Cinque Terre by train and on foot: how to get between the villages

Between the five villages of Cinque Terre there are two ways to go: the Cinque Terre Express train, which calls at every village, and the Sentiero Azzurro path, which links them in order along the coast. The train depends on the timetable, the path on the state of the ground, and one short section is closed at the moment.

GuideWhat each of the five villages offers, with prices and times:Cinque Terre →

The region opens from La Spezia. From Pisa airport you take a train (train (Trenitalia, Pisa Centrale – La Spezia Centrale, regional or Frecciarossa)); the trip takes 40 min – 1 h and the ticket is €5–9 (regional, one-way). From there the local train calls at all five villages. A car is not worth it: a rental costs €19–23.

Getting aroundTrain, boat and paths, with prices and times:Getting around Cinque Terre →

Monterosso, the start of the line

Monterosso al Mare is the northernmost and the largest of the five villages, and the only one with a real sandy beach, in the part called Fegina. The line reads from the top down, towards the south, so Monterosso is the natural start. Here too the choice between train and path is made: to the next village, Vernazza, the path takes 2 h (3.5 km), with views of the sea from the cliff.

Vernazza and Corniglia

Vernazza has a harbour and a fortress right in its centre, and the path from Monterosso to it is open. From Vernazza to Corniglia the next section is open too, so the first two stretches of the Sentiero Azzurro can be walked without a detour. Corniglia is unusual because it is the only one of the five villages with no access to the sea: it stands on a cliff above it, and from the station to the centre runs a stairway of 382 steps.

The closed path and the detour by Volastra

The short coastal path from Corniglia to Manarola is closed because of a landslide, and the official source warns that the state of the region's paths can change at short notice, so check on the spot before you set off. Instead you take the inland path through the hamlet of Volastra: 2.5 h (5 km), with no fee. It runs through the terraced vineyards and olive groves that are the most characteristic landscape of this part of Liguria, so the detour is worth a day of its own.

When to goWhen the paths and villages look best, by month:The best time to visit Cinque Terre →

Manarola and Riomaggiore, the end of the line

Manarola is known for its terraced vineyards, and Riomaggiore is the easternmost village and the end of the line. Between them the train runs Monterosso–Vernazza 4 min by train · Vernazza–Corniglia 4 min · Corniglia–Manarola 5 min · Manarola–Riomaggiore 6 min (Cinque Terre Express, whole line about 30 min). The short path between the two villages is the Via dell'Amore: 20 min (900 m). It was closed from the end of 2019 until February 2025, and now runs to a timetable (29 Mar–24 Oct 2026: 9:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30); 25 Oct 2026–27 Mar 2027: 9:00–18:00), with a timed booking that is mandatory. Entry: €10 (with Cinque Terre Card), €17.50 standalone.

Which card for what

The Cinque Terre Card comes in two versions: the trekking card covers the paid paths, including the Via dell'Amore, and the train card adds the local trains on top. Anyone who only rides the train and strolls the villages need not count the paths. Anyone who wants at least one paid section comes out ahead with the trekking card.

2 daysTwo to three days hour by hour, with the train and the paths:Cinque Terre in 2 days →