We are having trouble making a choice on where to go,where to stay & how to get there?
We Arrive in Pisa airport on Sat am- and we have to be in Florence on Tuesday night or Wednesday am. Shoud we rent a car and go up to CT, SML, Portofino etc or train? Should we stay in SML and then take day trips out from there? Should we go further towards Lake Como? Have read so many reviews, very confused. Thanks

You have 2 questions here---where to go and how to get there. The car thing is very personal---personally I would drive and stay in EITHER Portovenere or SML as a base for day trips. Drop the car as you get to Florence at the airport.

Does the train run from Portovenere to Riomaggiore?

Marko - No. There's no railway station at Portovenere - the nearest is La Spezia.

You can go by bus between Portovenere and La Spezia, then train to Riomaggiore.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Thanks Steve, what I want to do is get from Riomaggiore to La Grazie after we have done the walk. So Train to La Spezia, taxi or just taxi from La Grazie, or grab the ferry to Portovenere ! confusing ain't it !!

I would stay in SML; it is a great point to vist CT, Portofino, Camogli (another charming fishing village). Plus it has the convenience for train, bus or taxi. keep in mind that for some of the destinations in this area there is the slow train/milk train, which isn't as reliable and is very slow. if you are traveling to this area from another point, ie. florence or pisa, you will have more options for trains to SML that don't include the milk train. hope i didn't confuse you.

We are staying at La Grazie, 2 kms from Portovenere.