Water taxis are available at Monterroso to visit the other towns such as Vernazza. Monterossomalso has a small beaxh. This area is not child friendly though. Consider one of the towns a little north of the CT.

thanks HappyTrvlr . . if we go to a town north of CT will it be easy to get a water taxi around CT?

OMG those poor children. Crazy, where will you be based when you want to do this day trip!

Hi cathy, We are thinking in Lucca for this day trip They would be coming off 4 days in Varenna . . .5 Days Lucca/Siena haven't decided yet. They are going to LOVE the boats!

If you stay or visit Lucca, there is a beautiful, very old carrousel in a little park the kids would love.

Be sure you check the weather before heading out and ensure boats are running. We were there for 5 days in the summer of 2010 and even though the sun was shining all the boats were cancelled the entire time due to rough seas. The villages have tiny docks so it doesn't take much for the boats to be canceled.

Thanks Sassafrass . . .we will def go . .just not sure if it will be 3 days lucca/3 days sienna or 6 days sienna.

and jamikins . .thanks for the heads up! what a shame for you guys!

If you are coming from Lucca, you might find it easiest to get a boat in La Spezia. I suggest when you get off the train that you splurge on a 5 euro taxi ride from the train station to the boat dock.

Take the boat all the way to Monterosso al Mare and have lunch there. Then take the train back to Lucca. There is no need to get on and off. It's not that long a ride.

http://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it/

Thanks for that goldenautumn. We will have no worries taking a taxi to the location! What about taking the boat up to portofino after lunch and then getting a train back to Lucca from there? doable?

Hi crazy, I don't think that's possible, we found the boats to portofino left early in the morning or later in the afternoon. I think the cinque Terre itself will fill your day...portofino would I think be too much to pack into one day...especially with your young children in tow!

It is much too far to go to Portofino by boat from le Cinque Terre, and from Portofino (which has no train station), it is much too far to get a bus to the nearest train station and go back to Lucca.