We are going to Italy in 4 days and a wake up! Does anyone have any experience with travelling the ferry's between the 5 Terre's? This will be our first trip. Also wondering if we should get the Cinque Terre Card.
Thanks,
Terry

I can't help Terry but will be intereste in hearing replies. I was told to catch ferry from Moonterosso to the end to see the towns from the water then catch train back to La Spezia. Guess that depends where you are staying though.
If someone knows would you also know what the ferry's are like in November?. I was told that the sea may be too rough for them and best to do train or bus.

Hi
You have no choice re: purchasing the Cinque Terre Card. It's a national park and is mandatory. Buy the pass that gives you unlimited train travel.
Travelling by train is simple and straight forward. The trains travel a lot more frequently than the ferry. Do the hike and take the ferry back to get a different perspective. The hike can be challenging at times so be prepared. We saw people wearing flip-flops. Bad idea. Also, watch out for the goat. The goat is very friendly and likes to rub against unsuspecting hikers. S/he are on the trail between towns 3 & 4. If this happens to you, you'll smell like an old goat for the rest of the trip. Not a particularly pleasant smell.....

s

We just returned from Italy and spent a day traveling the Cinque Terre towns. We bought the Cinque Terre card for unlimited train travel and to hike the trails - you have to pay to hike the CT trails so we thought the card was a good deal. We chose to hike from Levanto to Monterosso, a very nice two hour hike, then we took the ferry from Monterosso to Riomaggiore, which gave us an ocean view of all 5 towns. From Riomaggiore we walked the Via dell'Amore to Manarola, then we took the train to Corniglia, train again to Vernazza then finally the train back to Levanto. The ferry seemed to travel about every half hour, although there was a gap from 12:30 till 2:30 with no ferry service. It was nice to have the ocean view of the towns, much more scenic than the train.

We stayed in Levanto at the Hotel Stella Maris which we found very nice. While we were there, we took the ferry to the end of the route and returned on a different one. This was a sunny Saturday in May and it was very enjoyable. Although we stayed for the entire trip, others were boarding and departing the boat at the villages as we got to them. This was several years ago. I don't have any information on the current schedule. If you have a place to stay there, perhaps they can assist you.

The ferry to the towns is the best way in my opinion. The views when you approach each town is fabulous. We always buy the day pass. If you hike also, you must buy the trail pass. We leave from Monterrosso and sometimes train back, depending on how late in the day.

Thank you for all of your replies! Does anyone know how much a one way from Moterosso to Riomaggiore would be?
Thanks,
Terry

We took the boat yesterday from Levanto to Portovenere. It was £12 per person 1 way. Then we came back to Manarola by boat, then walked to Corniglia. The boat is really the best way to get another view of the towns. Your hotle will have the schedule and you buy the ticket at the dock a few minutes before the boat comes.

There are more frequent trains though, between towns. Do both the trains and the boat to get totally different views. The boat does not run as frequent and different boats stop in different towns so ask before getting on.

Have fun!

Our ferry ticket was 8 euro per person from Monterosso to Riomaggiore, 1 way. The ferry goes to Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore, it does not go to Corniglia, which you will understand when you see it! The views from the ocean were fabulous, it was a beautiful day and the sea was very calm. This was almost three weeks ago.

Have a great time!

For details of the boats, see www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it. The services are seasonal so will be reduced at this time of year.

Hi tdiddy1: It is easy and convenient to take the local ferries between the 5 Cinque Terre towns, Levanto, and Portovenere. Here is the ferry schedule for reference http://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti....sorio_2006.pdf

To answer your question, there is a 10:30 am boat departure from Monterosso, arriving in Riomaggiore at 11:10 am, individual ticket price is 12 euros, one way with all stops (in all the towns) is 16 euros. The boats should still be running now as it is early October, but the schedule might be limited to just a few boats going/coming daily. You can check down at the harbor front of each of the towns (there is a booth/office with ticket information, where you can purchase your tickets, etc). Buon viaggio!