Cinque Terre Insider Tips

You can travel with your own vehicle either via the A12 motorway from Genoa via Levanto or via the A 15 motorway, exit La Spezia. In any case, narrow serpentine roads lead to the five small towns on the coast.

Parking spaces are located above and therefore somewhat outside the villages of the Cinque Terre. So you have to walk a few steps or use a shuttle service. The number of parking spaces above the locations is limited and chargeable.

There is no petrol station in the Cinque Terre! The nearest petrol station is in Levanto or in La Spezia. It is therefore very important to arrive with a full tank.

The narrow and steep serpentine roads are not suitable for campers or teams. There is no way to turn and in oncoming traffic you can often not avoid and one has to reverse a bit.

Before arrival or after departure, don’t miss the opportunity to take a day or two off in Milan and Genoa. It is also a good idea to spend a few days in the neighboring Tuscany.

The narrow and steep switchbacks are also a challenge for motorcyclists. Motorcycles must also be parked in the paid parking spaces above the locations.

Sporadic cyclists can be seen. Here is the request: correctly assess your condition. A steep climb over 400 to 500 meters in height is not suitable for everyone. And with the e-bike, the auxiliary motor should be designed accordingly.

The ideal hiking months go from March to June and mid-September to November. In June and September you can also find refreshment on the high-altitude hiking trails at 700 m. On the long hikes you can soak up the beauty of nature and get a great distance from the problems of everyday life.

The most beautiful is undoubtedly the Sentiero Azzurro Cinque Terre hiking trail. You walk halfway up the cliff between the five villages from place to place.

Many tour operators describe the trails as easy hiking trails. The level of difficulty for inexperienced hikers should not be underestimated. Between the places there are about 200-400 meters of uphill and downhill over hill and dale.

Although the routes are easy to manage even in comfortable sports shoes, hiking shoes give better grip. Hiking sticks are also useful, especially downhill. Our travel tip: Practice climbing stairs before going on a hiking holiday to the Cinque Terre so that your knees don’t hurt.

If you just want to go for a walk, the best way to do this is in Manarola or Monterosso. There are sections of the route that are less steep.

Those who love long hikes can go the Cinque Terre high-altitude hiking trail AV5T. It runs above the cliffs and on long stretches through the forest. You should have enough water with you on these routes.

There are traces of wild boar in the forest and in autumn it can happen that the animals even look for mushrooms and chestnuts on the roadside. Wild boar salami (cinghiale) is a delicacy. On sunny sections, which are less frequented, one also encounters a snake.

A flashlight is very useful for hiking in the dark season.

We recommend following these simple rules to hike safely on the trails in the Cinque Terre.

1. Inform yourself beforehand about the accessibility of the paths, their height differences and distances and choose the suitable paths according to your physical abilities.
2. Important: the right footwear: closed shoes with a shaped and non-slip sole are mandatory on the paths. Wearing flip-flops and sandals with smooth soles is prohibited and can be punished.
3. Only go on marked trails and not alone and take a first aid kit with you.
4. There is a weather alarm in the locations. With ORANGE and RED the ways are blocked, with YELLOW the ticket sale can be suspended.
5. Please respect nature and traditions and take any rubbish with you and don’t leave anything behind on the trails.
6. In an emergency, call the European emergency number 112 (fire, accident, first aid, police).

There are regular boat connections so that you can get to La Spezia, Portovenere and the offshore islands (Isola Palmaria, Isola del Tino and Isola del Tinetto) as well as four of the 5 villages, namely Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterossa al Mare) and Levanto reached. If you want to spend the whole day with it, we recommend the day ticket, which you can use to travel back and forth by boat.