Final words on the Italian Ligurian Coast

Italian Rivera Private Beach

Thank you all for following my blog on my latest trip - the Ligurian Coast.  Just a few last thoughts and some tips for anyone who would like to take this journey.

Here was the itinerary we followed:

Day 1/2    Fly to Genoa (you loose a day flying)
Day 3       Train to Rappallo
Day 4       Rappallo & day trip to Camoglia
Day 5       Rappallo & Day trip to Portofino & Santa Margarita
Day 6      Train to Vernazza, explore Vernazza
Day 7/8   Exploring The Cinque Terre-Monterossa, Riomaggiore, Mannarolo, Corniglia & Vernazza
Day 9      Train & Cab to Lerici, explore Lerici & San Trenzo
Day 10    Ferry to Portovernere for the day
Day 11    Ferry to Monterossa, Train to Genoa
Day12     Fly home to USA

As you can see we had 12 days to work with.  I think this worked very well, the only thing I would have changed would have been to have 3 nights in Lerici.   For Cinque Terre, my recommendation is to plan 3 full days.  This way you can enjoy the 5 towns in an un-rushed manner.  You will see all kinds of hikers doing the trails in a day or two, but if you want time to explore, 3 days is perfect.

Best travel tip for this itinerary -- take public transportation!  There is no where to park really and what a hassle trying to drive from a larger city anyway!  We had no problem with the trains at all, they are inexpensive and none of our hops from town to town took very long.  Just remember to validate your ticket before you get on the train.  We never had our tickets checked, but we did see conductors on the trains, so it is just better to follow the rules.  Use the TV monitors in the stations to check schedules or just ask at the ticket window when the next train is coming - or if you are planning for the next day, tell them your destination and ask what time the train leaves.  I found most people to be very helpful.

Looking for places to stay?  All the hotels I mention in this blog were very good, but I would give the Hotel Astoria in Rappallo & the Hotel Florida in Lerici,  my top marks for size, quality, friendly staff, lovely rooms and great locations!  If you need help booking hotels or want suggestions, I recommend Kristin with InItaly.com.  She was very helpful and had great information.  Ready to do it yourself?  Try Booking.com.  It is easy and has good deals.  Trip Advisor is also a great source of information on places to stay -- just be careful, it is easy to get overwhelmed on that site with the large volume of reviews.  I recommend it though for research and I am a reviewer on that site too, so obviously I think it is a great site :-)

A few things you should not miss if traveling in this area:

• Do some hiking, the views are beautiful
• Go to a great Focacciaria in Rappallo.  There are many, ask at your hotel for what their favorite is
• In Rappallo take a morning stroll down to the harbor and the fish market.  It is fascinating with the fishing boats come in to see the locals come for the best catch early
• In Portofino, hike up to the church, check out the cemetery behind the church
• In Vernazza, take a picture from the top of the trail to Cornagila in the morning, looking back at the town
• Gelato -'nuf said

• Also in Vernazza go visit the Cannoli Brothers for a meal 
• Ride the Ferry when ever you can, its cheap and the view are stunning!
• In San Terenzo, go to Tereste for a meal
• If you want to visit Portovernere, stay in Lerici, its just a short Ferry trip over
• Always be willing to ask your hosts at your hotel for suggestions on places to eat.  This is how you find the best places. And talk to fellow travelers on the train - they often have great suggestions. 

And last but not least -- ENJOY the fabulous food -- you may never come back this way again.  My good friend and another travel buddy of mine ATP, would call the pictures at the left here, 'Food Porn'.  Just a few food shots to emphasize that a large part of going to Italy and really enjoying it, is to slow your pace down.  Take time to enjoy the simple things in life - a good meal, good conversation, a nice walk, a beautiful view, friendly italian residents that are always gracious hosts. 

 

Cheers to CJS, my travel partner in crime and the best photographer!  It is always a blast to travel with you!

Thanks again for reading this blog, I hope you enjoyed our trip along the magical Ligurian coast.



Next up -- new topic, Have you every thought about cruising?