Can you catch a train from Florence to Cinque Terre?

There are no direct train connections to the Cinque Terre from Florence. All trains from Florence stop in the city of La Spezia where you will need to change to the Cinque Terre Express Train to continue into the park and towns.



Yes, traveling from Florence (Firenze Santa Maria Novella) to the Cinque Terre is a very popular and straightforward journey by rail. There are no direct high-speed trains that go straight into the five villages, so you will typically take a regionale or Frecciargento train from Florence to La Spezia Centrale, which is the gateway city. This initial leg takes between 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours. Once at La Spezia, you transfer to the Cinque Terre Express, a dedicated shuttle train that runs frequently and stops at all five villages: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. In 2026, it is highly recommended to purchase the "Cinque Terre Card," which includes unlimited train travel between La Spezia and Levanto. The journey is incredibly scenic, especially as you emerge from the tunnels to see the Mediterranean Sea. While you can also reach the villages via Pisa, the route through La Spezia remains the most efficient and common path for tourists looking to explore the Italian Riviera from the heart of Tuscany.

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Day trip to Cinque Terre from Florence: everything you should know. A day trip to Cinque Terre from Florence is a great way to spend a day, and the opportunity to add this famous destination to your trip to Italy. It's so beautiful and unique that has been turned into a National Park in 1999.

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Cinque Terre is a collection of five seaside villages on a 2-mile (3 km) stretch of Italy's northwest coast. Known as the Italian Riviera due to its dramatic setting, it takes a mere day to visit each of these gems. Two to three days would allow you to enjoy its beaches and discover the culture via a cooking class.

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Is one day long enough in the Cinque Terre? The Cinque Terre is Italy's smallest National Park and frequent train services along the coast mean it's easy to get around. So although a day trip to the Cinque Terre isn't long enough to thoroughly explore the area, it will give you a taste of each village.

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Cinque Terre is only 105 miles (169 km) away from Florence, making it an easy side trip that takes between 1.5-3 hours one way. There are a few options for making your way here—train, car or private transfer—but before choosing your means of transport, consider the geography.

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If you want to quickly see all five villages and hike the Cinque Terre trail, then yes, one day is enough. Of course, you can stay longer and explore deeper, but if you are short on time you can definitely see the best of Cinque Terre in one full day.

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Visit some of the villages Choose to visit two or three of the villages, for example Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore. You have to skip Corniglia situated on top of a cliff 100 metres above sea level. If you are limited on time, take the train between the villages.

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You can walk the entire route in about six hours, if you take short breaks?although many hikers prefer to spread the route out over a few days at a strolling pace, stopping to enjoy the towns along the way. You can start from either direction (Monterosso, heading south, or Riomaggiore, heading north).

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ItaliaRail is an official partner of Trenitalia, the national railway of Italy. We are the largest foreign seller of train tickets in Italy. We have direct, real-time connectivity to Trenitalia's schedule and reservation system, allowing us to give you the best fares and most up-to-date availability.

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If you do decide to day-trip, the big but easygoing town of La Spezia is far closer than Genoa or Pisa, with just a seven-minute commute to the closest Cinque Terre village, Riomaggiore, and around 15 to 25 minutes to the farthest village, Monterosso.

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Discover Pisa and the picturesque Cinque Terre on this day trip departing from Florence. Snap a photo with the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa before heading to the coast to see the seaside villages of the Italian Riviera. There, travel through the pink- and yellow-hued towns of the Cinque Terre, a World Heritage Site.

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Of course you can find some hotels in the Cinque Terre villages, mainly in Monterosso, but the number of rooms is limited. There is no space for new constructions or big buildings, which is good because the villages have already too many visitors.

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September-October The shoulder season of September to October is the best time to visit Cinque Terre.

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