How to Get From Florence to Cinque Terre – The Best Options

Train from Florence to Cinque Terre

The train is the fastest way to travel from Florence to Cinque Terre.

There are no trains going straight to the Cinque Terre villages; you’ll need to reach La Spezia first, the starting point for all the Cinque Terre trains.

To reach La Spezia, there are 2 main trains:

• direct train from Florence – Campo di Marte station
• train through Pisa from Florence – Santa Maria Novella station

The direct train is faster (1h40) and also cheaper! However, there are only a few direct trains during the day, one early morning and one late at night. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a day trip from Florence, but might not be the best otherwise.

If you want more flexibility, you can take the train that stops in Pisa (2h10), and runs a lot more frequently.

Once in La Spezia, you’ll need to take another train to reach Cinque Terre. There are several trains per hour, it only takes 20 minutes to reach the first village, Riomaggiore, and the train ticket costs around 5€.

You can see below all the details at a glance about the train from Florence to Cinque Terre:

You can buy your train tickets directly at the station, but I recommend booking them online in advance to avoid the queues and to make sure you’ll get a spot on the train.

🕘 Florence to Cinque Terre Train Time: 2h35

💸 Cost: 17€

👉 Book here: Train Florence – Cinque Terre (put “Firenze” in the destination field, the Italian name of the city). Otherwise, you may consider getting a Cinque Terre Card to access unlimited travels to Cinque Terre.

Taking the Florence to Cinque Terre Bus

For getting to Cinque Terre from Florence, I would suggest against taking the bus.

It’s slower than the train, there are very few buses during the day, and it costs about the same price. There are no guarantees that you’ll find a direct bus, and you’re looking at 4h+ travel time with the other buses, which often cost way more too (around 20€).

If you still want to go for it, here’s the info (only if you find a direct bus to La Spezia): there are no direct buses to Cinque Terre, so you’ll need to take the bus from Florence to La Spezia, which takes around 2h30 and costs in average 8€. Then in La Spezia take the train to Cinque Terre, just like the train option above.

🕘  Time: 3h

💸 Cost: 13€

👉 Book here: Florence – Cinque Terre bus

Visiting Cinque Terre from Florence by Car

Cinque Terre is pretty close to Florence, and you can actually drive there. It takes around 2h30, assuming low traffic.

You need to know that you cannot drive your car directly to Cinque Terre; only residents can enter the villages by car. If you want to drive to the villages, you’ll have to leave your car outside the village in a parking lot.

There are 2 main options for driving from Florence to Cinque Terre:

1. Drive from Florence to La Spezia, leave your car and take the train to Cinque Terre
2. Go from Florence to Cinque Terre by car, park your car outside the villages while you visit

Let’s see the pros and cons of each option:

1. Drive from Florence to La Spezia

This is the option that I recommend, especially if you’re traveling Cinque Terre in summer. The area gets extremely crowded, and it can quickly become a nightmare with traffic and full parking spots.

2. Drive straight to the villages

This option is best if you’re visiting in the low season, as you shouldn’t have any major problems with traffic, and you should be able to easily find parking spots directly in Cinque Terre. It’s also great if you want to carry diving equipment to use on the Cinque Terre beaches!

Which option you’ll choose is up to you, and it can be an alternative to the train if you need to carry a lot of stuff with you, or simply if you’re already on a road trip and you already have a car.

Going on a Cinque Terre Tour from Florence

The last option is to go on a Cinque Terre tour. It’s the best option if you only have 1 day to visit the Cinque Terre, and you don’t want to deal with the logistics of the trip.

Here’s the program of the tour:

• Bus from Florence to Manarola
• Visit Manarola
• Train from Manarola to Riomaggiore
• Visit Riomaggiore
• Train from Riomaggiore to Monterosso
• Visit Monterosso, swim in the sea, and have lunch
• Ferry from Monterosso to Vernazza
• Visit Vernazza
• Ferry from Vernazza to Riomaggiore
• Train from Riomaggiore to La Spezia
• Bus from La Spezia back to Florence

This Cinque Terre day tour makes for a very intense day, but you’ll have a wonderful time discovering the coastal villages, and you’ll come back with plenty of memories to share with your friends.

See price & availability here: Florence Cinque Terre Day Tour

FAQ About Florence to Cinque Terre Trip & Back + Tips

You’ll find below some frequently asked questions about going from Cinque Terre to Florence, and the other way around. If you have any other questions that are left unanswered after reading this, ask in the comments & I’ll get back to you soon!

Can I Do A Cinque Terre Day Trip From Florence?

Yep, you can. It’s going to be a very long day. You’ll probably be exhausted, and you won’t like it if you prefer slow traveling. And it’s definitely not the best way to experience Cinque Terre. But hey! If you have one extra day in Florence, this is totally doable. And I bet it’s on your Italy bucket list, so you have to visit.

Here is a quick overview of each option and who they’re good for:

• Train: best option overall; quick, cheap, and reliable especially if you’re with kids
• Bus: not recommended, but an alternative option if all train tickets are already booked
• Car: best if you already have a car, or if you carry a lot of stuff with you
• Tour: best if you don’t want to worry about all of the logistics of organizing a day trip

As the best option is train, here are the deets:

• 8 am train in Florence to La Spezia, change in La Spezia at 9:40 am, and get to Riomaggiore (the first village) at 10:30. Leave Cinque Terre around 8:30 pm & arrive in Florence just before midnight.
• See trains here: Florence Cinque Terre (put “Firenze” in the destination field, the Italian name of the city)

Prefer Going to Cinque Terre from Milan? Check this guide.

How Far is Cinque Terre from Firenze?

129 km / 80.16 miles. The distance from Florence to Cinque Terre is 129 km (80.16 miles); it’s pretty close, and this is why you can totally go for a day trip.

How long does it take to reach Cinque Terre from Firenze?

3 hours. The time it takes depends on how you travel, but it’s around 3 hours. If you catch a direct train to La Spezia, it will take around 2 hours, and by car around 3 hours.

Is there a high speed train to the Cinque Terre Villages?

There is a high-speed train from Firenze to La Spezia: it takes 1h31 to go from Firenze Campo di Marte station to La Spezia Centrale. The train runs twice a day, early morning and late at night.

Is there a direct connection from Florence to Cinque Terre?

No. There are no direct trains from Florence to Cinque Terre. You’ll need to change in La Spezia.

Can you drive to Cinque Terre from Florence?

Yes you can, it takes around 2h30 in ideal traffic conditions. You can’t actually drive in the villages, but you can leave your car right outside, in designated parking spots. The narrow mountain roads connecting the villages are often blocked with traffic in summer, so keep that in mind and look at other travel options (train).

Where to Stay in Cinque Terre?

If you plan to spend the night in Cinque Terre National Park and go back the next day, then here are my best hotel recommendations: 

✅ Best Hotel – La Toretta Lodge: located in a tower from medieval times in the center of Manarola, La Toretta offers very beautiful and comfortable rooms with a stunning view of the bay.

💰 Best Budget Hotel – Daa Maduneta: located in the village of Corniglia, you wouldn’t believe the price as the place is simply stunning. The view will blow your mind, and the rooms have everything you need for you to spend a perfect night.

Not satisfied with any of these accommodations in Cinque Terre? Here’s a complete guide to the best Cinque Terre hotels.

More Useful Readings About Italy Cinque Terre

Discover some of my Cinque Terre posts that might help you in planning your trip.

Here’s the full guide to travel Cinque Terre including all the info and tips to visit: Ultimate Cinque Travel Guide.

If you’re wondering when you should go there, here’s a post that will be useful to you: Best Time to Visit Cinque Terre

Looking for the best place and hotel to stay in Cinque Terre? These posts will help:

• Best Area Where to Stay in Cinque Terre
• Camping in Cinque Terre

Finally, find below travel guides to fully visit each village:

• Discover Riomaggiore
• Discover Manarola
• Discover Corniglia
• Discover Vernazza
• Discover Monterosso

I have many other posts about Cinque Terre, feel free to check these travel guides here.

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