Will be visiting Italy later this month, and am hoping to visit the Cinque Terre. Does anyone know what the train schedules are from Florence to La Spezia and from La Spezia to Venice? Any good recommendations on a place to stay? Do wee need to book in advance? Thanks.

You can find all train timetables for ItaLY on:
www.trenitalia.it

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Ditto on looking for places to stay in the Cinque Terra. I have Rick Steve's guidebook but it seems there aren't a lot of websites or email addresses for this part of Italy. Can a travel agent help you in Italy or do you just have to call from Italy and hope to find someone at the hotel to help you?

Hi there. We just returned from a wonderful visit to Cinque Terre. I don't think there are any direct trains from Florence to La Spezia, you have to connect to another train in Pisa. That's what we did on the way out. It took about two hours from Cinque Terre to get to Florence. Check trenitalia for the schedule.

We stayed at a wonderful hotel in Manarola called Marina Piccola. The Web site is www.hotelmarinapiccola.com We had a room overlooking the sea with an unbelievable view of the sunset (we were in room 11). There is also a room with a balcony that looked really nice. The people running the hotel were wonderful and the rooms were very clean, modern and comfortable (but the one we were in was quite loud as it was above the restaurant).

I'm off to write my complete review of our trip now. Best of luck to you!

Thorspecken, before going to Vernazza a year and half ago, I seem to recall finding quite a few websites dealing with accomodations in the Cinque Terre villages and nearby towns.

We chose a place out of Steves' Italy book, a private room overlooking the harborside piazza in Vernazza, owned/run by Franca Maria. Very small room, but clean and relatively inexpensive with a superb location.

In case you're interested, specific info at...

http://www.francamaria.com/

I stayed a week in Manarola this past June, but I rented an apt.
Try the webb 5TERRE.com for more informations. The aerea is great, the scenery is fantastic.

That 5terre website is extensive but can anyone give more ideas of good places to stay (with a view of course) that they would recommend in the C.Q.

www.cinqueterre.it. Edy's rooms in Riomaggiore rents rooms, some with view and very affordable.

Of the 5 towns in the CT, I find Riomaggiore to be the best one to use as a base to explore the others. Vernazza (IMO) is the loveliest, but is full of tourists and Rick Steves enthusiasts. Hotel Villa Argentina in Riomaggiore (Via A de Gasperi, 37 telephone 011-39-0187-920-213) is a terrific little hotel with rooms from 70 euros, including breakfast. If full, they have other properties (villas, apts) throughout town that are available. La Grotta restaurant in Riomaggiore serves delicious fresh seafood and pasta dishes at reasonable prices (they are at the base of the main street in Riomaggiore - after you come out of the tunnel from the train station, the restaurant is on the R side).

If you have a chance, take a boat to Portovenere, the town close to La Spezia and Lerici. It is a charming little place with postcard picture views and local ambiance. One of my favorites!

Have just returned from Cinque Terre and took the train from Pisa Central direct to Monterosso with no problems. Look on the Trenitalia web site and you will have to take train from Florence and change at Pisa.

Stayed at the Villa Steno in Monterosso and it is wonderful you will not find better.