We're planning a stop in Moterosso to catch a ferry to and from Vernazza. Any experience or advice? Where does one find the ferry from the Monterosso car park, how long does the the trip take, etc.? (We'd like to spend a little time in Vernazza, maybe lunch and hike part of the trail.)

You can walk from one of those towns to the other. My daughter did it yesterday. <BR>I'll write her and if she's going back in the next few days, we'll see if she can get any info for you. Do you know about the Cinque Terre story on pg 98 of the current Gournmet (juice bars on the cover) <BR>BAK

Here's a report directly from a Cinqu Terre hiker, who walked the trail within the past few days. She's not too specific, but it may help. <BR>........ <BR>About the ferries, I have a map that shows where they leave. They all go to a city in the south called La Spezia wheere there is a main train staion. There are ports in Vernazza, Riomaggiore and Monterosso. Here's a tip on the trails, if you want to avoid any wild life, stick to the trails closest to the coast. There are lots of people on these trails so the most wild life you'll meet is a stray cat who like salami and scared Geckos(sorry, can't spell today!). <BR> <BR>The last ferry, I think was 6.oopm. But you should always have an idea about the train schedule because then you'll wind up going on the the harder tails. The trail between Riomaggiore and Corniglia is a walk in the park, but once you hit Corniglia get ready for a challange. It starts with stairs that never end, and then there's a steep trail or two with very old stairs. I suggest you get some hiking boots, I used running shoes and had to be always aware of where I was placing my footing, as there are parts of the trail that hug the edges of the cliff, and don't let the weeds fool you, there's nothing underneath them. <BR>Believe me, I know from experience as one of my fellow members of the first expedition would have fallen through if I hadn't caught her! <BR>......... <BR>If she sends anymore info, I'll plug it into one of the many sections in Fodor's that talks about Cinque Terre. <BR>BAK <BR>

Daniel, Monterosso is the largest of the 5 Terre and the only one you can easily get a car to; as a conseqence there is more than one car park... However it's still not very big, and you really can't get lost. <BR> <BR>The old town sits above a bay which is separated from a newer part by a rocky outcrop on the north side, and the ferry docks on the south side of the outcrop. The railway runs overhead between the old town and the beach/pier, so keep going downhill, go under the railway and look right. You can't miss it, honest! <BR> <BR>The boat trip takes 5 minutes. The walk takes 2 hours. It is perpendicular at both ends. However, it is truly worth doing. The ferries run from Monterosso roughly hourly from 10.30am to 5 pm (I did say "roughly"). You can read all about them on www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it. <BR> <BR>I'd be inclined to suggest you walk early or late to aviod the heat of the day. Have fun!

Thanks for the replies. We will be driving, which is the main reason Monterosso is on the itinerary. As for hiking vs. the Ferry, I plan to do some hiking on the trail, but have this hang-up about seeing the seaside villages from the water, thus the ferry idea. Photo-ops, you know. : )

Daniel, It's not a bad idea, but you might want to spread your wings. You COULD go all the way to Riomaggiore, thus passing all 5, then back as far as Vernazza, then walk the last bit. <BR> <BR>Then again you could be sensible and do what you had in mind in the first place!!

Sheila, that sounds great, but I am a bit concerned with time. (We're driving from Lucca to Bordighera that day, so the Cinque Terre stop will have to be only a few hours.) How long would you estimate the time to walk back to Vernazza from Riomaggiore? My original plan was to have a lesuirely lunch in Vernazza before heading back to Monterosso and the car to continue our journey through Portofino, Camogli and Genoa before nightfall. Once again, I do appreciate the thoughtful advice.

Daniel <BR> <BR>I honestly don't know. the distances are not great; it's all to do with terrain and I didn't walk that bit. Seeing it from the boat, some bits seemed paved and level, but I couldn't swear to it. And the the boat doesn't stop in Corniglia which is BETWEEN Riomaggoire and Vernazza. If you look at the timetable on the web site, it may be possible for you to go down get off in Riomaggoire, wait for the next boat back to Vernazza, then get off again and either walk or wait for the next boat again, depending on how contrained you are by time

Jumping on this thread...

We plan to do a hike to Monterosso from Levanto in one morning this September.

Does anyone know about ferry schedules from Monterosso to Vernazza?

Is it possible to take a ferry to Vernazza around SUNSET... and then take a train in the evening from Vernazza back to Levanto? Again, this will be in mid-September.

Thank you!