Cinque Terre Italy

[ADJF]

Hello
Have any of you been to the northern Italian coast and visited the Cinque Terre. If you have where do you recommend to stay and how did you get from there to the Cinque Terre area so as to get close to the villages?
We are thinking of visiting this week
Many thanks

 

[Riverbankannie]

We used the hop on hop off boat from Lerici. Parked up in the large carpark there for the day but stayed on a nearby campsite. Wonderful views from the sea.
There is a train that runs between the villages but it is often in tunnels.
In these covid days I would prefer the outside decks of the boat to the inside of a train.

 

[Riverbankannie]

On remembering back, we stayed at the campsite with an arrow at the bottom of picture which was fabulous on stepped terraces under olives to the sea. Only suitable for small campervans though.
I can see from google maps that the large carprk that I was referring to which is at top of photo, has a MH Sosta. The harbour with the boats is walkable and the town itself is very pretty.

 

[ADJF]

Thank you I shall look this up. Hoping to be there in two days, currently we are in Lucca

 

[Riverbankannie]

Thank you I shall look this up. Hoping to be there in two days, currently we are in Lucca

I cannot remember how often the boat from Lerici leaves. I think we went on one about 9am. We booked it day before, was in June, but I would have thought should be ok for on the day booking now.

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[Parrot Face]

We are going there tomorrow . We plan on staying at the ACSI site in Sestri Levanti, i think its called Fossa Lupara. Its about a half hour walk to the train station but the site owners run a shuttle service to the station. There are other ACSI sites at Deiva Marina but the ratings aren't as good and electric is only 3 amps. From what i can see Sestri Levante looks nice and also convenient for Portofino.

 

[chaser]

Not been where you are, but have been to portofino just up the road a couple of times, I think it is one of the finest places we have ever been to, but it never seems to get a mention on here for some reason.

 

[ADJF]

e are going there tomorrow . We plan on staying at the ACSI site in Sestri Levanti, i think its called Fossa Lupara.

Hi yes I have also been looking at that one and it’s one on my list of 3 or 4 from the ASCI sites book. I’m just looking For the easiest for my wife, the dog and I

 

[peterc10]

We were there in 2016. We stayed at Camping Acqua Dolce in Levanto just to the North of the villages. Lovely little Italian seaside resort and worth a visit in itself. Then catch the train with a day access ticket and you can get on and off where you want all day. BUT be aware, we were there is the spring and already there were crowds, and I understand that it has got busier and there was a suggestion of limiting day tickets on the train.
Do not try to get into any of the villages with the motorhome though.

Try a part of the coast path between the villages. You will need a pass (although nobody checks), but it is included with the train day ticket. We walked from Monterosso to Vernazza. Only 3km or so vertically, but the same again up and down. We really earned the ice cream we bought when we got there. Fabulous views. Especially the one of Vernazza from the path above, a really chocolate box pretty sight.

 

[Minxy]

Check they are accessible as I seem to recall something about landslides at some point in the not too distant past.

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[Gaston aires]

There was a super smashing site just up the hill from Diano marina. At only €40 a night for 10 days minimum stay. So good was the price they were closed down for tax evasion as was their sister site in Genoa. All good things come to an end alas.
Phil

 

[Solwaybuggier]

We are going there tomorrow . We plan on staying at the ACSI site in Sestri Levanti, i think its called Fossa Lupara. Its about a half hour walk to the train station but the site owners run a shuttle service to the station. There are other ACSI sites at Deiva Marina but the ratings aren't as good and electric is only 3 amps. From what i can see Sestri Levante looks nice and also convenient for Portofino.

I think that’s where we stopped 5 or 6 years back - good site, a bit steep but terraced. Take advantage of the shuttle service though - after a busy day round the Cinque Terre you would definitely not want to walk back up there from the station.

 

[Parrot Face]

Hi yes I have also been looking at that one and it’s one on my list of 3 or 4 from the ASCI sites book. I’m just looking For the easiest for my wife, the dog and I

Just arrived at Camping Fossa Lupara. A tidy site within walking distance of town. Reception staff very helpful pointing out on a map all of the paces to visit. Decent pitch with own sink and tap. Its a flat walk into town. so about to investigate. English van on next pitch.

 

[Parrot Face]

I think that’s where we stopped 5 or 6 years back - good site, a bit steep but terraced. Take advantage of the shuttle service though - after a busy day round the Cinque Terre you would definitely not want to walk back up there from the station.

I think thats the other ACSI site further out of town. Camping Fossa Lupara is a flat walk into town but still a distance in the heat.

 

[Solwaybuggier]

I think thats the other ACSI site further out of town. Camping Fossa Lupara is a flat walk into town but still a distance in the heat.

Yes, you’re probably right - certainly Sestra Levanti rang more of a bell than Fossa Lupara!

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[dunnah01]

Based on the image on Google earth showing half a dozen vans I took our near 8m van to the parking at Bonasola at the start of the cycle path. Big mistake - getting in from the south was OK but Copilot took me out north and I got stuck on a couple of the hairpins. Luckily there were plenty of Italians to give me verbal help so a few 20 point turns later I squeezed out.
Never saw the Cinq Terre as the car park was full by 10.00 on a Tuesday early Sept so had to perform a 30 point turn to get out again.
Note to self - do your f@@@##g homework first

 

[Parrot Face]

Yes, you’re probably right - certainly Sestra Levanti rang more of a bell than Fossa Lupara!

Fossa Lupara is the name of the campsite in Sestri Levante and is the nearest of the ACSI sites to the town.

 

[Parrot Face]

We visited the Cinque Terra yesterday, really beautiful and worth the trip but it proved to be a bit of a work up to get there. First ...the Cinque Terra train ticket that allows you to jump on and off at the villages is available within the train zone that runs from La Spezia to Levanto. Sestri Levante is outside of this zone and so we had a 30 minute walk from Fossa Lupara campsite to the train station, an unattractive walk through an urban area. Then the ticket office told us that they don't sell the tickets. we had to be in the zone to buy them. So then we had to pay 9 euros each to travel to Levanto, get off the train and buy the Cinque Terra tickets and then get on the next train to the villages. These tickets are 16 euros each. A total of 50 euros. You may be able to buy the Cinque Terra tickets online to avoid this.
It took us about 4 and a half hours to do 4 of the 5 villages. We missed out Corniglia on the advice of others due to the steep climb. On leaving the villages we decided to walk around Levanto, it was ok. We spotted a load of large motorhome heading along the prom to a site. It would be worth checking this out as being in Levanto you would have a 10 minute walk to Levanto station and only have to buy the Cinque Terra tickets. When we got back we'd walked a distance of 13 miles. Hope all thats useful.

 

[peterc10]

It took us about 4 and a half hours to do 4 of the 5 villages. We missed out Corniglia on the advice of others due to the steep climb. On leaving the villages we decided to walk around Levanto, it was ok. We spotted a load of large motorhome heading along the prom to a site. It would be worth checking this out as being in Levanto you would have a 10 minute walk to Levanto station and only have to buy the Cinque Terra tickets. When we got back we'd walked a distance of 13 miles. Hope all thats useful.

That is the Acqua Dolce site I recommended in post #9 above. There is also a small Sosta (Aire) in Levanto, but we did not like the look of it.

 

[Parrot Face]

Not been where you are, but have been to portofino just up the road a couple of times, I think it is one of the finest places we have ever been to, but it never seems to get a mention on here for some reason.

We went to Portofino yesterday. 6 euros each on the train to Santa Margharita from Siestri Levante. Then bus right outside station to Portofino 5 euros each. What a place. really beautiful. Santa Margharita also an attractive resort and the 15 minute bus ride took in some stunning coastline. I agree not mentioned enough on here, probably because there's no sites or sostas nearby. Why I added trip details.

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[Figaro]

Useful thread for future travel reference
Thanks

 

[Parrot Face]

This thread needs photos. Here's one of Portofino

 

[Parrot Face]

Seeing the thread is about the Cinque Terra.....

RioMaggiore

Manarola

Manarola

Vernazza

Vernazza

Monterosso Al Mare

Monterosso Al Mare.

 

[chaser]

We went to Portofino yesterday. 6 euros each on the train to Santa Margharita from Siestri Levante. Then bus right outside station to Portofino 5 euros each. What a place. really beautiful. Santa Margharita also an attractive resort and the 15 minute bus ride took in some stunning coastline. I agree not mentioned enough on here, probably because there's no sites or sostas nearby. Why I added trip details.

Even better than that is get a boat from Santa margarita, the sight as you sail in to the port is really something else, better than sailing into Venice.

 

[chaser]

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[Hymerbell]

We are going there tomorrow . We plan on staying at the ACSI site in Sestri Levanti, i think its called Fossa Lupara. Its about a half hour walk to the train station but the site owners run a shuttle service to the station. There are other ACSI sites at Deiva Marina but the ratings aren't as good and electric is only 3 amps. From what i can see Sestri Levante looks nice and also convenient for Portofino.

Just left Deiva Marina...yes 3 amp ! bit annoying. On the plus side the the Camping Aranella is vey nice...Nice restaurant on site ....laid back....best site in Deiva Marina....family run... ACSI €18. Pitch 89 is good or 122 or 123. They do a shuttle bus to train station where you can get the train to Cinque Terre. Was on the way to ACSI site in Sestri Lavanti but pulled in to petrol station and went 10 meters past turn off...40 minutes to get back so went to Deiva Marina. Nice little beach for swimming.

 

[Hirsch]

Those places look great. One trip for the list

 

[Parrot Face]

Drove 75 miles towards Florence. Stopped overnight at Lucca, a really beautiful walled city. The walls must be about 30 metres thick with a road on them so you can cycle right around them. Used a sosta from Search for Sites, close to city walls. Its a garage with a parking area behind it. Costs 20 euros a night but has good EHU, water, waste, chemical toilet facility, 2 toilets and shower. Excellent. Owner is so laid back and nothing is too much trouble for him. He wouldn't even let the wife plug the electric in. He even offered to drive the motorhome and park it for me. A 1964 Rolls Royce came into repair and he showed me it and let me sit in the back seats. Extremely secure. Gives you a key to the back gate and leaves you his number overnight.