Venice to Cinque Terre
I am sure that all of us dreamed to visit Venice at least once in our lifetime.
Some of us felt in love with this city so bad that we come back here each time we have the opportunity.
Venice is amazing and romantic! A gondola ride at sunset is the perfect way to end a fabulous day!
But Italy has many other beautiful places to visit! Cinque Terre is one of them! This is a wonderful protected area with incredible sceneries and a fascinating vibe!
Venice Italy Gondolas
Next time when you go to Venice you book some time to visit Cinque Terre as well!
Yes, is true! It is a little bit too short for a day trip and you don’t have enough time to explore Cinque Terre as it should!
That is why we recommend you to book at least one night in the Cinque Terre area, for a complete experience!
Where to sleep: We propose two options: one in Riomaggiore and the other one in Manarola. Both towns are wonderful and for sure you will spend quality time in the area!
1. Alla Marina Affittacamere Riomagiore is a beautiful hotel from Riomaggiore town built in an old building completely refurbished in 2011. The hotel is located just 4 minutes walk from the train station and it offers clean and spacious rooms with an amazing view of the area!
2.Hotel Al Terra Di Mare Cnque Terre is located in Manarola, the first of the 5 towns from the area. The rooms overlooking the valley of the sea are clean and nicely furnished and the breakfast is delicious.
Now that you decided that you have to visit this magnificent area, let me tell you how to get there from Venice!
1. Venice to Cinque Terre by car
It is a pretty long way from Cinque Terre to Venice. There are around 400 kilometres to drive from one part of the country to another. The best part is that you will pass through many beautiful cities and villages.
Padua, Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia and Parma are the most beautiful cities you’ll pass by.
It will be more than great if you can book some time to visit them too, but if you are in a hurry then stick to the road.
It will take you about 4 and a half hours to drive from Venice, on the eastern part of the country to Cinque Terre, in the western part of Italy.
The main advantage of driving a car is that you can create your own itinerary and you have the freedom to stop whenever you want and for how long you want.
Get the best price for your car rental today
The most efficient and easy way to get to Cinque Terre is to drive from Venice to La Spezia, park your car in a designated area and from there take the 5 Terre Express Train to fully enjoy the scenery of the Cinque Terre area.
These are the new essentials you have to pack for your trip
1. Hand sanitizer with 99.9% efficiency
2. Face mask with increased protection
3. Vaccine card and passport holder
10. First aid kit
2. Cinque Terre to Venice by train
In general, trains are reliable and fast in Italy. The main disadvantage is that there is no direct train from Venice to Cinque Terre.
The train ride lasts between 5.5 to 6.5 hours and you have to change the train in Florence.
From La Spezia take the 5 Terre Express Train and stop by in each of the 5 magnificent cities.
If you decide to take a complete train ride from Venice to Monterosso, the last of the five villages from Cinque Terre you will need about 9 hours and you have to change 2 or 3 trains minimum.
The ticket price from Venice to Monterosso costs around 60 euros (66 USD) and the last part, from La Spezia to Monterosso is the most spectacular one! Buy a day ticket and stop in each of the five towns.
It is a pretty comfortable way to move around Italy, but you have to stick to a certain scheduler and to depend on train connections.
3. Cinque Terre to Venice by bus
The cheapest way to travel from Venice to 5 Terre is by bus.
It might be the cheapest but it is also the most complicated way, in my opinion! There is only 1 daily bus from Venice to Bologna. The trip lasts for about 2 and a half hours and costs around 13 USD.
In Bologna, you have to change buses and travel from Bologna to La Spezia for another 3 and a half hours. There is only one daily bus for this route and costs around 20 USD per person.
Once you get to La Spezia go to the train station and take the 5 Terre Express train and visit each of the five towns from Cinque Terre National Park.
The 5 Terre Express Train ticket costs about 8 EUR (9 USD) per person is valid one day. So you can hop on and hop off on each of the 5 towns or walk from one town to another.
These are the three main ways to get from Venice to Cinque Terre. Each of these methods has its pluses and minuses. Renting a car gives you the freedom you need when exploring new areas, while buses and trains are cheaper but not flexible.
We always prefer renting a car when travelling abroad, but trains are also a good option when visiting Italy.
It’s up to you which way you decide to travel from Cinque Terre to Venice!
Book your accommodation
We always use Booking.com as they have the best price-quality ratio and they offer a wide range of hotels, guesthouses, apartments, and villas to choose from.
You will find here all types of accommodations, from the cheapest ones to the most luxurious.
Don't forget travel insurance
We never leave home without HeyMondo Insurance or Safety Wings Insurance as they offer the best services and a good value for money.
When we go for longer trips around the world we get Globelink Insurance as it offers a good cover for an affordable price.
Travel insurance will always protect you against unexpected costs caused by medical events like illness, injury, theft, or travel cancellation.
We never go on any trip without travel insurance and there were many cases when we had to use it.
Renting a car
We like to explore a country on our own and a car gives us the mobility and freedom to do that.
We always rent our car from Discovercars as they have free cancellation 48 hours prior to starting date and a wide range of car rental companies and options to choose from all over the world.
Tours and attractions
When we are looking for some adventure or we simply want to break up the monotony and discover new places, we always use GetYourGuide.
We love it because we always find the most amazing experiences, with free cancellation and a large variety of activities and tours to choose from.
Airplane tickets and holiday packages
Expedia is our ally when searching for the best price for airplane tickets as it works as an aggregator for a huge number of airlines and we always find the best price for our flights.
Travel tip: use Expedia when you are searching for holiday packages as they have many last-minute offers and great discounts for hotels, flights, and even the whole holiday packages.
Virginia E Vergara
Saturday 17th of April 2021
any tour bus or private pick up from hotel ?
Sonia Hash
Sunday 18th of April 2021
Dear Virginia,
For private pick up from the hotel and transfer to Cinque Terre, we recommend you to visit the site https://mydaytrip.com/landing/venice-to-cinque-terre that offers private transfers from one point to another across Italy. Once you reach the Cinque Terre area you can arrange a private tour with a local agency or explore the area on your own. Here is our guide about what to do and where to stay in each of the five towns: https://worldwidetravel.tips/italy/cinque-terre/. Have a wonderful trip and stay safe!