Catching Train from Florence to Monterosso -- Is it Complicated?
 

An aquaintance recently came back from Italy and mentioned that arriving via train to CT is not that simple, and to be aware that there a few different train stops that you have to be on the lookout for. Have any of you made this jaunt recently and do you have any advice on what to be looking out for? We are going to be staying in Monterosso.

Thank you in advance for your help with this!

I am not sure Monterosso has scheduled train service. I think you MAY have to travel to Spezia. But there are a lot of others here who have been to the CT so am topping this for you.

It is not so hard, but you will have to change train a few times. First you must travel from Florence to Viareggio (approx 1 hour 30 minutes), than from Viareggio there is a frequent service to La Spezia. From La Spezia you can find trains and buses to Cinque Terre.

It's simple. Take the train from Florence to LaSpezia and catch the local train that runs from LaSpezia through ALL the Cinque Terre villages. From LaSpezia to Monteresso only takes about 20 minutes or so. When you get to the train station at LaSpezia the Cinque Terre train leaves from track 1. You can get info there at the station and also get your Cinque Terre card which by the way includes the price of the train.

There are but two trains that rund directly from Florence to La Spezia, both in the morning (one approx. 8 am, the other approx 10,30 am). Apart from these two, you have to go through either Viareggio or Pisa.

thanks for that helpful tidbit, alice! And thanks for the question apcretful...

Either routing you take, you still have to go through La Spezia and switch to a 5 digit, local train to go through the CT. They run every 30 minutes or so up until approx. 9 pm so it should not be a problem catching a connecting train to Monterosso al mare. I would not buy a CT ticket until the next day. Please note that the CT tourist ticket is for full 24 hours periods so you could feasibly ride several trains back and forth amongst the 5 towns within a 1 day period so a 2 or 4 day CT card might suffice. Enjoy yourselves in the CT!

FYI, you can only get the CT card for 1, 3 or 7 days.

Excellent advice! I am incredible grateful.

Thank you.