La Spezia to Cinque Terre

[mjaruse]

I need some advice on navigating from La Spezia to Cinque Terre. I would like to avoid taking a train from each of the 5 villages and would rather do the ferry. I can't decide what is the best way to do all this?

 

My theory: Begin at Monterosso (the farthest village) and make my way back to Riomaggiore. However...what is the best way to get to Monterosso? Here are some of my thoughts:

 

1. Take a taxi from La Spezia to Portovenere and then take the ferry from there to Monterosso.

2. Take a train from La Spezia to Portovenere and then take the ferry...

3. Take a train to Monterosso from La Spezia??

 

What is the fastest way? The most least expensive? The most beautiful?

 

FYI - We have 12 hours between docking and departure. I would rather not go through RCI, as I'm not sure if we will be able to see Cinque Terre from the water.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Langoustine]

What is the fastest way? The most least expensive? The most beautiful?

 

Fastest: Train

 

Least Expensive: Train, if you're not walking from town to town (make sure the trails have all reopened after last year's flood damage; I believe most have, but you should check)

 

Most Expensive and Most Beautiful: Helicopter

 

The boats between the towns are great fun and very scenic, but can be tricky if the water is rough and may not run at all if it gets too bad.

[euro cruiser]

I think your best bet is the train to Monterosso at the start of the day, followed by the ferries between villages.

[maryann ns]

I agree to take the train to Monterosso and then get a pass for the ferries. They are great. However you cannot go to Corniglia by ferry. Take the train from the village on either side and then walk or take the shuttle to the village which is high up on the hill. If you want a memorable lunch with a great view, look for a restaurant in Corniglia which overlooks the vinyards and the sea.

[nparmelee]

We did the opposite, took the ferry from La Spezia up to Monterosso and then hiked or trained back to La Spezia. Lovely day. The ferry can get tricky if the water gets moving at all.