Portovenere to Cinqueterre
 

I'll be staying at the Royal Sporting in Portovenere. What is the easiest way to get there (by car) from Florence. Are there many winding roads? What is the easiest way to get from the hotel to Cinqueterre. Is ferry or train better in late September? I have been known to get car-sick & sea-sick. Any suggestions? <BR>Thanks ...

Sandy, <BR> <BR>You can get road/travel info at www.michelin.com for your trip from Florence to Portovenere.

From my last trip I found CinqueTerre to be very frightening. Steep cliffs ... If you go by ferry, you have to go UP stairs!! <BR>Good Luck!!

Sandy, Since you are obviously very challenged by maps and tend to get sick alot, I think I would stay home. How did you pick this location with out knowing these things? BTI, the Royal Sporting is about a 10 minute walk into the village---do you like to walk?

Without looking at the map right now, your trip from Florence to La Spezia should be primarily highway driving. <BR> <BR>From La Spezia (a large naval town and entry way to the peninsula that Portovenere is on), you've got a short (5 miles) drive to Portovenere on a 2 way road that is moderately curvy. It's not, however, scarey at all-- you'll be driving through small towns, not along the water. The drive through Portovenere can be tricky; look carefully for the signs to the hotel. Fortunately, they have their own parking. Leave the car there when you arrive and don't use it unless you plan a long trip! I stayed at that hotel and liked it a lot. <BR> <BR>You'll want to take the ferry from Portovenere; it's very relaxing and I remember it as very calm going on the water. I'm susceptible to motion sickness, and it didn't bother me at all. I don't think the train stops in Portovenere, anyway; you'd need to go back to La Spezia to get the train, so that seems a waste of time and energy. The ferry ride is very pleasant, and the views from the water are wonderful and worthwhil. You can combine taking the ferry and walking between towns and you'll really appreciate that area that way. By the way, Portovenere is a beautiful town-- you'll want to spend a little time exploring it, too. <BR>Paule <BR>

Sandy: <BR> <BR>I can second the accuracy of Paule's commentary --- was in La Spezia a few weeks ago & visited the Cinque Terre towns & PortoVenere. <BR> <BR>No the train doesn't go to PortoVenere --- the ferry does go from there on to Riomaggiore (maybe a 10-15 min ride, if i remember). You can take a bus to La Spezia or even a taxi there -- then pick up the train, but that seems like backtracking & doesn't make alot of sense. <BR> <BR>As for the ferry ride itself, I don't have a problem with car or motion sickness, so can't relate to this issue. However on this visit (I've been here before) I did notice the ferry ride out of La Spezia to PortoVenere & then Riomaggiore was a tad choppier than I'd remembered. And when people disembarked at Riomaggiore, there was one woman who was looking a bit green as she got off the boat. She was the only person who seemed bothered by the ride, among a good 50 or so folks, so I guess you'd have to gage your own motion sickness level.

Sandy, <BR>I also took the ferry from Portovenere to Riomaggiore to begin my hike (4 summers ago) of the Cinque Terre villages. I hiked from Riomaggiore to Manarola (along the Via dell'Amore, the very easy part that is wide, has picknic tables along the route, plenty of foot traffic and hugs the coastline-gorgeous!), then on to Corniglia, then to Vernazza then after a pesto laden lunch and too much local white wine, finished the journey by train to the end at Monterosso. From there I returned via ferry to Portovenere; however, on the return trip the waters were very choppy, and the ferry didn't stop at all the villages on its usual route, but instead, an annoucement was made that due to the inclement weather we would go directly to Portovenere. We seemed to be the only non-Italians on our boat, and while no one appeared to get sea sick, heavy rains and high waves made it quite an adventure. I took the trip in Aug.

Thanks for the info. Actually (poor baby), I thought asking questions here was doing my homework - and being "challenged" doesn't mean I have to stay home!

Sandy: <BR>thanks for posting. I had the exact same questions so I appreciate the answers. As you have noticed, some people enjoy put-downs on this forum. Ignore them (both, that is). <BR> <BR>Rik: What shape were the paths in when you were there recently?

OP: <BR> <BR>When I was at CT (May 9th), the Via Del Amore was still closed --- this is the easiest trial, paved path between Riomaggiore and Manarola. Don't know current status & if it's been re-opened or whether it remains closed. <BR> <BR>I walked between Manarola & Corniglia (the next easiest path) & it was fine --- and since I'm not a hiker, I can advise I was able to make this trek quite easily in my Reebok's in 45 minutes. <BR> <BR>As for the trails between other towns (Corniglia-Vernazza and Vernazza-Monterosso), I didn't personally explore them --- yet it was very apparent from the folks with backpacks, hiking boots & walking sticks that these pathways were open. <BR> <BR>Sandy - <BR>As to the ferry thing, most of the time the waters are fairly calm. And as I said the time that it takes to get from PortoVenere to Riomaggiore isn't that long --- that being said, I suppose it couldn't hurt to put on one of those ear patches that people use to avoid motion sickness when taking a cruise. After all, it's your vacation & no need for even a few minutes of 'sea sickness' to ruin your day. The view from the boat is fabulous & I heartedly recommend that everyone who goes to the Cinque Terre try to experience all three tranport modes (boat, train, feet).

Sandy, <BR> Dont let anything stop you from coming to Cinque Terre. I am here in Portovenere as I write this. It is a picture postcard with great restaurants, culture and natural beauty. <BR>However, it has been discovered, and rooms are getting hard to find. Make reservations ASAP here on the net or by phone. I highly suggest the Hotal Continental in Santa Margarita. Ask for a seaview second floor room. The view is to die for, the village is gorgeous and the hotel folks speak English well. It is just a short ferry ride from SM to Portofino. Unless you are Bill Gates, you would not want to stay in Portofino, but want to see it. Also, dont miss San Frutosso , the next ferry stop. Its a neat little cove with an abbey, tower, beach and neat places to eat. The Cinque Terre towns are very close to each other and staying in any work well for a Cinque Terre visit. <BR> I am at the Royal Sporting Hotel now in Portovenere. It is spacious and comfortable. The people at the desk speak English and are very helpful. It also has this computer in the lobby for answering Fodors questions.

Sandy, <BR> We took the ferry from Monterosso to Portovenere. The seas were a bit rough, but only noticed one green woman on the trip. Unless you are very suspectible to motion sickness you should be ok if you stay outside in the fresh air. Bring a wapterproof windbreaker as waves splash over the sides and it is a cool ride. Be sure to bring your panoramic camera. Enjoy!