride through the tunnels and over the viaducts gives glimpses of the coast that the path does not. A day pass covers unlimited travel, and the trains run every half-hour through the day. For a visitor who wants to see all five villages in a day, the train is the means; for one who wants to walk one stretch and ride the rest, it is the complement to the path.

WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE

What you’ll experience

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

THE EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL

What it’s really like

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

HIGHLIGHTS

Moments worth savouring

01

The five village stations — each in a tunnel or on a viaduct, each a short walk from its village.

02

The coastal views — the glimpses of the villages and the sea from the viaducts between tunnels.

03

The day pass — unlimited travel on the line for the day, the simplest way to hop between villages.

04

The ease — the train is the only practical way to see all five villages in a single day.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Good to know before you go

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before you go

Access
The Cinque Terre Express runs from La Spezia to Levanto, stopping at Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso; a day pass covers unlimited travel.
Best Time
Mornings and late afternoons; the trains are packed in the middle of the day in season.
Context
The train is the transport between the villages; the path is the alternative for those who want to walk.

MAP & LOCATION

Ride the Cinque Terre Express train between the villages

Ride the Cinque Terre Express train between the villages, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy

44.1461, 9.6439

Open in OpenStreetMap

ATTRACTIONS NEARBY

Pair it with these sights

Vernazza, Cinque Terre
Village

Vernazza

The most photographed of the five villages — a natural harbour with a small piazza on the water, a Doria castle above and the church of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia beside the bay.

View attraction
Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre
Village

Monterosso al Mare

The largest of the five villages and the only one with a proper sandy beach — a split village of an old town and a newer Fegina quarter across the hill, with the Capuchin monastery above.

View attraction
Manarola, Cinque Terre
Village

Manarola

A village of pastel houses tumbling down a steep gorge to a tiny harbour, with vineyards above and the classic Cinque Terre view from the cemetery road.

View attraction
Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre
Village

Riomaggiore

The southernmost of the five villages, a steep gorge of pastel houses running down to a small harbour, and the start of the Via dell’Amore cliff path.

View attraction

MORE EXPERIENCES

More to do in Cinque Terre

Walk the Sentiero Azzurro cliff path, Cinque Terre
Nature & Hiking

Walk the Sentiero Azzurro cliff path

The classic cliff path that links the five villages along the coast — the Sentiero Azzurro, including the famous Via dell’Amore, the most walked path in the Cinque Terre.

View experience
Swim and watch the sunset from the Monterosso rocks, Cinque Terre
Nature & Hiking

Swim and watch the sunset from the Monterosso rocks

An afternoon on the Monterosso beach and a swim off the rocks, ending with the sunset over the Ligurian Sea — the most relaxed way to end a day in the Cinque Terre.

View experience

FOOD & DRINK

Where to eat nearby

01

Nessun Dorma — a celebrated bar and kitchen above the harbour in Manarola, for focaccia, pesto and the view

02

Gambero Rosso — a seafood restaurant in Vernazza’s old town, for fresh catch and trofie al pesto

03

Cappun Magru — a refined restaurant in Monterosso for traditional Ligurian cooking, book ahead

04

A Cantina da Mananan — a beloved trattoria in Corniglia for local cooking and Sciacchetrà wine

05

Rio Maggiore — a harbour-side kitchen in Riomaggiore for fried anchovies and focaccia

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HOTELS & STAYS

Where to stay nearby

01

Hotel Porto Roca — a hotel on the cliffs above Monterosso with a pool and sea views

02

La Torretta — a charming guesthouse above the harbour in Manarola, with a terrace

03

Hotel Gianni Franzi — simple rooms above a restaurant in Vernazza’s old town, with harbour views

04

A Cà du Sciensa — a small guesthouse in Riomaggiore, good value for a village stay

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NEARBY DESTINATIONS

Continue the journey

Portofino

Portofino

Liguria

Portovenere

Portovenere

Liguria

Genoa

Genoa

Liguria

INTERESTS

Explore by what you love

BeachesWinter

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