What to Expect in Cinque Terre, Italy

July 9, 2018 Liana Safian

Not long ago I wrote about how expectations are pointless. Now here I am writing about just that—what to expect in Cinque Terre. Perhaps a more accurate title would be: Things we didn’t realize about Cinque Terre before visiting. That doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, though. Hypocritical as it is, I’m sticking with what to expect…or more specifically what “unexpected” things to expect in Cinque Terre.

First a little background in case you’re not familiar with the “five lands” or “Cinque Terre.” It’s a national park but one very different from the US parks. In fact, Cinque Terre is one of the most unique places we’ve ever been.

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It’s made up of five fishing villages built on terraces along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. At any given point your view in Cinque Terre looks something like this: lush green hills kissed by low-hovering clouds give way to terraced farmland with plentiful vineyards, which become interspersed with colorful homes that finally meet the sea at a harbor full of vibrant boats. How’s that for a run-on sentence? While our time here was magical, there were some things we didn’t expect in Cinque Terre that would have been nice to know beforehand. Here they are along with some of the 1,185 pictures that we took.

9 (Unexpected) Things to Expect in Cinque Terre

1. To pay cash for train tickets

All train tickets (even multi-day passes) at the ticket counter must be purchased with cash. No cards accepted. You can use your card if you purchase tickets online, but you have to set-up a Trenitalia account to buy the monthly pass. Here’s another tip. If you’re going to ride the train at least 9 times during your visit, it may be cheaper to buy a monthly pass for 33.50€ than to shell out 4€ per ride or buy the Cinque Terre card. Our guesthouse host let us in on this deal.

Cinque Terre is a gorgeous national park made up of five fishing villages in the Italian Riviera. It offers hiking, boating, stunning views, fresh seafood, and so much more. While it’s a magical place, there are some things we didn’t expect in Cinque Terre that would have been nice to know beforehand. Here’s what to expect in Cinque Terre. — We stayed in the lovely Riomaggiore.

2. Stairs (likely more stairs than you’ve ever seen in one place, in your life)

Okay so this one’s not that unexpected, but while we were prepared for stairs, we didn’t realize just how many of them must be navigated every single day. Also, we’re betting that we’re not alone in this since we saw plenty of people struggling with their rolling luggage up said stairs and over cobblestones. Word of advice: wheels and Cinque Terre don’t mix. We’ve been super happy with our Osprey backpacks on this trip.

3. To need a diner reservation if you want to eat near the water

We’re not talking French Laundry style reservations or anything. Just call or stop in earlier the day you want to eat at restaurants overlooking the harbor and you shouldn’t have any problem getting a table.

4. Americans

We Americans are kind of like the stairs in Cinque Terre—absolutely everywhere and easy to trip over if you don’t watch out for us😉 After a month of rarely hearing English in France, imagine our surprise when we found ourselves surrounded by not just English speakers, but Americans. Definitely not what we expected in Cinque Terre, but it was nice to have conversations with people other than ourselves.

5. Not all hiking trails are well marked

The half of the #2 trail known as the Blue Path from Corniglia to Monterosso via Vernazza is clearly marked and well trafficked so easy to navigate. The other half from Riomaggiore to Corniglia has been closed for years due to a landslide. You can still hike from village to village but you have to take alternate trails for half of it. We recommend splitting the hike into two days, because…stairs. The section from Riomaggiore to Manarola can be a little tricky so make sure to get clear directions beforehand. We accidentally got off the main trail and ended up picking our way through the terraced agriculture land. While it made for some great views, parts of the trail were rather sketchy.

6. You may become addicted to Aperol spritzes

Slightly bitter and fizzy with just a hint of fruitiness, this may be the most refreshing drink in the world. How I made it through 33 years of life without tasting one, I just can’t understand. You’ll find Aperol spritzes served throughout Italy, but they’re especially popular along the Mediterranean in both Italy and France. You should definitely try one during your visit, but be warned: if there’s an Aperol spritz on the menu you’ll likely never be able to order anything else again.

7. No tap water in restaurants

If you order water in restaurants, you’ll have two options—still or sparkling (often called “with gas”, which makes the 5-year old in me giggle) and you’ll have to pay for it. When we first arrived in Italy, we thought maybe this was one of those, tell tourists we don’t have tap water things, but we quickly learned that this is just the way it is here. One of our Airbnb hosts told us that Italians don’t drink tap water. There’s nothing wrong with it, they just prefer bottled water.
Budget travel tip: forgo the water at restaurants by bringing a refillable water bottle with you and drink before and after your meal.

8. To pay coperto if you sit down at a restaurant

This is a seating fee and you’ll find it everywhere in Italy. At some places it’s a fixed price per person (usually from 1.50-3€). Sometimes it’s a percentage of your bill.
Budget travel tip: Avoid the coperto by getting food from take away places. Sometimes there are tables or benches outside so you can eat in the vicinity or head down to one of the harbors and enjoy the sea views while you dine.

9. A very sad departure

Cheesy, I know sorry, but it’s true. This was by far one of the hardest places to say good-bye to on our trip. It’s unlike anywhere else we’d ever been or have seen since. I actually cried when we left. One of those overwhelmingly happy that we got to experience this incredible place but sad to see it go kind of moments. Guess I’m just becoming a big ole sap.

If you’re planning a trip to Italy, hopefully this post helps you know what to expect in Cinque Terre. We spent six glorious days there. While it was the perfect amount of time to do the things we planned and explore each village, we’re by no means experts on the area. Fortunately, there is an expert who lives in Cinque Terre and shares all her knowledge and travel tips on her blog—Cinque Terre Insider. If you’re planning a trip here, I highly recommend you check-it-out. We used this site as a guide for visiting the different villages. You’ll even find out where to get the best gelato in all of Cinque Terre. These are very important details friends.

We Need Your Help

We have so many post ideas about our time in our Europe, if I wrote them all I’d probably still be talking about this trip in a year. While that’s entertaining for me, I’m betting it’d get rather boring for you. So we want to know, what you want to know!?

Do you want to see budget travel tips or top things to do? More stories or destination guides? Do you want to know how to pack for a long-term trip like this? How we managed not to kill each other after being together 24/7? Any places specifically you want to know more about? Feel free to ask us anything. Leave a comment below or send us an email. And most importantly, thank you for reading this blog and supporting this crazy journey that we’re on! It really means the world to us.