Cinque Terre, how strenuous is the walk?

[travelgenie]

We are using a private tour from Portofino to go to Cinque Terre. I am a little confused from the description of the tour, as to how much walking there is and how strenuous it is for an older couple we are traveling with. I have called the tour company and they say it is no problem, but what kind of experiences has anyone else had going from the port in Portofino? We are starting in Manarola and I am not really sure how we proceed from there. Help anyone?

[BurBunny]

We are using a private tour from Portofino to go to Cinque Terre. I am a little confused from the description of the tour, as to how much walking there is and how strenuous it is for an older couple we are traveling with. I have called the tour company and they say it is no problem, but what kind of experiences has anyone else had going from the port in Portofino? We are starting in Manarola and I am not really sure how we proceed from there. Help anyone?

 

It all depends on the section you're walking. The "Lovers Walk" between Manarola and Riomaggiore is quite level and is even paved and lit. About 20 minutes at a moderate pace. However, the other sections, going north from Manarola, can be more difficult. You might want to inquire if you're walking between towns or taking train/ferry, as that would make a difference.

 

Just know that the towns are built into hillsides, so there will be a bit of stairs to get around in each one.

[Hlitner]

Keep in mind that you are taking a "private tour" which means you have lots of flexibility. If you want to do more or less walking just explain that to your guide as soon as you meet. I agree with the previous post that the best and easiest walking section is the Lovers Walk. Once you get to Manarola you can use trains and ferrys to get to the other villages and back to your starting location in Riomaggiore.

 

Hank

[-Lew-]

As BurBunny correctly states, the Lovers Walk is quite level. However, the stairway at the Manarola end might be a bit much for some people.

 

 

Also, the walkways between train stations and the waterfront might be difficult to negotiate.

 

Lew

[grandbanksguy]

We are using a private tour from Portofino to go to Cinque Terre. I am a little confused from the description of the tour, as to how much walking there is and how strenuous it is for an older couple we are traveling with. I have called the tour company and they say it is no problem, but what kind of experiences has anyone else had going from the port in Portofino? We are starting in Manarola and I am not really sure how we proceed from there. Help anyone?

 

We vacationed in the Cinque Terre in 2007 and hiked many of the trails between the 5 towns. I do not recall seeing an organized tour on any of the trails other than the “Via dell’Amore” between Manarola and Riomaggiore. This is really not a hike but a leisurely stroll on a paved walkway. But the views are among the best that you will see from any of the trails. But do experience the other towns by train. In particular try not to miss Cornigula, which is the only one of the 5 towns that is not on the waterfront. There is a free shuttle from the train station to the town, which is located high on a cliff above the Mediterranean. The views from Corniglia are fantastic and so is the lemongello and pizza.

[nparmelee]

Monterosso to Vernazza is one of the longer legs and there are steps to it both up and down. We got through that section in about an hour and 15 minutes, but it was tiring. Beautiful views and worth every step, but somebody who is mobility impaired may need to take it quite slowly. Manarola to Riomaggiore is the easiest section and really more of a stroll, and going this way, you only go down stairs really. You can just take the train between each of the towns too.

[aztravels]

Who can you book a private tour from Portofino with to go to Cinque Terre?

[grandbanksguy]

Who can you book a private tour from Portofino with to go to Cinque Terre?

 

I’m not familiar with Cinque Terre tour operators, but it’s very easy to do on your own from Portofino. There is a shuttle bus from Portofino to S.Margherita Ligure station that takes about 20 min. From S.Margherita it’s about an hour by train to C-T. Pick up a National Park trail pass and map and enjoy. The 5 towns are interconnected by a train that takes 20 min to go from one end of C-T to the other.

[susuyt]

I’m not familiar with Cinque Terre tour operators, but it’s very easy to do on your own from Portofino. There is a shuttle bus from Portofino to S.Margherita Ligure station that takes about 20 min. From S.Margherita it’s about an hour by train to C-T. Pick up a National Park trail pass and map and enjoy. The 5 towns are interconnected by a train that takes 20 min to go from one end of C-T to the other.

 

Mike & Linda,

Did you do Cinque Terre on you own? We really want to see these places but our port is Livoino and the only private tour is 600e for up to 3, we are only 2. I have put out a thread on our ship roll call but there is very little activity and we leave from port Sept 19. So any info you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Susan

[GSPLover]

Mike & Linda,

Did you do Cinque Terre on you own? We really want to see these places but our port is Livoino and the only private tour is 600e for up to 3, we are only 2. I have put out a thread on our ship roll call but there is very little activity and we leave from port Sept 19. So any info you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Susan

 

Go to my website (sub-site) www.ftroute.com/cinque.cfm as there is quite a bit of info on DIY to Cinque Terre from Livorno. If your ship leaves before 8PM, do not even consider it on a DIY.

[susuyt]

Foye Lisa

Thank you so much I went to your site and it was great. We leave port @7pm so I'm going to see if I can still find a private tour or last but not least the ship tour. I'm bookmarking you site for the future.

Susan

[grandbanksguy]

Mike & Linda,

Did you do Cinque Terre on you own? We really want to see these places but our port is Livoino and the only private tour is 600e for up to 3, we are only 2. I have put out a thread on our ship roll call but there is very little activity and we leave from port Sept 19. So any info you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Susan

 

 

We spent 4 days in the Cinque Terre in 2007. We were there on our own and arrived by train from Florence and after our stay by train to Rome. We did our research and had printed a lot of info off the net by Rick Steves, www.cinqueterre.it and http://www.parco****onale5terre.it. We toured all over the 5 towns on our own using the trails and the train that runs quite frequently between the towns. You will find that the people there are friendly and helpful and the whole area is very easy to navigate on your own. If you only have a few hours to spend, you need to be mindful of the time it takes to hike between the towns. The easiest between Riomaggiore and Manarola takes about 20 min. The trails between the other towns get more difficult and take between 1 to 2 hours each.

[vinodoc]

We hired Rome in Limo and drove 5 of us to Cinque Terre, he basically dropped us off at Riomargiore and picked us up at Monterosso. Basically we were given a map, a few ideas for restaurants, train schedule and boat schedule and off we go! From Riomargiore to Manarola the walk is easy and takes about 20 min. Then from Manarola we took a boat to Vernaza, and it is kind of neat to see Corniglia perch on top of the hill. From Vernaza then we took a train to Monterosso. When we were there, it was Sat., so all the locals, and not so locals head for Monterosso as it is the only town of the 5 with a real beach, and it was very crowded with beach goers. So, if you are tired of walking, just hop on a boat or a train for a different kind of experience.

 

View of Corniglia from the boat

 

Kevin

[grandbanksguy]

Mike & Linda,

Did you do Cinque Terre on you own? We really want to see these places but our port is Livoino and the only private tour is 600e for up to 3, we are only 2. I have put out a thread on our ship roll call but there is very little activity and we leave from port Sept 19. So any info you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Susan

 

Try this link. http://www.parco****onale5terre.it/news_parco_primo_piano.asp?id_lingue=2 The one in my previous post was not correct.

[susuyt]

Mike & Linda,

That sounds so wonderful being there for 4 days. We may someday be able to go back and do that.

We are in port from 7 to 7 but at Livorno. I hate to but if I can't get other CC to join in on a private I'll have to take the one the ship offers. This is our first cruise and not ever being to Europe either before I just don't want to chance it. I'll keep checking to find a cheaper private tour.

Thanks for your help.

Susan

[susuyt]

Vinodoc,

Thats the tour group Im looking into but for the 2 of us it's to expensive. I hope more will want to join in. If it weren't for being so far from our port I would do it on our own. But with all the trains we would have to catch to get there I'm worried.

Susan

[vinodoc]

Vinodoc,

Thats the tour group Im looking into but for the 2 of us it's to expensive. I hope more will want to join in. If it weren't for being so far from our port I would do it on our own. But with all the trains we would have to catch to get there I'm worried.

Susan

 

 

Hi Susan,

Rome in Limo is really not a "tour company" in a traditional sense especially for this area. With a little orientation, they basically let you lose to explore on your own. The price you pay does not include tickets for the Lover's walk, the boat ride or train ride, but we enjoyed the time to explore on our own. These five towns have a more "national park" feel, there are no archeological sites or museum, so guide is really not necessary. Tourist office gives great map for trails. Do go to your ship's roll call and I am sure you can find a couple or two to share with your cost. We had a van for the 5 of us.

 

A private driver is obviously good to get you back to your ship on time as traffic can be unpredictable and imagine if there is a railway strike. Since we traveled with 2 children, they were melting by the time we get to Monterosso. Since we still have time, our driver took us to Pisa, and the kids love it. To us, a private driver is worth it.

 

We had lunch at Vernaza at Ristorante Belforte right off the boat dock on the right hand side as you step off. It is converted from an old fort and the view on the very top is great and food is fabulous with nice sea breeze. Turns out the restaurant was also recommended in Rick Steve's book.

 

The restaurant is on the right hand side of this pic... no affiliation, other than a happy dinner :D

 

Kevin

[susuyt]

Vinodoc,

would you do this or Florence? I'm not into tons of churches and Museums and we are there on a Monday when most is closed. I Love the smaller places not large crowds. Would you get home and wish you had seen Florence or Cinque Terre? Just your opinion since we have not been to Europe but hopefully will get to return in the future.

No Kids just 2 active adults.

Susan

[vinodoc]

Vinodoc,

would you do this or Florence? I'm not into tons of churches and Museums and we are there on a Monday when most is closed. I Love the smaller places not large crowds. Would you get home and wish you had seen Florence or Cinque Terre? Just your opinion since we have not been to Europe but hopefully will get to return in the future.

No Kids just 2 active adults.

Susan

 

Hi Susan,

They are just so different. Florence has so much art and culture, frankly I felt doing a whirl wind tour of Florence (and Pisa) in one day does not do these cities justice. Not to mention Florence in summer will be hot, hot, hot. With tourist mobbing all the famous sites, it will be very overwhelming and if this is your first time, it might leave you less than favorable impression. Florence would be better in the fall when most tourists are gone and kids back in school.

 

For cinque terre, I am sure after you see it, you would want to be back. At least here, there will be no lines to museum, no lines to churches. On Monday, at least the weekend local crowds will be gone. So, if you like nature and things in a slower pace, then I would go with cinque terre and leave Florence when you do a land based tour.

 

Kevin

[grandbanksguy]

Vinodoc,

would you do this or Florence? I'm not into tons of churches and Museums and we are there on a Monday when most is closed. I Love the smaller places not large crowds. Would you get home and wish you had seen Florence or Cinque Terre? Just your opinion since we have not been to Europe but hopefully will get to return in the future.

No Kids just 2 active adults.

Susan

 

 

During our 2007 trip to Italy we spent 4 days each in Florence and the Cinque Terre. Being national park junkies we planned our entire 2 week trip around visiting CT. We had been determined to get there ever since we saw Rick Steves’ travel show on PBS. In retrospect, if we had to give up one or the other, we would have given up Florence for CT, but we were already getting our cultural fix with 3 days each in Venice and Rome. The attached link will provide a pretty good overview of what you can experience in CT. :)

[mauimary]

We decided to do the ships tour on this one. There is a lot of walking down hillsides to get there and lots of steps. Make sure you have good walking shoes . We too decided since we did not have near enough time for culture and art in Florence --we would rather see parts of the Cinque Terre. It was gorgous and we loved every minute of it.

[susuyt]

Thank you all for the information I really appreciate it. We don't leave until Sept 19 so I should have time to find someone to share this with us.

Has anyone been there in middle September so I know what to pack?

Susan

[lost in translation]

I'm glad I found this thread. I/we have been trying to decide whether to do Cinque Terre or Florence (or maybe something visiting wineries) from Livorno. I think after Pompeii and Rome we may have had our fill of history and want scenic. We had been thinking about doing it on or own on the train but apparently that isn't a good idea since our ship sails at 7pm. The ship's excursion is $139 which seems steep but probably in line with private tours and wouldn't have to worry about missing the ship.

[MarleneAm]

I'm glad I found this thread. I/we have been trying to decide whether to do Cinque Terre or Florence (or maybe something visiting wineries) from Livorno. I think after Pompeii and Rome we may have had our fill of history and want scenic. We had been thinking about doing it on or own on the train but apparently that isn't a good idea since our ship sails at 7pm. The ship's excursion is $139 which seems steep but probably in line with private tours and wouldn't have to worry about missing the ship.

__________________________________________________________

If you think you want scenic, there are many beautiful towns and sites besides Florence and Cinque Terre, much easier to arrange as excursions from Livorno. You could go to Pisa on the train, not just for the Leaning Tower, but the Cathedral and the other buildings.With a change of trains at Pisa you could go on to Lucca, which is a beautful walled city with really good food. If there is a driving tour that goes to wineries that would show you the beautiful Tuscan landscapes and there would be great food and wine too. The Cinque Terre is beautiful, but it is a hassle and an anxiety to get to/from Livorno. Is this trouble worth it to you when you are tired from sightseeing? Taking a ship's excursion to C.T.is worth it to me because I have already been in Florence, Pisa and Lucca. I would only take the ship's excursion to C.T. no matter what it costs, since the DIY anxiety about all these train changes to get to/from Livorno wuld ruin my day and any pleasure I would get from C.T.

[zoncom]

According to Rick Steves Pisa is worth 45 minutes. He is right.