Hi

I want to travel from Nice to the cinque terra in Italy (and then onto Tuscany).

We will have a car in Nice, but dont know whether we'd be better off both time wise and $$ wise to dump that car in Nice, pick up a train to Genoa or somewhere, and then pick up another car to drive down to cinque terra, or whether we should just drive straight from Nice to the cinque terra.

How long will it take to drive from Nice, or alternatively from San Remo or Genoa (ie where we'd take the train to). How much would a train trip like this cost?

Also, if we take the train to Genoa is there anything to see there (ie should we spend the night?) or are we better off just heading straight to cinque terra?

Sorry for the confusing post!

Thanks so much.

I just looked at www.sbb.ch for train timetables and it takes about 5 1/2 hours with 2 changes from Nice to Monterosso. There is lots of good info on this site and you can click on the English button if you don't read German. The website for Italian train travel is www.trenitalia.com and you can get prices as well. I would guess the train would work out cheaper than a car. A lovely spot for a day or two on the way is Santa Margherita Ligure (also on the train line) and from here you can catch a bus, 20 min drive, to Portofino. We used the trains in Italy and thought it preferable as parking is very limited and expensive - particularly in Cinque Terre - and we could both look out the train window at the scenery without stressful driving, getting lost etc.
Kay

I concur with Kay, trains are a great mode of transportation and less expensive than a rental car with high gas prices, parking fees, etc. And yes, parking is a hot commodity in the CT and not always available. That being said, I would go by train. I always travel 2nd class (saves $) and the seating areas have always been fine.

The Nice to Cinque Terre route is a particularly scenic one, the train travels the entire arch of the Riviera, passing through gorgeous coastal towns along the way. If you start out early enough in the morning from Nice, you can take a train all the way through to the Cinque Terre. You can change trains in Genoa and usually again in Sestri Levanti. Then take a 5-digit train that goes down to the Cinque Terre.

The train ride segment from Nice to Genoa takes anywhere from 2.57 to 3.49 hours (dependent on speed of train, stops). The segment from Genoa down to the CT takes about 1.5 to 2.15 hours (again dependent on speed of train, stops).

Hi matt,

It is likely that there will be a very large chrge to drop off a French car in Italy.

At AutoEurope the drop charge is a whopping $250.

Definitely the train. It's also be fairly useless to have a car in the CT.

I would then continue on with the train to someplace like Pisa or or Florence and pick up another car there for Tuscany.