Can you do Cinque Terre without a car?

You will often hear that the Cinque Terre is car-free, you cannot enter the villages, you should not come by car, etc. Well, actually, it is only partly true. Most of the villages are really for walking only but you can enter in some areas.



In 2026, it is not only possible to do Cinque Terre without a car, but it is actually highly recommended. The five villages (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso) are connected by the Cinque Terre Express train, which runs every 15–20 minutes and takes only a few minutes to travel between towns. Driving is discouraged because the villages are mostly "ZTL" (Limited Traffic Zones), parking is extremely expensive and scarce, and the roads are narrow, winding, and often closed to non-residents. For a more scenic experience, a seasonal ferry service operates between four of the villages (excluding Corniglia), offering breathtaking views from the water. Hikers can also use the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail) to walk between the towns. By using the "Cinque Terre Card," which covers unlimited train travel and trekking path fees, you can navigate the entire UNESCO World Heritage site efficiently and sustainably.

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Trains are the easiest way to get to and around Cinque Terre. Trenitalia has direct connections to La Spezia from Rome, Florence, and Pisa (the closest airport). Once in Cinque Terre, the Cinque Terre Express train runs between La Spezia and Levanto in Sestri Levante, stopping at each village.

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There are basically three ways to move from one village to another; you either walk, take the train or the boat. The walking trail is 12 kilometers and runs along the coast through all five villages from Riomaggiore in the south to Monterosso in the north.

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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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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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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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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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Shopping and prices The Cinque Terre is not cheap. As everywhere in the world, tourism has raised prices. I often go to the market of La Spezia to shop for food, it's much cheaper than the stores of the villages. In restaurants, you have to expect Western European prices.

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Corniglia is the least known and the least visited of the five towns in Cinque Terre. Visitors often skip it, discouraged by the lack of a port and rather difficult accessibility; however, those who do come here usually fall in love with this little village and even declare it their favorite terra of all!

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Corniglia is the only one of the five Cinque Terre towns that isn't a fishing town and you need to walk up around 365 steps to get there. That puts most people off and means that Corniglia is the Cinque Terre town with the fewest tourists.

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