# Two nights in the Cinque Terre, by plane to Pisa or Genoa and train, from Madrid or Barcelona

Flight to Pisa or Genoa, train to the coast and two nights in a village: the Sentiero Azzurro first thing, the boat, the Via dell'Amore, a pesto workshop and dinner over the sea.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/liguria/cinque-terre/itineraries/two-nights-by-plane-and-train · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Dónde: Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre can be seen in a day, but are enjoyed with two nights. Early in the morning and at nightfall, when the full trains and excursion boats leave, the villages go back to belonging to those who live in them. This getaway flies on Friday, sleeps two nights in Vernazza and divides the coast into two days: the north on foot and by boat, the south with the Via dell'Amore, a pesto workshop and wine from the terraces.

## How do you get there from Spain?

By plane and train; a car is no use on the coast. From Madrid there is a direct flight to Pisa (PSA), and also from Valencia, Seville, Málaga and Girona. From Barcelona, to Genoa (GOA). In Pisa, the PisaMover links the airport with Pisa Centrale in a few minutes and Trenitalia sells the combined ticket from "Pisa Aeroporto"; the train continues to La Spezia, where you change to the Cinque Terre regional. In Genoa, the Volabus takes you to Principe or Brignole stations, with regional trains along the coast towards Levanto and the villages. Allow half a day door to door.

## Where to stay?

AccommodationVillageWho it suits

Albergo Gianni FranziVernazzaIn the middle of the line, with reception on the harbour square; about a hundred steps, travel light

Hotel Porto RocaMonterossoWith a pool, a beach in summer and the Sentiero Azzurro at the door; from age 14; dogs welcome

La Torretta LodgeManarolaA tower with terraces over the sea, no steps from the station; upmarket

## What if I have one more day?

Do the vineyard trail from Manarola to Volastra along the terraces, and go up to Groppo for the Sciacchetrà tasting without rushing. Or take the boat to Portovenere, which has no train.

## With children

Swap the Sentiero Azzurro for the train and boat, and keep the Via dell'Amore, which is flat and short. The pesto workshop is free for under-6s and costs half from age 6 to 9. Remember that Hotel Porto Roca only admits over-14s; with children, better Gianni Franzi if they walk well, or La Torretta, which has no steps from the station.

## El plan

### Friday · 08:00 · Flight and train to the coast
A direct flight from Madrid to Pisa or Barcelona to Genoa, and a train to Vernazza, changing at La Spezia if you come from Pisa.

### Friday · 16:00 · Arrival in Vernazza
Drop your bag at Albergo Gianni Franzi, with reception in the bar on Piazza Marconi, and get the Cinque Terre Treno Card at the station for Saturday and Sunday.

### Friday · 20:00 · Dinner at Trattoria Gianni Franzi
On the harbour square: stuffed anchovies, stuffed mussels and tegame alla vernazzana. Closed on Wednesdays.

### Saturday · 08:00 · Sentiero Azzurro from Vernazza to Monterosso
About two hours of coastal path, best done early. Go down to Monterosso beach and come back.

### Saturday · 13:30 · Boat on line 02
From Monterosso heading south: Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore from the sea. It does not sail in a rough sea; then, take the train.

### Saturday · 17:00 · Aperitivo at Nessun Dorma
At Punta Bonfiglio, facing Manarola: bruschette and a white wine from the coast. Slot by app.

### Saturday · 20:00 · Dinner at Ristorante Belforte
In the tower of Vernazza, over the sea. Book and ask for the terrace. Closed on Tuesdays.

### Sunday · 09:00 · Via dell'Amore
Train to Riomaggiore and a half-hour walk along the cliff to Manarola, in a booked slot.

### Sunday · 10:30 · Pesto workshop with lunch
At Nessun Dorma: pesto in a marble mortar, lunch and a wine tasting. €85, in English.

### Sunday · 14:30 · Return
Minibus to Groppo if you have time for the Sciacchetrà tasting; if not, train to La Spezia and back to Pisa or Genoa for the afternoon flight.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Do you need a car?
No. The villages are pedestrian; you arrive by train and get around by train, boat and on foot.

### Which airport should you fly to?
To Pisa from Madrid and other cities, or to Genoa from Barcelona. From both you continue by train.

### What do you need to book?
The Via dell'Amore slot, the pesto workshop, dinners and accommodation, with weeks of leeway in season.

### When is the best time to go?
From April to June and in September and October. In winter some restaurants close and the boat does not sail.

## Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Porto Roca**: A hotel on the rocks of Monterosso
Porto Roca is a four-star hotel at the top end of Monterosso al Mare, the northernmost village of the Cinque Terre and the only one with a long sandy beach. It is on Via Corone, on the rocks that close the old town, with the sea below and the whole gulf in front. It has 43 rooms and is a hotel for adults and teenagers only: it does not admit children under 14.
What sets it apart is the location. From the door starts the Sentiero Azzurro towards Vernazza, the best-known stretch of the coastal path, so you can start walking early, before the morning trains arrive. When you return there is an infinity pool with a sea view and, in summer, a private beach with sun loungers.
The rooms
There are several types, almost all with a sea view: Retro rooms, standard rooms with a sea view, those with a balcony, those with a terrace, one with a side view, junior suites, suites and a Garden Suite with a garden. Most have their own balcony and some a terrace. All have air conditioning, satellite television, minibar, safe and free wifi, which also reaches the bar, restaurant and pool.
Breakfast is a buffet and is included if you book directly with the hotel. The hotel has its own bar and restaurant, La Terrazza, and a free shuttle service at any hour between the hotel, the beach and the restaurant.
Getting there
By train to Monterosso station, on the La Spezia – Levanto line. The hotel offers paid transfers from airports and stations in major cities, useful if you fly to Pisa or Genoa and do not want to change trains with luggage. Monterosso is not a village for cars: the approaches are narrow and parking is scarce. The hotel's website does not say whether it has its own parking; ask when you book if you are coming by car.
Reception is open 24 hours and they speak Italian, English, French, German and Spanish. They store luggage, have a concierge, help with excursions and offer paid laundry and ironing.
With a dog
They accept small and medium-sized dogs and cats for €20 a night. They must be on a lead in the common areas and may not enter the pool or the hotel's beach.
- **La Torretta Lodge**, desde 400 € / night: An old tower in the centre of Manarola
La Torretta occupies the interior of an old tower in the centre of Manarola, the village of coloured houses stacked above the little harbour. It is on Vico Volto, in the upper part, with a view of the bay on one side and the vineyard terraces on the other. It is a guesthouse with an affittacamere licence, not a hotel with a restaurant: what it offers is carefully kept rooms, terraces and calm when the groups leave.
The rooms and what they cost
The decoration mixes antique and contemporary furniture in Ligurian style. All the rooms have air conditioning, minibar, Nespresso machine, safe, television and a selection of Italian wines. The differences lie in the views and the outdoor space:

Classic and Superior: doubles with a window; the Superior, with a partial sea view, a four-poster bed and a frescoed ceiling, without a balcony.
Deluxe and Limonaia: with a terrace or private patio facing the sea and the garden, with hammocks.
Romantic, Design and Duplex: suites with a Carrara marble bathroom; the Duplex has a living room with two sea-facing windows and a terrace.
Panoramic Suite: the only one outside the main house, two minutes' walk away, with a large terrace over the sea.
Two-bedroom suites (Deluxe, Prestige and Tower), for families or two couples.

The published price list runs from €400 for the Classic to €3,000 for the Tower Suite, with VAT and minibar soft drinks included. It is upmarket accommodation: think of it for one or two special nights.
Getting there and what to know
Arrive by train at Manarola. From the station it is about ten minutes on foot and, according to the house, without steps. From the station they no longer collect luggage, because the street is pedestrianised; if you come by car, they help with your luggage free of charge from Manarola's public car park if you call between 7:30 and 20:00. Another option they suggest is to get off at La Spezia Centrale and take a taxi, about 25 minutes.
Reception is open from 7:30 to 20:30 and after that you can no longer reach the house. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 11:30; luggage storage is free. Animals are not accepted and smoking is not allowed anywhere. Watch the cancellation terms: the total is not refunded from 30 days before arrival.
In Manarola you have the Via dell'Amore to Riomaggiore and the vineyard trail to Volastra right next door.
- **Albergo Gianni Franzi**: Sleeping in Vernazza with the trattoria's family
Gianni Franzi is both trattoria and albergo, in the heart of Vernazza. The trattoria is on Piazza Marconi, facing the harbour, and the hotel reception operates inside its bar. The rooms are a little higher up, on Via San Giovanni Battista, in the old town, at the foot of the Doria castle.
The house says the first rooms were made in the late 1960s in old village dwellings, under the supervision of the stage director Aldo Trionfo. Since 1997 there have been more in a neighbouring palace, on the rock. Almost all look over the Gulf of the Cinque Terre.
The rooms
There are singles, doubles with a small balcony over the sea, doubles with balcony and terrace, triples, a quad, Superior rooms and a suite. Some have no sea view, so check when booking. The two houses are connected by a garden hanging above the cliff, with an open view, which all guests can use.
Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 9:30, for hotel guests only, on the Deck: a terrace of about 70 m² carved out of the rock, on the same Via San Giovanni Battista. The house itself compares it to the prow of an ocean liner. Wifi is free for guests.
Getting there and what to know
Arrive by train at Vernazza and go down the main street to Piazza Marconi, where reception is. From there to the rooms it is about a hundred steps through the carruggi, the village's alleys, and there is no luggage service: travel light. Animals of any size are not accepted.
The room is available before 16:00 on the day of arrival; if you are going to arrive late, let them know by phone. Check-out is before 10:30. The stay is paid at check-in. Hotel and trattoria close from 10 January to 10 March; in those weeks they respond by email only.
The hotel has the Quality Mark of the Cinque Terre National Park and its guests can ask for a discount on the Cinque Terre Card. From the door you have the Sentiero Azzurro towards Monterosso or towards Corniglia, and the line 02 boat leaves from the harbour, next to the square.

## Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Hotel Porto Roca**: A hotel on the rocks of Monterosso
Porto Roca is a four-star hotel at the top end of Monterosso al Mare, the northernmost village of the Cinque Terre and the only one with a long sandy beach. It is on Via Corone, on the rocks that close the old town, with the sea below and the whole gulf in front. It has 43 rooms and is a hotel for adults and teenagers only: it does not admit children under 14.
What sets it apart is the location. From the door starts the Sentiero Azzurro towards Vernazza, the best-known stretch of the coastal path, so you can start walking early, before the morning trains arrive. When you return there is an infinity pool with a sea view and, in summer, a private beach with sun loungers.
The rooms
There are several types, almost all with a sea view: Retro rooms, standard rooms with a sea view, those with a balcony, those with a terrace, one with a side view, junior suites, suites and a Garden Suite with a garden. Most have their own balcony and some a terrace. All have air conditioning, satellite television, minibar, safe and free wifi, which also reaches the bar, restaurant and pool.
Breakfast is a buffet and is included if you book directly with the hotel. The hotel has its own bar and restaurant, La Terrazza, and a free shuttle service at any hour between the hotel, the beach and the restaurant.
Getting there
By train to Monterosso station, on the La Spezia – Levanto line. The hotel offers paid transfers from airports and stations in major cities, useful if you fly to Pisa or Genoa and do not want to change trains with luggage. Monterosso is not a village for cars: the approaches are narrow and parking is scarce. The hotel's website does not say whether it has its own parking; ask when you book if you are coming by car.
Reception is open 24 hours and they speak Italian, English, French, German and Spanish. They store luggage, have a concierge, help with excursions and offer paid laundry and ironing.
With a dog
They accept small and medium-sized dogs and cats for €20 a night. They must be on a lead in the common areas and may not enter the pool or the hotel's beach.
- **La Torretta Lodge**, desde 400 € / night: An old tower in the centre of Manarola
La Torretta occupies the interior of an old tower in the centre of Manarola, the village of coloured houses stacked above the little harbour. It is on Vico Volto, in the upper part, with a view of the bay on one side and the vineyard terraces on the other. It is a guesthouse with an affittacamere licence, not a hotel with a restaurant: what it offers is carefully kept rooms, terraces and calm when the groups leave.
The rooms and what they cost
The decoration mixes antique and contemporary furniture in Ligurian style. All the rooms have air conditioning, minibar, Nespresso machine, safe, television and a selection of Italian wines. The differences lie in the views and the outdoor space:

Classic and Superior: doubles with a window; the Superior, with a partial sea view, a four-poster bed and a frescoed ceiling, without a balcony.
Deluxe and Limonaia: with a terrace or private patio facing the sea and the garden, with hammocks.
Romantic, Design and Duplex: suites with a Carrara marble bathroom; the Duplex has a living room with two sea-facing windows and a terrace.
Panoramic Suite: the only one outside the main house, two minutes' walk away, with a large terrace over the sea.
Two-bedroom suites (Deluxe, Prestige and Tower), for families or two couples.

The published price list runs from €400 for the Classic to €3,000 for the Tower Suite, with VAT and minibar soft drinks included. It is upmarket accommodation: think of it for one or two special nights.
Getting there and what to know
Arrive by train at Manarola. From the station it is about ten minutes on foot and, according to the house, without steps. From the station they no longer collect luggage, because the street is pedestrianised; if you come by car, they help with your luggage free of charge from Manarola's public car park if you call between 7:30 and 20:00. Another option they suggest is to get off at La Spezia Centrale and take a taxi, about 25 minutes.
Reception is open from 7:30 to 20:30 and after that you can no longer reach the house. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 11:30; luggage storage is free. Animals are not accepted and smoking is not allowed anywhere. Watch the cancellation terms: the total is not refunded from 30 days before arrival.
In Manarola you have the Via dell'Amore to Riomaggiore and the vineyard trail to Volastra right next door.
- **Albergo Gianni Franzi**: Sleeping in Vernazza with the trattoria's family
Gianni Franzi is both trattoria and albergo, in the heart of Vernazza. The trattoria is on Piazza Marconi, facing the harbour, and the hotel reception operates inside its bar. The rooms are a little higher up, on Via San Giovanni Battista, in the old town, at the foot of the Doria castle.
The house says the first rooms were made in the late 1960s in old village dwellings, under the supervision of the stage director Aldo Trionfo. Since 1997 there have been more in a neighbouring palace, on the rock. Almost all look over the Gulf of the Cinque Terre.
The rooms
There are singles, doubles with a small balcony over the sea, doubles with balcony and terrace, triples, a quad, Superior rooms and a suite. Some have no sea view, so check when booking. The two houses are connected by a garden hanging above the cliff, with an open view, which all guests can use.
Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 9:30, for hotel guests only, on the Deck: a terrace of about 70 m² carved out of the rock, on the same Via San Giovanni Battista. The house itself compares it to the prow of an ocean liner. Wifi is free for guests.
Getting there and what to know
Arrive by train at Vernazza and go down the main street to Piazza Marconi, where reception is. From there to the rooms it is about a hundred steps through the carruggi, the village's alleys, and there is no luggage service: travel light. Animals of any size are not accepted.
The room is available before 16:00 on the day of arrival; if you are going to arrive late, let them know by phone. Check-out is before 10:30. The stay is paid at check-in. Hotel and trattoria close from 10 January to 10 March; in those weeks they respond by email only.
The hotel has the Quality Mark of the Cinque Terre National Park and its guests can ask for a discount on the Cinque Terre Card. From the door you have the Sentiero Azzurro towards Monterosso or towards Corniglia, and the line 02 boat leaves from the harbour, next to the square.