Last updated: October 2026
Five little fishing villages, painted every colour of an ice cream shop, stacked up on cliffs above the sea. You’ve seen the photos. And yes, you can do it in a day from Lucca. By train, which is by far the best way.
One thing first. The Cinque Terre aren’t in Tuscany. They’re just over the border in Liguria. That doesn’t stop everyone in Tuscany from popping over.
The five villages
From south to north:
- Riomaggiore. Steep, tall, colourful houses round a tiny harbour.
- Manarola. The classic postcard view, the houses tumbling down to the rocks.
- Corniglia. The odd one out, perched on top of a cliff rather than at the water’s edge. A long flight of steps (or a little bus) up from the station.
- Vernazza. A proper harbour, a church by the water and a castle tower. Many people’s favourite.
- Monterosso. The biggest, with a real sandy beach.
You won’t do all five properly in a day. Pick two or three and enjoy them.
Getting there from Lucca
There’s no direct train. The usual way is to take a train from Lucca to Viareggio, then change for La Spezia. Some trips go via Pisa instead. Check the options on the Trenitalia site or app when you plan, as connections vary through the day. Allow somewhere between one and two hours to La Spezia, depending on the connection.
At La Spezia Centrale you pick up the local trains that shuttle up and down the coast, stopping at every village. They’re frequent, short hops, mostly through tunnels with bursts of sea.
My train travel guide explains how to buy tickets, and the getting around guide covers the rest.
Don’t drive. The villages are steep, mostly car-free, and parking is very limited. The train is easier, cheaper and far less stressful.
The Cinque Terre Treno MS Card
The local trains are covered by the Cinque Terre Treno MS Card, a one-day pass. It gives you:
- Unlimited 2nd class Regional and Regional Fast trains between Levanto and La Spezia Migliarina (not InterCity or Frecciabianca trains).
- Entry to the paid coastal paths: the Via dell’Amore, and the Corniglia to Vernazza and Vernazza to Monterosso stretches of the Sentiero Verde Azzurro.
- The park’s little ATC buses (handy for Corniglia).
- Station toilets and Wi-Fi.
It’s valid until midnight on the day you choose. Children under 4 go free. You can buy it online on the park’s site (card.parconazionale5terre.it), through Trenitalia, or at the park’s info points in the stations.
Your train from Lucca to La Spezia is a separate ticket.
The Via dell’Amore
The famous “Lovers’ Lane”, a flat, easy cliff path between Riomaggiore and Manarola, reopened in recent years after a very long closure. It’s now strictly controlled:
- You must book a half-hour time slot in advance.
- A maximum of 200 people per slot.
- It’s one way only: in at Riomaggiore, out at Manarola.
Book it as soon as you know your date, especially in summer.
The other paths
The higher, wilder paths between the villages are glorious but they’re proper mountain walks: steep, narrow and rocky in places. Wear walking shoes, not flip-flops, take water and check which paths are open on the day. They close after storms and landslides.
Before you go: check the trains
This is important. The line along the coast has planned closures for works. In the coming months, there are 48-hour suspensions between Corniglia and La Spezia on:
- 14 to 15 November 2026
- 19 to 20 December 2026
- 9 to 10 January 2027
- 6 to 7 February 2027
There are also some overnight closures, from 22.30 to 6.30. Replacement buses may run, but it’s not the same trip. Avoid those days if you can, and check the park and Trenitalia sites before you go.
My tips
- Go early. The first trains are quieter, and you’ll have the villages before the crowds and the cruise groups.
- Avoid summer weekends and Italian bank holidays if you possibly can.
- Spring and autumn are the best times: warm enough, calmer, better for walking.
- Winter is very quiet, some places shut, but the sea is moody and beautiful.
- Take a swimsuit in summer. Monterosso has the beach; elsewhere it’s rocks and ladders.
- Watch the last train back. Plan your return from La Spezia before you set off.
- Eat focaccia. You’re in Liguria now, and the pesto is local too.
It’s a long day, but a good one. You’ll fall asleep on the train home, smelling of sea and focaccia.
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Photo credits: Vernazza and its harbour, Cinque Terre (photo: Luca Aless, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons); Manarola on a winter’s day (photo: Anyul Rivas, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons).
