Getting around Cinque Terre
From Pisa by train to La Spezia, then the local train through all five villages; the car stays out of the region.
- Airport
- Pisa (Galileo Galilei airport, PSA)
- Train to La Spezia
- €5–9 (regional, one-way)
- Car
- €19–23
You reach the villages and move between them by train, on paths and by boat. From Pisa airport the train to La Spezia Centrale takes 40 min – 1 h, and from there the local train calls at all five villages.
From the airport to the first village
The nearest airport is Pisa (Galileo Galilei airport, PSA). From there it is train (Trenitalia, Pisa Centrale – La Spezia Centrale, regional or Frecciarossa): 40 min – 1 h, €5–9 (regional, one-way) one way. From La Spezia Centrale the villages are served by the Cinque Terre Express. Whoever arrives through Genoa has a direct train to the region.
The train between villages
The line links the villages in order: 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 train is therefore also the fastest way to skip a part of a path that is closed or too long for a day.
Paths and the Cinque Terre Card
The paid paths and the Via dell'Amore need a card. The trekking card covers the paths and the Via dell'Amore, and the train card adds the local trains. Path status: Monterosso–Vernazza and Vernazza–Corniglia can be walked, the coastal Manarola–Corniglia cannot, because of a landslide, so you take the inland path through Volastra.
Boat and car
The boat to Portovenere runs in the season, about 1 h 25 (from Monterosso). A car is not worth it: a rental is €19–23, and the villages have no parking in the centre.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
How do you get from Pisa airport to Cinque Terre?
train (Trenitalia, Pisa Centrale – La Spezia Centrale, regional or Frecciarossa), 40 min – 1 h, €5–9 (regional, one-way); from La Spezia Centrale on by the Cinque Terre Express.
Do I need the Cinque Terre Card?
For the paid paths and the Via dell'Amore yes; the trekking card covers them, and the train card adds the local trains.
Do you drive to the villages?
No: a rental is €19–23, and the villages have no parking in the centre.
Ready for Cinque Terre?
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