La Spezia, Italy

Walk to the train and take it to Cinque Terre/Vernazza! It is breathtaking! We climbed up the hillside and took amazing photos! We also ate lunch there under the umbrellas by the water. They had homemade pesto! Loved it!

Visited: Jun 04, 2017

Read full cruise review

Don’t bother with excursions to Florence (2 hour drive each way) or Pisa (too crowded). We bought our Cinque Terre train passes in the port and walked out of the port very early on a mild October morning and caught a 15 minute taxi to the local train station. We spent about 7 hours visiting 4 of the villages (Manarola, Riomaggiore, Corniglia, and Vernazza). This included a beautiful 90 minute walk among olive groves and the coast, after lunch and gelato in Corniglia, ending in a spectacular descent into Vernazza. There is a bar halfway on the hike to stop for a beer or even fresh lemonade. Caught the train back to La Spezia from Vernazza and returned to the ship for dinner. Advice: Watch for pickpockets during busy times. Bring water, snacks. Coins for train station bathrooms. First stop was the harbor in Manarola to catch the amazing view of all the colored buildings. Warning: This journey is not for those who can not hike. The 90 minute hiking path involves inclines and declines and there is a series of 385 small steps to climb from the Corniglia train station to reach Corniglia.

This port really surprised me, didn't look like much from the coach drop off but a short walk down by the harbour front and into the city centre reveals beautiful streets and great shopping spots. Loved the place.

Got a taste of the Cinque Terre, hiked one trail, and visited 3 towns. Want to return one day to spend more time. This was one of the highlights of our trip! Breathtakingly beautiful.

Visited: Aug 23, 2018

Read full cruise review

LaSpezia -Florence is too far away. But you can easily catch train from LaSpezia Central station to Pisa (Pisa S. Rossore station is the closest. Train schedule check trenitalia.com/tcom-en). About 5€ each way. Trip takes about an hour each way. Cinque Terra villages are also another option by train that is not too far away.

Visited: Aug 17, 2017

Read full cruise review