Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Cinque Terre Cards: A Stacked Deck?
The 1-, 3-, or 7-day
Cinque Terre Cards
(
€
5.40,
€
13, and
€
21 respectively) enti-
tle you to unlimited train trips between La Spezia and Levanto, unlimited bus
trips within the park, and free access to the park's coastal path (usually a
€
3
entry). The 1-day Cinque Terre Ferry/Boat Card (
€
14) also includes unlimited 24-
hour access to the ferries working the coast. While this is a convenient way to
get around (no standing in lines to purchase additional tickets), it does not rep-
resent a real savings unless you're packing in a very full day with more than two
train trips and additional activities, such as mountain biking or horseback riding
(discounts for card holders). Cards can be purchased from any of the park offices
(located at all the five village train stations as well as at La Spezia and Levanto),
though I'd calculate carefully before actually purchasing one.
hourly) from the villages via the parking lots (no cars are allowed in the villages)
up to the hillside hamlets dotting the coastline. Tickets range from
€
1.50 to
€
2.50.
ACCOMMODATIONS & DINING
As the majority of accommodations listed are in medieval buildings, there are
(with the exception of Monterosso) no large hotels, and each operator offers only
a handful of rooms—often booked months in advance. That's why I've included
a fairly numerous selection.
The following discussion includes the very best available accommodations vil-
lage by village, and the top dining choices in each. Given the tiny size of the vil-
lages, there are an amazing number of restaurants to choose from, but with few
exceptions, all share almost identical menus (as do almost all restaurants on the
Ligurian coast). Pesto is featured without fail, as is every conceivable combination
of seafood. It is virtually impossible to have a truly bad meal here, so stroll around
the village and survey all the options before making a choice. While dining in the
Cinque Terre is by no means prohibitively expensive, it's not cheap, either; be pre-
pared for
€
6 to
€
9 per person for a
primo
course, plus a
€
2 to
€
3
coperto,
or cover
charge. If you're willing to shell out a little more on a top meal, dine at the costlier
of my recommendations and make up the difference with plenty of picnics (see
“Delicious. Cheap. Local. Making Meals from the Village Deli,” on p. 459).
Hotels & Restaurants in Riomaggiore
The pickings for the budget-conscious traveler in Riomaggiore are rich indeed,
with a broad selection of apartments and private rooms, well managed for their
absentee landlords by the holiday-letting agents whose offices line Via Colombo.
You can take a virtual tour of these rental agents by visiting www.emmeti.it; click
on “Hotels-Accommodation,” then “Liguria,” then “Residences-Flats,” and all
nine agents will pop up, some with photographs of the flats being offered.
