giadav

going on a cruise Sept 2018 and want to spend 5 nights in Cinque Terre. What is the best airport to fly into and how long of a train ride is it to Monterosso ? I had read Pisa but now I just saw that Genoa may not be bad either. Any thoughts? Thanks

Andrew

Either Genoa or Pisa - whichever works better for you. There is no train directly from the Genoa airport to Monterosso - you'll have to get a bus or taxi to one of the main Genoa train stations and get a train on from there. From Pisa I think there is a train of some sort so it might be slightly easier, but I think you can count on about two hours to get to Monterosso from either airport. Check Rome2Rio and/or the Trenitalia website to figure out the routings - that's what I would do again now.

I would even fly into Milan if say you can get a direct or easier flight than into Genoa or Pisa; yes, it takes a few hours longer to get into Monterosso by train, but if that means one fewer plane connection, getting into Italy hours earlier, it might be better to be on a train than a plane for the extra few hours.

giadav

Thank you Andrew. That is exactly the info I'm looking for. We are coming from Boston, so I'm trying to figure out the most direct way.

PalenQ

Yup as andrew said in his very helpful answer. About trains- if landing in Pisa's airport there is a people-mover to the Pisa Centrale train station (baggage storage if you want to also see the Leaning Tower) with frequent trains to La Spezia and Monterosso (may require simple change at La Spezia Centrale at times).

From Genoa or Milan also many trains but Pisa's airport sounds easiest to connect with trains from what andrew says. Most are regional trains that you do not want to book in advance as they are flat fare and do not take seat reservations at all. Just buy at airport train desk or at train stations -tickets good for any train that day. (There are reasons not to pre-buy these trains online but is cumbersome to explain.)

There are some IC and ES faster trains that do demand reservations before boarding and cost more - they are only marginally faster on the Milan-CT-Pisa line however. So avoid them or buy them on arrival as when flying you do not really know what train will be convenient to catch and if book IC or ES trains you are stuck on a specific train at a specific time. For lots on Italian trains check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. For schedules of trains (and to book in stone IC and ES trains) www.trenitalia.com or www.bahn.de/en.

giadav

Thank you PalenQ excellent info as well. So it looks like Pisa is the best airport. We are going to spend 5 nights here then head to Civitavecchia for a cruise. Train also seems like the best form of transportation for this as well....

kja

You might consult rome2rio.com -- just be sure to check all the links it provides, as rome2rio itself is not sensitive to seasonal variation.

PalenQ

Civitavecchia for a cruise. Train also seems like the best form of transportation for this as well.>

Yup -direct La Spezia- Pisa to Civitavecchia but use IC trains on that longer route as regional trains can be much slower but check each and if IC book early at www.trenitalia.com for possible discounts.

PalenQ

You may want to cop a taxi from Civitavecchia station to your boat dock - not a bad walk to the port area but could walk a long way once inside depending on where the cruise ship docks.

giadav

PalenQ Thank you. Do you mean we need to change trains in Pisa? Another words La Spezia to Pisa....change trains, then, Pisa to Civitavecchia?

casacruz1111

Pisa is closer but after doing lots of homework on this we ended up going to Florence. There weren’t many flight options for us to Pisa so we went to Florence, rented a car, did a drive by Pisa (to see tower) and left our car at La Spezia. Our hub was Vernazza- 2 nights. We just did this in June btw. Check out enjoy cinqueterre tours via Trip Advisor. You won’t regret it. https://www.enjoycinqueterre.com/
Enjoy your trip and happy travels!

casacruz1111

Giadav- also you mentioned 5 nights. What did you plan to do in CT?

PalenQ

PalenQ Thank you. Do you mean we need to change trains in Pisa? Another words La Spezia to Pisa....change trains, then, Pisa to Civitavecchia?>

I just check at: www.bahn.de/en (German railways European schedule site - easiest for me to use) and says about every 2-3 hours there are direct La Spezia-Civitavvechia trains - book at www.trentialia.com for discounts if book far enough in advance.

So no change needed at Pisa if you catch those trains which are the optimal way to go.