train or drive from Milapensa to Cinque Terre ?
 

We will arrive into Milan at 900 AM after a very long flight . Yet I am anxious to reach Cinque Terre for our first night. Trying to decide whether to pick up a car at the airport and drive to Riomaggiore or take train to La Spezia. Is getting from La Spezia to Riomaggiore done by train ? Taxi ? Is the drive from Milapensa difficult ? Thank you for your help.

Don't know about the train from Milan to La Spezia, but train from La Spezia to Riomaggiore is simple and short.

We drove from Milan to CT after an over seas flight. We wanted to have a car while we were staying on the CT so we could drive here and there. The drive was not long or difficult. We even drove into Milan first and saw the Last Supper. I do not clearly remember the length of the drive, maybe 2 1/2 hrs to Monterosso. But I do remember it was highway driving until the exit for Levanto, and therefore not difficult.

I take that route all the time (fly into Milano, then down to the CT, Riomaggiore in fact!). Trains are easiest and efficient, plus you avoid paying high gas prices and parking garage fees daily (parking in the CT is at a premium and is not included in the hotel rates). Upon arrival at Milano's Malpensa airport, exit the baggage claim area to the outside and you will see a big white Malpensa Shuttle bus. Tickets are ~5 euros to ride into town and to the Milano Centrale Station. From the train station, there are trains leaving every hour for the CT. (checking trenitalia.com, on Oct 19, for example, there are trains every single hour, they take 3 hours and all go through Genova's Principe station and then make another stop along the coast where you switch to another train down into the CT. I have also stopped in La Spezia too). Either way, those are usually the 2 stops the trains take. Yes, you can take a local, 5-digit train from La Spezia to Riomaggiore.

FYI, I was in Italy 3 weeks ago and flew into Milano @ 10:30 am, it was about 3 pm by the time I arrived in the CT.

I drove Vernazza to Malpensa on Oct 5th, took just over 3 hours.

Thank you for the info- sounds like the train and drive may take the same amount of time after all said and done. Encouraging to know you have all done it ! Thank you.

1. There is a bus direct from Malpensa to the train station in Genoa, although I don't know the schedule. Its a great way to sleep off jetlag.

2. IMHO, a car at the CT is a detriment. The trains and boats are fun and efficient ways to visit all the towns. Driving is a pain.

For us it was a decision as to where we would spend our final night in Italy, Vernazza or a hotel near Malpensa to catch our 10:20 am flight home. Left Vernazza at 4am and glad we spent our final night watching the sunset from our terrace. Car was the only option.

Okoski,
A car is definitely faster, you pick it up and go. The train you have to transfer to Milan, screw around with luggage, wait, etc. A car certainly isn't cheaper but is more convenient. The drive from Malpensa to Riomaggiore is not difficult its mostly highway driving (tolls). The section from MXP to Genoa is most ease, from Genoa to your exit for Riomaggiore the highway is curvy and tunnel, bridge, tunnel, bridge the whole way...not difficult but can get tiring over longer distances, eg., I once drove La Spezia to Cannes, its like that the whole way along the coast. At Riomaggiore, you can park (fee) at the top of town, the rest is on foot and train service in between CT towns. Good luck and have a great trip.

Thank you all- so is the drive from Genoa scenic ? Can you see the coastline all the way ?

Is it easier to drive via Parma ?

okoshi2002: Certainly the drive from Genoa down to Riomagggiore is scenic, but as Traveler863 said, it is tunnel, bridge, tunnel, bridge and very curvy with hills, etc. I would rather let the train do all that work and sit back and enjoy the passing coastline. BTW, the train is closer to the coastline in many parts of that stretch and I think you get an even better view from a train than you would a car. Also, as aforestated, parking is limited in the CT, aside from that public garage in Riomaggiore at the top of Via Gasperi, there are no other places to park (unless you stay at the Villa Argentina, then you could possibly get a spot in front of the hotel). Once in the CT, however, you will not want to use your car as you can hike/train/boat from the 5 towns, Levanto, La Spezia, etc. very easily.

Thank you Huitres. I appreciate the point about not needing a car. If by train, is it a direct ride from Central Station in Milan or do we need to make a change in Genoa once to La Spezia ? Are car rentals easy to access for one way from La Spezia ? We will need a car after CT to have in Tuscany for a week until we reach Venice when we will drop car off. Thank you again.

What's with La Spezia??? If you're going to CT, and the train goes to Genoa 1st, you get to CT BEFORE you get to La Spezia. Exactly a year ago we flew into Genoa, and took the train 1st to Camogli(Portofino)..about 45 minutes and then to CT (Vernazza)...another 30 minutes. It was NOT a problem.

I think a car would be a big pain in CT...but not elsewhere (we drove from Florence south for 10 days through Tuscany; only way to do it.)

(hmmmm...I'm wondering...is there any way to post pictures on Fodors?? I have a large collection of digital pics from London to the Amalfi Coast.)

Ramblero- oh, we want to be in Riomaggiore, therefore, I thought we needed to get to La Spezia to train from there to Riomaggiore. Should I consider another way to get there from Milan ?

Okoshi,
It is not that scenic of a drive along the coast from the Autostrade, as I mentioned its tunnel, bridge, tunnel, bridge and you cannot really see coastline.

Ramblero,

If you want to have your beautiful photos posted, please go to virtualtourist.com
You can share to others with your trip.

Thanks.

Hi,
You do not need to take the train to La Spezia to get to Riomaggiore. Follow Ramblero directions. Milan to Genoa change trains for the CT. Riomaggiore is the last village on the CT. What Ramblero did not say was the train will stop in Riomaggiore. It is 3 stops after Vernazza.

Are there two different trains to CT from Genoa- one express to La Spezia without many stops and the other making many stops before finally reaching Riomaggiore ?

I just reread my trip report.
It was exactly 2 1/2 hours between Malpensa and Cinque Terre. Since I am prone to speeding...allow three hours. Have a blast. By the way, we stayed in Levanto.
((H))

Go to Trenitalia website --- www.trenitalia.com

Key in "milan" to "riomaggiore"; allowing time for you to pick up your luggage, etc, etc, get on the shuttle bus, it'll be about 1 1/2 hrs. If your flight's on time, all is moving quickly, you could find yourself in Milano Centrale around 10:30-ish. NOTE: don't take the train from the airport --- you want the Malpensa shuttle bus as it goes to Milano Centrale, the main train station in center of the city. The train leaving from Malpensa Airport arrives into Cardona Nord station in Milan.

So . . . it's possible you could get to Milano Centrale in sufficient time to catch the 11:10 am --- when you key in your info on Trenitalia, and it pulls up list of options, next click on the "Info" column, whichever line item shows the 11:10. 'Info' will take you to a sub-menu showing that itinerary to get to Riomaggiore. Again, in this particular instance, it's an InterCity train that goes thru Genoa --- you change trains at the Genova Piazza Principe stop. Next train on schedule is another IC that you take to Sesti Levante --- again, change trains to a local "R" and on to Riomaggiore.
When you're looking on the 'sub-menu', click on the column "Train" --- this will pull up all the stations that train will be stopping at.

One more thing to be aware of . . . . when you're in the train station, you'll be looking up on this large board to see which track (binario) your train leaves from. They only post the final destination on the tote board, NOT all the interim stops. I like to verify when I'm boarding my train (whether it be conductor or other passengers), "treni a _________" (your next destination).

I know you said that you're eager to complete your journey to the CT; however another option (which I've done) is to get to Milano Centrale --- check your luggage into 'Deposito Baglio' for a couple hours, walk around Milan, go to lunch and then take a later train on to Riomaggiore.