Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The winter is really dead—most hotels and some restaurants close in December and
January. The long Easter weekend and June and July are the peak of peak periods, the
toughest times to find rooms. In spring, the towns can feel inundated with Italian school
groupsday-trippingonspringexcursions(theycan'taffordtosleepinthisexpensiveregion).
For more information on the region, see
www.cinqueterre.it
.
Cinque Terre Park Cards
Visitors hiking between the towns on coastal trails need to pay a park entrance fee. This fee
keeps the trails safe and open, and pays for viewpoints, picnic spots, WCs, and more. The
popular coastal trail generates enough revenue to subsidize the development of trails and
outdoor activities higher in the hills.
You have two options for covering the park fee: the Cinque Terre Park Card or the
Cinque Terre Treno Park Card. Both are valid until midnight on the expiration date. Write
your name on your card or risk a big fine. The configuration and pricing of these cards seem
to always be in flux—be aware that the following details may change before your visit, and
cuts to park funding may cause the park to stop offering these cards.
The
Cinque Terre Park Card
costs €5 for one day of hiking or €9 for two (covers trails
and shuttle buses but not trains, buy at trailheads and at most train stations, no validation
required).
The
CinqueTerreTrenoParkCard
coverswhattheCinqueTerreParkCarddoes,plus
theuseofthelocaltrains(fromLevantotoLaSpezia,includingallCinqueTerretowns).It's
sold at TIs inside train stations, but not at trailheads (€10/1 day, €19/2 days, validate card at
trainstationbypunchingitintheyellowmachine).Withthiscard,youhavetohikeandtake
three train trips every day just to break even.
Cards cost a bit more on weekends and in August. Those under 18 or over 70 get a dis-
count, as do families of four or more (see
www.parconazionale5terre.it
).
Getting Around the Cinque Terre
Within the Cinque Terre, you can connect towns in three ways: by train, boat, or foot. Trains
are cheaper, boats are more scenic, and hiking lets you enjoy more pasta. From a practical
point of view, you should consider supplementing the often frustrating train with the some-
times more convenient boat. The trail between Riomaggiore and Manarola is a delight and
takes just a few minutes, making the train not worth waiting for. The trail from Manarola to
Corniglia is likely closed (after a huge 2011 landslide).
