The Cinque Terre train runs through the five villages, from La Spezia towards Genova. Special trains during the high season ensure a good service in response to the always higher fluxes of tourists visiting the area.
Cinque Terre is a beautiful sea location north-west of La Spezia. Although it is often considered a single place, it is actually a
natural park area, including
five sea villages embedded in its rugged and rocky shoreline:
Riomaggiore,
Manarola,
Corniglia,
Vernazza and
Monterosso. The quaint villages have been secluded and isolated from each other for a long time in the past, when they could be reached only by boat or on foot,
walking the mule tracks that are today exciting trekking trails.
The construction of the Cinque Terre railway connecting the villages at the end of the 20th century was a technological
challenge of great expertise, partly exploiting the railways built for military purposes during WWII.
Today, the train is definitely the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to get to Cinque Terre. In about half an hour, on the line going from La Spezia to Genova and return, you can travel all through the park.
Traveling by the Cinque Terre train is a
fantastic experience, offering a
great sea view from the windows as well as special stops in the tunnels to let passengers get off trains that do not fit in the small stations.