Italy
 

Is it posible to move from milan to cinque terre and florence in just one day?

From Milan to C/T is about 150 miles, and its another 100 miles over to Florence.

It may be physically possible, but not advisable to make such a rush trip. Italy's best when seen slowly.

If you leave very early you will have a short time in Cinque Terre and then onward to Florence, leaving Florence very late. You won't see much but if this is your goal then do it.

Are you driving or taking a train?

Well...My husband and I are traveling with our toddler by train. We plan on leaving milan early morning and arriving in Florence later that evening but I would like to enjoy Cinque Terre as well.

when you say "enjoy" what do you mean? Step out of the train, stumble to the cliff edge, grab a coffee....

I guess what I mean is ..maybe have lunch...relax or find an activity to do with my daughter...

Leaving from central Milan or the airport? It would take quite a bit longer if it's the airport.

I think it's possible to take a train to CT early. Stop in one of the villages, have some lunch/stretch your legs/look around. Your problem is your luggage. You would need to store it. Small stations don't have luggage storage.

It takes about three hours by train to get from Milan Central Station to Monterosso, the nearest Cinque Terre town to Milan. In order to get there before noon, you'd have to leave your hotel around 7 AM. The best train to get would probably be the 8:10 train, arriving in Monterosso at 11:03. The next several trains after that involve annoying changes of train, which are always difficult with luggage and a baby.

Let's say you travel by boat from Monterosso to Riomaggiore, which is at the end nearest to Florence, getting off in one or two towns.

There are no direct trains from the Cinque Terre to Florence. The best possibility is a route with just one change of train, in La Spezia. The best onward train would leave Riomaggiore at 4:42 PM, getting to Florence at 8:07. All of the others either involve three trains, or have a very tight connection in La Spezia.

So, at best, you'd have about five hours in the Cinque Terre, and somewhere along the way, you'd have to eat, which can be a slow affair there.

What were you planning to do with your luggage while visiting the Cinque Terre? These little village train stations have no left luggage facilities. In fact, the stations are often not even open.

My final admonition is that for about six months of the year, the Cinque Terre is absolutely sinking under the weight of tourists. In my opinion, the best reason to go there is to do some hiking, which gets you away from the souvenir shops and the hordes. However, I don't think you can do that with a toddler, and it pretty much requires a stay of at least one night, or two if you have a long trip before and after.

You can find out just how much time you got there without having someone guessing to see if you have enough time.
Go to http://www.trenitalia.com/, hit the union jack flag at right top if you don't read Italian, plug in stations. If you don't know the station names, you can start with
Milano Centrale - Monterosso for the first leg
then Monterosso - Firenze S.M. Novella for the second log
Look at the combinations of these two legs. The difference is how much time you got. Just plug in other station names for other CT towns.
The luggage will be a problem. You probably have to take them to lunch and to beach, or whatever.

Luggage aside - nice if you have wheels on luggage and baby - I think it is very feasible and nice to break the journey between Milan and Florence in the Cinque Terre - you can leave Milan as bvienci says on a direct IC train at 8:10, arrive in Monterosso at 11:16 - walk from the new part of Monterosso (one of nicest beaches in Italy right in front of train station) - walk thru the tunnel from the train station area to the old port town on the water - lots of restaurants or bring your own picnic - now all 5 Terre towns are not peas in pods but are kind of the same in being romantically situated on the sea and featuring old stone buildings, etc.

Then you can leave Monterosso at 15:05 - after 4 hours there and get to Florence S M N at 18:07 - changing at La Spezia Centrale - with a more than comfy 31 minutes in between trains (have a cappuccimno at the station caffe!) for a direct train to Florence.

except for luggage problems potetnially it is all easily done - and there are many other rail connections to Florence and from Milan as well - those I gave are the most convenient as they only involve a simple change of trains in La Spezia Centrale.

For lots of great info on Italian trains in general I always spotlight these superb sources - www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www. budgeteuropetravel.com. For the IC train you must have a seat reservation which is issued when you buy your tickets in MIlan (no great savings on discounted tickets on this train I think - check but if not just buy in Milan - seat reservations some with the ticket.

The trains Monterosso - La Spezia - Florence are regional trains that do not even offer seat reservations - a flat fare ticket you can use on any train but if I were you with babe and all I'd try for the 15:03 departure from Monterosso as it only involves one change of train - not another one at Pisa Centrale as many other links do (meaning potentially climbing down stairs and up to other platforms.

A great way to get a glimpse of the CT is by taking the boat between the villages. You can get off at any of the stops and then catch the train back to where you began. It's a fun way to spend a few hours, and the views are stunning.

CT are 5 very tiny villages cut into the cliff above the sea and the main activities are the hikes between them. Not something I would undertake with a toddler. If you're thinking of flat soft sandy beaches - this isn't it.

And that would be a VERY long day for a little child.

Well Monterosso's soft sandy beach has at times been named one of the finest in Europe and it is right in front of the Monterosso train station - at least the beach I saw - just a few steps from the train - bring a picnic with you and if in warm weather kid can at least wade a little - can't think of a better way to break up a long day for a young tyke.

Maybe I missed it but where will you put luggage? I can't imagine carting all the luggage plus stuff for a child on a train and then lug it around the beach or the hills in cinque Terre just for lunch! Plus it is not exactly on the way. Not worth it to me.

I would call the beach at Monterosso so-so. I Whoever gave that designation hasn't seen many beaches in Italy, let alone the rest of Europe. It's very narrow, for one thing, and in high season, you might have trouble finding a place to sit with your picnic. A good part of the beach is occupied by bathing establishments, and the "free" beach is only a small portion of an already small beach.

Monterosso is the only town in the Cinque Terre that has much of a beach at all.

By the way, the "free" beach in Monterosso is pebbly, not sandy. The bathing establishments haul in sand for their beaches.

thanks for correcting me on the sandy beach!

I guess it is not the best idea then. Might have to wait for another visit! Thanks for the help