Rome to Portofino -
 

We are four women traveling to Rome in March and want to take a couple days to see Portofino and Cinque Terre. Any recommendations or ideas about traveling from Rome to Portofino and hotels as well as tour guides would be most appreciated.

Trains are the best way from Rome - right along the coast to La Spezia for the Cinque Terre - changing there often for trains going to any of the 5 Lands or villages - some trains may go direct to Monterosso, one of the 5. These are IC trains that can be booked online at www.trenitalia.com - book far in advance and get discounted tickets (non-changeable non-refundable however from the specific train you book them on).

The Rome to Genoa coastal train also stops at Santa Margharita Ligure, the closest town to Portofino and a good base from which to stay and hop buses or boats to Portofino, a few miles away. You could also base in SMLigure and do a day trip to the Cinque Terre or v.v. - day trip to Portofino (as I have done) from a Cinque Terre base.

For lots about Italian trains - www.seat61.com- great info on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. Don't even consider any railpass for your limited train rides.

For travel in March you need to be prepared for the possibility that it could be very rainy. In le Cinque Terre there is very little to do if you cannot be outdoors. In very rainy weather, the steep hillsides are a hazard. If you are planning to book nights in the area, it is better to stay in a town where there is more flat walking and easier access to things to do in case it rains. Santa Margherita and Rapallo can be good choices for that. If you do get rain, be sure to visit the beautiful town of Chiavari, which has covered walkways. (When you get off the train, walk away from the seaside towards the hills to get to the oldest and most beautiful part of town with the archways.)

I don't think boats around Portofino operate in March. To get to Portofino in March you must either take a bus or taxi, or walk, from Santa Margherita Ligure.

But I would suggest that you also research the possibility of staying in either Pisa or Lucca as a back up plan in case you discover when you are in Rome that the weather forecast for the Italian Riviera is several days of rain. Only make hotel reservations on the Italian Riviera that you can cancel, and have a back up plan that you can book. If you stay in Pisa or Lucca you can visit le Cinque Terre by train as a day trip if the sun comes out, or easily find other things to do in the area if it does not.

Great advice, as usual, from sandra!