Getting Around in the Cinque Terre

The thing that probably draws the most people to the Cinque Terre - aside from Rick Steves’ books, that is - is the hiking trail that connects the five tiny villages, winding its way along the cliffs and through the hills. But hiking the Cinque Terre is, to my mind, something that belongs on a list of things to do in the Cinque Terre - it’s not necessarily the best way to get around in the Cinque Terre.
Luckily, there are other ways to get around in the Cinque Terre, so you don’t have to hike all the way from Monterosso to Riomaggiore just to keep your dinner reservations.
There are train stations in each of the five Cinque Terre towns, and the slow train between them tends to be the easiest way to get around. These are villages right on the water, however, so you won’t be surprised to learn there are boats that can get you from place to place in the Cinque Terre, too.
While there are roads connecting the towns, I’m not going to include driving from place to place among the ways to get around the Cinque Terre. Why? Because it’s more of a hassle than it’s worth. If you’ve got a rental car in Italy and you’ve driven yourself to the Cinque Terre, that’s enough of a hassle - don’t complicate matters by driving from one village to the next. Park your car in the parking lot of the town you’re staying in and get used to using public transit in the Cinque Terre until you’re on your way again.
Here’s a rundown of the ways to get around in the Cinque Terre that don’t involve driving.
>> Looking to get between the Cinque Terre and other stops on your Italy tour? Here’s information on getting from Venice to the Cinque Terre (and vice versa), getting from Florence to the Cinque Terre (and vice versa), and getting from the Cinque Terre to Rome (and vice versa).

How to Get Around in the Cinque Terre

Hiking in the Cinque Terre

Okay, I said that hiking didn’t count as a method of transportation in my book, so what is it doing on this list? It almost counts if you’re staying in either Riomaggiore or Manarola (the two southernmost towns), because the path between them, the Via dell’Amore, can hardly be counted as a hiking trail: it’s short and paved. It was closed for years after a rockslide in 2012 and fully reopened in July 2024, but it’s now one way only (you enter at Riomaggiore and come out at Manarola), and you have to book a 30-minute time slot with a Cinque Terre Card. So it’s a lovely walk, but not a way to stroll back to your room after dinner.
The hiking trail along the coast of the Cinque Terre is part of a National Park, and access is more limited than it used to be. Sections close often after bad weather, so check the park’s website on the day. Not only that, if you’re more industrious and actually did want to do a more difficult hike from your hotel to dinner and back, you’d risk being stuck because the park closed the entrances to the trailheads.
So the bottom line is that while one of the trails is quite un-trail-like, walking from town to town still isn’t a reliable form of transportation at all hours. By all means hike the trails during the day, however - it’s the best way to spend your time in the Cinque Terre.
>> Learn more about hiking in the Cinque Terre

Taking Trains in the Cinque Terre

Each of the five towns in the Cinque Terre has its own train station, and although faster trains coming into the area don’t necessarily stop at each one there are slower trains that do stop at each town. These are sometimes referred to as “milk-run” trains, for the fact that they stop frequently. And they might be slow, but getting from the first to the fifth village (or vice versa) takes less than 15 minutes.
The main thing to keep an eye on when you’re hopping from village to village on the train is what stops that particular train will make. As mentioned, some trains don’t stop at every village, and although you’re unlikely to get too far off-course if you get on the wrong train it’s easier to avoid going all the way to - for instance - La Spezia than to have to backtrack once you’re there.
If you’re planning to visit the middle village, Corniglia, then you’ll have to plan on either walking there or taking the train, as it’s not on any of the boat routes. Corniglia is the only one of the five towns that’s not right on the beach - it’s sitting atop the cliff - so it’s not served by the local passenger boats.
The train station in Corniglia is at the bottom of the cliff, but you have a couple of options for getting between the train station and the town center. You can take one of the mini-buses that shuttles people back and forth or you can walk up the switchback-laden staircase (pictured at right). It’s a good workout, and then once you’re in Corniglia you can reward yourself with a hearty meal and some local wine.
Single train tickets between the villages are sold at a special Cinque Terre fare, so check the current price at the station. If you’ll be in the area for a couple of days, and especially if you’ll be doing any hiking, look at the Cinque Terre Treno Card. It’s your access pass to the paid trails between the villages and gives you unlimited use of the local trains between Levanto and La Spezia. It costs more on peak days than in the low season, and you can buy it for more than one day. Prices and options are on the national park’s Cinque Terre Card page.

Taking Boats in the Cinque Terre

These are coastal villages we’re talking about, so it shouldn’t be surprising that there’s a passenger ferry service that connects most of them. As mentioned above, the middle town of Corniglia isn’t served by these boats, since it’s on top of the cliff rather than at the water’s edge - but you can take to the water to get between the other four. Some of the boats that serve the Cinque Terre also make trips to points further afield on the Ligurian coast, including the cruise port city of Portovenere and La Spezia to the south of Riomaggiore.
Trains run throughout the day and evening, and boat service is less frequent. The boats run mainly from spring to autumn, with fewer departures outside the high season, and they don’t sail in rough seas. Also, some boats skip more than just Corniglia, so be sure you check the route of the boat you’re boarding before you get on.
You can buy a single ticket for a hop from one village to the next, or a day ticket that lets you get on and off along the coast. The main operator is the Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti consortium, which lists current timetables and prices.
>> Learn more about visiting the Cinque Terre on the official Cinque Terre National Park website.
photos, top to bottom, by: twicepix, Her Own Journey, Fermented Thoughts, NH53, Marcel030NL