Taking the train to Cinque Terre during a cruise stop

Hi. I’m going on a cruise in May and have an excursion to Cinque Terre. I’d like to do it on my own by taking the train after getting off the ship. Can anyone tell me how it works, and especially if it’s doable with the ship’s schedule? Thanks for your help!

Hi, You didn’t specify, but it must be the stopover in La Spezia, right? From the port, you can get to the train station by bus (at the end of the square) or on foot. There are quite a few trains—just check the schedules online. They stop at all the villages, so you can plan your day. Enjoy your cruise!

Hi, We did this stopover and visited the Cinque Terre (gorgeous) by boat, and by train this winter. In May, I’d recommend taking a boat—it’s nothing like the train. By train, you don’t see much (lots of tunnels). On the other hand, you can get on and off as you please. To get to the station, we took a taxi (15 €) because the route between the port and the station is very steep and quite long. For the return trip, we walked, but after visiting the villages, it felt *very* long... For train tickets, it’s better to buy them at the ticket machine because there’s a line, and it’s hard to find where to buy them (we missed our train). Don’t forget to validate your tickets—it’s super important because there are checks, and the fines aren’t negotiable... (we saw this during our trip with tourists who had forgotten or couldn’t find the machines). Best,