Is Cinque Terre for non hikers?
 

Planning a 16 night trip to Italy by car for March 2004. Considering Cinque Terre (just to see it and experience it) but not up to the hiking or vertical roads. (And yes I know I will be finding many hilltowns along our trip! I guess I would like an honest assessment of Cinque Terre and is it really worth it (as some books say) We a re flying into Rome and going north. We have seen Rome, Florence and Capri/Naples so with exception of Venice not hitting any cities. Really want to see th e little towns, experience life in little inns and B&B (agrituristica) We plan at this point, two nights in Umbria, three in Tuscany, some blank days (to be filled) and then a coupl, three nights in Lake region, a couple of nights in Dolomites and then on to Asolo (maybe) and then Venice and home. We have used Karen Brown very satisfactorily in France and Ireland so I am poring over her suggestions in both books. We arre budget minded --don't need luxury etc. Want to eat the food, try the wines and meet the people. Any and all help will be appreciated1 H

Karen Brown will take you to very satifactory accomodations. And Cinque Terre is worth any time you spend there, even if it is just to pack a lunch (panini and vino) and go up to some of higher points just to take in the views. I didn't use the trails but the experience was great. The train will take you between small towns.

If you don't want to walk, get one of the boats from Lerici and hop on hop off all day. It's really pretty. Truly worth seeing

Are the boats working in March? And thanks so much for your input. At the very least we want to take the train ride through each of the towns and definitely stop in Vernazza (which I hear is one of the prettiest towns) Anyone with any experience staying in Cinque Terre or would you recommend stayin in Levanto or whatever? H

My husband and I are not hikers but we did a few of the segments. We started at the furthest town on the south and walked through to Vernazza. Can't beat the scenery and we have some great photos of cats on bikes; views over the water and Vernazza from above. The last stretch is suppose to be hardest so we didn't even try. I'd give some parts a try for the experience.

We hiked between some of the towns in Cinque Terre, and while most of that hiking is pretty strenuous, the southernmost leg, between the two southernmost towns, is very easy -- more like a stroll on flat ground. If you like to walk at all you will certainly want to do that. Otherwise the boat between towns is much easier and more convenient than the trains, which are fairly user-unfriendly for non-Italian speakerws (particularly in Cinque Terre, where at least some of the locals are not crazy about tourists). Go, though -- it's quite beautiful. And eat the local seafood!

The timetables for the boats are on www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it. Otherwise, it's easy to get around by train - see www.trenitalia.com.