We will be staying in Florence for three days and would like to spend a day at a couple of the Cinque Terra towns. Is this feasible using the trains for transportation?

I never tried that excursion so cannot advise you.

But, the place is Cinque Terre -- not Cinque Terra. Since Cinque means five, Terra has to be plural, and in Italian the plural of feminine nouns ends in e.

Yes, you can reach the CT by train from Florence.

It's fesible, but will be a long day. If you could catch the early direct train(about 2 hours) from Florence to La Spezia Centrale, then take the local train to Vernazza or any of the other villages for walking. For train schedules, please check: http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/

It is tough as a day trip, but the train connections are not bad--I would spend the nite. Also, pick a place--you will not find any trains going to " Cinque Terre".

I live in Liguria. (Camogli) and I always find it something of a pain to get to Firenze, in no small part because the particular train line that services this part of Italy is subject to delays, for reasons I have never figured out, and you must change trains, sometimes more than once.

If you are a very early riser, you might get a glimpse of the Cinque Terre towns, and enjoy a lunch, perhaps the sunset as well, but you are in for a long day, and much waiting about train stations.

Renting a car won't save you much time, however -- and many rental agencies in Firenze don't allow 1-day rentals.