HoneyBrown

Message: First of all, thanks to all the Fodorites that helped me plan my trip. I scoured the site daily looking for tips and hints and took them all with me on the trip! I was a little nervous since I was traveling alone but with all the planning I did beforehand, the trip was enjoyable and a piece of cake. Took Rick Steve's Italy and Let's Go Italy and both proved to be incredible valuable indifferent cities. I also read Fodor's Italy before I left but declined to bring it along.

Flew into Milan from London on Alitalia and immediately hopped a bus from the airport to the train station. There are two buses to take, opt for the less expensive, almost as fast version. Barely made my train and due to my tardiness, I didn't get a seat on the train from Milan to Monterosso al Mare in the Cinque Terre. They always say to book first class but due to the super-high Euro, I went the cheap route. Spent 2.5 hours sitting on my suitcase. Can't recommend this to anyone. I figured out later in my trip to ask the attendant to help me find a seat on the train. Worked like a charm!

Monterosso is the northern town of the CT and the most developed. I stayed at the Hotel Villa Steno, which is perched on top of a hill overlooking the town. While the hike from the train station to the hotel was a little strenuous, the hotel was lovely, and worth the climb. All the rooms have verandas and my single was a pleasant surprise, from the geraniums on the veranda to the rather good-sized bathroom, all for 85 Euro. Found out upon check-in that I could take a short cut through their garden, which I could access through an alley and a back gate.

Went for a swim on the public beach and stopped at Il Cassella for a foccacia and a glass of wine. Stayed there for roughly 9 hours, give or take an hour. It's the hot spot of Monterosso, with cheap drinks, good food, and a DJ and dance floor that started around 11pm. Met tons of travelers and locals as the night continued and continued.

The next day, after a plentiful breakfast at the Hotel Villa Steno (fruit, cappuccino, yogurt, pastries), I tackled the CT hike through the 5 towns. Everything I had read suggested that you start at the bottom in Riomaggiore, and hike up to Monterosso. After everything that I read about the hike, it sounded like the hike from Monterosso to Vernazza was the most challenging and the longest, so therefore it made sense to start where I was. I bought a pass at the train station that covered my entrance to the trail as well as unlimited train access between the 5 towns for the day.

I should also mention that Rick Steve's book on Italy covers the CT extensively. He is particularly fond of Vernazza but he has valuable information on all 5 towns.

The hike was challenging all right: 90 minutes uphill,10 minutes downhill. The sun was crazy hot, the views were spectacular, and the path was maybe a yard across at times. By the time I reached Vernazza, the antics from the night before caught up to me and I had lunch at Bar Arnosso, which overlooks the swimming cove. A glass of sparkling wine and a foccacia later, I decided to take the train to Riomaggiore and hike back up until Corniglia, bypassing the second most challenging hike from Corniglia to Vernazza. After viewing the towns, I could see they all had the own pluses, from the fabulous swimming in Manarola to the whitewashed rocks of Riomaggiore to the quaint small town feel of Vernazza.

Dinner that night was at Al Carugio in Monterosso, which had the best calamari I've ever had and an absolutely amazing caprese salad. 3 course meal with wine for one person, 37 Euro.

got up early the next morning for my train to Florence, that tale to follow

capo

Glad to hear you had a great time in Cinque Terre and good for you for going by yourself.

The Villa Steno sounds very nice. I believe we had looked into this last year before going but it was booked.

You note that every thing you read suggested that a person start at the south in Riomaggiore, and hike up to Monterosso and that's probably true, but I recommend the reverse, because you get the most difficult hiking out of the way and also because I think the approaches to Vernazza, Corniglia, and Manarola are more scenic when coming from the north.

e_roz

Thanks for the report. We were just there in early July. We had read to start in Monterossa (Since it's the hardest) and hike south. We did it all and it was quite a bit. 90% uphill on the first part sounds right! The view from Vernazza heading towards Corniglia is great though (and there's a little bar on the trail you can stop, see an incredible view and have a drink!). We stayed in Riomaggiore and in retrospect I'd rec. Monterossa or Vernazza. Too many young back packers in our town of orig. choice! Please Continue......

cparris

How many nights did you spend in CT? We are planning a trip for next spring and I would like to do the hike...is 2 nights too rushed? How long did it take to go from Milan to CT via train?

TravelerGina

Sounds like you had a good time!
We will also be flying into Milan and taking the train to the CT. We get in at noon and I'm estimating that by the time we go through customs, get our luggage and take the bus to the Milan station, we will have to take the train that leaves around 3 p.m. Did your train leave about 3 hours after landing, or were you able to get an earlier train?

HoneyBrown

Spent 36 hours in Monterosso and could have spent more. If you want to spend a day just relaxing, another day would suit you just fine. The hike, and exploring the surrounding town will take you all day, with time for a nap and rest before dinner that night.

I took the Alitaia flight that left London at 930am, and arrived in Milan at 1230pm. I barely made the train from Milan to Monterosso that left Milan at 2:10pm. That train takes approximately 2.5 hours! Long travel day but once you get to Monterosso, it's all good!

Intrepid

Thanks for the trip report. Hopefully, those who continually tell others that "First Class just isn't worth it," including Mr. Steves, will realize this isn't always the case.

jal716

Don't laugh at my questions...I am just learning this region. If we took a day trip from Florence to Cinque Terre...how much could we do???? Do you get hot and sweaty...do you wear hiking clothes like you were climbing Diamond Head in Hawaii. Is this possible as a day trip from Florence?

HoneyBrown

For a day trip from Florence, you could take the train to Monterosso.. From there, you can take the train that runs between the 5 towns to the southern most town, and hike from there. The hike is only tiring between Monterosso and Vernazza and Vernazza and Corniglia. the hike from Riomaggiore to Manarola is about 20 minutes and very easy, and the hike from Manarola to Corniglia is about 45 minutes while less developed, still a very easy hike.

Lina

jal716: Spending several days in the Cinque Terre sounds wonderful, but if you don't have the time, I do recommend a day trip. We drove from our villa just outside Florence to Riomaggiore (2.5-3 hrs) and spent about 8 hours enjoying 4 out of 5 of the towns, half of that time actually hiking. It was over 100 degrees that day so we drank a ton of water and rested frequently. The views are amazing and we were so glad that we decided to include the Cinque Terre in our itinerary. Each town is interesting and enjoyable if even for a brief stop. You will love it. I don't recommend taking only the train because you can't see anything. The boat schedule is unreliable (not running the day we were there). You really need to hike as much as you can. We want to spend more time there "next time" but even one day was worthwhile. You can read some more details in my travel report if you search by my name. Have fun! P.S. You ought to wear some decent shoes and you will get sweaty since it is still hot there and some parts are a bit strenuous!