Monterosso al Mare Travel Forum

We are going to go from Menaggio to Cinque Terre for a day trip and then go from Cinque Terre to Florence. Where can I look up train schedules? The Trentitalia website gives me nothing. Also, what town should I start with in Cinque Terre in order to get a good and beautiful hike.

Thank you and happy travels.

If you start in Monterosso and hike towards Riomaggiore you will do the hardest part first. Some people think it is prettier the other direction, I don't know, that is the way we did it and believe me its all pretty. Don't know the train schedules but they are frequent through the Cinque Terre and then from La Spezia to Florence.

I am sorry, I am a bit confused. Is La Spezia anywhere close to Riomaggiore given that we will end there? Thanks.

Yes the next train stop after Riomaggore, 5 minutes maybe, where you will go to get to Florence. At least how we have done it. The Cinque Terre train that stops in all the towns they call the milk run or something. (someone will certainly correct me if I am wrong) I love that place!

Just for clarification, if we hike from Monterosso to Riomaggiore, we can take a train (is it local or national) to La Spezia and then hop on another train to Florence? Is that right? Is there anywhere I can look up these timetables? Thank you.

try this link

http://orario.trenitalia.it/en/index.html

I suggest starting at the southernmost village. The walk is veeerrry easy at first,(You pay a small fee to enter the path) and becomes progressively more demanding as you move north. The stairs up to, if memory serves, Corniglia, are a cruel joke.
The end will be a long long flight of uneven stone stairs twisting and turning down the hillside, which is a nasty way to begin, as witness the expressions on the faces of the people you will see doing it.
If it's any help, to get to Florence you would take a train from La Spezia to Pisa,then change for Florence.

exactly thats why you go down the steps in Corniglia!

Get a day pass for the Cinque Terre train. That way you can hike the parts you want and take the train to the other towns. BTW, be sure to check before you go. If there is a lot of rain, parts of the trail are closed due to landslides. There's no danger. They close the trail when they have to, but it's a disappointment when you get to a section and find it closed. (That's where the train pass comes in very handy!)

It's beautiful. Enjoy your trip.