What airport do we fly into to get to Cinque Terre?
Jan 7th, 2009, 07:53 AM
#21
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Many people from all over the world plan whole trips around le Cinque Terre, or other parts of the Italian coast, and enjoy their trips tremendously. If you enjoy an active outdoor vacation and seafood,
Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo and Camogli (where I live) are not a good bases for hiking le Cinque Terre or enjoying the towns at a leisurely pace -- , although those towns are a good base for hiking in the Monte Portofino and for escaping some of the foreign tourist throng in le Cinque Terre. Any time there is nice weather, the seacoast of Italy is full of people enjoying it.
Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo and Camogli (where I live) are not a good bases for hiking le Cinque Terre or enjoying the towns at a leisurely pace -- , although those towns are a good base for hiking in the Monte Portofino and for escaping some of the foreign tourist throng in le Cinque Terre. Any time there is nice weather, the seacoast of Italy is full of people enjoying it.
Jan 7th, 2009, 09:33 AM
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I don't want to sound like a broken record here, but the other posters have given you great info for flights.
I agree, fly into Pisa and take the train to La Spezia which will take you into the towns.
I stayed in Manarola (the 2nd town coming from La Spezia) and I loved it!! The towns are quite small, but beautiful in every way. If you want a beach (and in my opinion, more tourists) stay in Montorrosso.
I don't know how old you are, but give yourself time to enjoy the hiking (if you'll do that). I'm 25 and my friend and I hiked the 5 towns in a day. We were worn out and tired. So make sure you take it easy and enjoy it. I'd say a week would be good to enjoy all that the Cinque Terre has to offer.
I agree, fly into Pisa and take the train to La Spezia which will take you into the towns.
I stayed in Manarola (the 2nd town coming from La Spezia) and I loved it!! The towns are quite small, but beautiful in every way. If you want a beach (and in my opinion, more tourists) stay in Montorrosso.
I don't know how old you are, but give yourself time to enjoy the hiking (if you'll do that). I'm 25 and my friend and I hiked the 5 towns in a day. We were worn out and tired. So make sure you take it easy and enjoy it. I'd say a week would be good to enjoy all that the Cinque Terre has to offer.
Jan 8th, 2009, 11:26 AM
#23
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Thanks for all your posts. They are always the best. If we stay 4 days in one of the towns in Cinqueterre, is Portofino close enough for a visit of 2 days?
It sounds as though there is not much to do (except hike to each town). I am afraid I will get bored. I am not use to relaxing on vacation. Any suggestions?
It sounds as though there is not much to do (except hike to each town). I am afraid I will get bored. I am not use to relaxing on vacation. Any suggestions?
Jan 8th, 2009, 11:49 AM
#24
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As to the first question, yes: You can reach Portofino by taking the train from any one of the five towns to Santa Margherita Ligure, and either a bus or a ferry from there to Portofino. Or you can take the train to Camogli and take a ferry. The loveliest way to enter Portofino is by ferry boat into the beautiful harbor.
As to your second issue, the main reason people enjoy the gorgeous Italian Riviera is because there is so little to do. It's an escape. The large city of Genova has many sumptuous palazzos from Genoa's golden era, which now house museums, but it is a very busy industrial port as well and a good 90 minutes or more from Cinque Terre by train. The next biggest town, La Spezia, is an important naval port.
If you don't have a car and like to poke around, the town of Chiavari has some atmospheric piazzas and classic restaurants, and designer shopping. Zoagli can be lovely, and is reknowned to this day for its high-end fabrics. By boat from Cinque Terre, you can reach Portovenere in less than an hour, and explore its romantic history. Sestri Levante is a great beach hangout that gets very few foreign tourists (some Germans) and is a good place to eat octopus and enjoy relaxing with the Italians.
And if you have a car, you can have a fantastic time heading straight up into the mountains for Italian village life that is remarkably unspoiled and filled with unique foods. The mountain roads, however, take concentration.
But by and large, the pastel Ligurian towns strung right along the rocky, mountain-backed coastline from La Spezia to the French border are amazingly similar in history and feeling and food. People come to sun, relax, enjoy eating and drinking outdoors with their main squeezes and/or children, stroll around or swim or take a boat ride -- and then do it all over again.
If you want to simply see le Cinque Terre but otherwise fill your time in Italy with major sightseeing, consider flying into Pisa and hanging around Pisa, Lucca, Firenze (Florence), etc, and take a short hop to Cinque Terre and Portofino. Consider making Santa Margherita or Rapallo your base (you can also reach Portofino by ferry from Rapallo) and just day trip to Cinque Terre.
As to your second issue, the main reason people enjoy the gorgeous Italian Riviera is because there is so little to do. It's an escape. The large city of Genova has many sumptuous palazzos from Genoa's golden era, which now house museums, but it is a very busy industrial port as well and a good 90 minutes or more from Cinque Terre by train. The next biggest town, La Spezia, is an important naval port.
If you don't have a car and like to poke around, the town of Chiavari has some atmospheric piazzas and classic restaurants, and designer shopping. Zoagli can be lovely, and is reknowned to this day for its high-end fabrics. By boat from Cinque Terre, you can reach Portovenere in less than an hour, and explore its romantic history. Sestri Levante is a great beach hangout that gets very few foreign tourists (some Germans) and is a good place to eat octopus and enjoy relaxing with the Italians.
And if you have a car, you can have a fantastic time heading straight up into the mountains for Italian village life that is remarkably unspoiled and filled with unique foods. The mountain roads, however, take concentration.
But by and large, the pastel Ligurian towns strung right along the rocky, mountain-backed coastline from La Spezia to the French border are amazingly similar in history and feeling and food. People come to sun, relax, enjoy eating and drinking outdoors with their main squeezes and/or children, stroll around or swim or take a boat ride -- and then do it all over again.
If you want to simply see le Cinque Terre but otherwise fill your time in Italy with major sightseeing, consider flying into Pisa and hanging around Pisa, Lucca, Firenze (Florence), etc, and take a short hop to Cinque Terre and Portofino. Consider making Santa Margherita or Rapallo your base (you can also reach Portofino by ferry from Rapallo) and just day trip to Cinque Terre.
Aug 10th, 2009, 08:28 AM
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Hi patty---DS and fiancee were just here visiting from LA and are thinking of CT as a honeymoon destination for next May. Did you end up being able to book w/miles? Did you decide on a town for a home base? That is, of course, if you are still planning to go....
DH and I have ~150,000 Delta miles which would work if we can find tkts at the basic 75,000 mile reward level. We thought that would make a nice wedding present. Thanks!
DH and I have ~150,000 Delta miles which would work if we can find tkts at the basic 75,000 mile reward level. We thought that would make a nice wedding present. Thanks!
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