Our Budget Guide to Cinque Terre, italy

We recently did an Italian city tour, and it was so hard to narrow down to the top few areas! There are so many incredible cities to explore in Italy: Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, the list goes on. We created a budget guide for each place, so consider this your budget guide to Cinque Terre!

We were not familiar with Cinque Terre when we were planning our 10-day Europe trip but after stumbling across some pictures, it quickly rose to the top of our bucketlist. 

Cinque Terre is a coastal area within Liguria, in the northwest of Italy. It consists of five villages, hence where the name comes from; the English translation is ‘Five Lands’. Cinque Terre will forever be one of our favorite places to visit. From the rainbow colored buildings to the unbelievable views, it’s a MUST visit destination if you are thinking of planning a trip to Italy. 

In this post, we share our guide for eating, drinking, and budget traveling in the amazing region of Cinque Terre. In recent years, it has become more of a tourist destination. With more visitors and limited housing and restaurant options, this ultimately means an expensive place to budget for.

However, there are definitely ways to save money in Cinque Terre and still get to experience all that the region has to offer. Let’s jump in with our budget guide to Cinque Terre!

Getting There

Flying

The closest airport to Cinque Terre is the Pisa International Airport, with the second closest airport being the Genova City Airport. Pisa is the bigger airport, so we recommend checking there first as there are more options in and out of Pisa. From Pisa, the train is very easy to get to Cinque Terre.

Another option is to fly into Florence and spend a couple of days there before you take the train to Cinque Terre. Again, very easy to route! This only adds on about an extra hour to your train ride journey and allows you to see all that Florence has to offer as well!

Train

The train system in Europe is very easy to navigate and can get you in between many countries and cities at an affordable, budget-friendly rate. Once you’ve made your way to Pisa or Florence by plane or train, you’ll need to do a couple train rides to get to Cinque Terre.

First, you’ll look for a direct regional train to La Spezia. This is the second-largest city in the Liguria region.

Next, once you’re at La Spezia, you’ll switch to the 5 Terre Express train, a fast-regional train that runs every 15 minutes and connects all five villages. The first stop on the 5 Terre Express train is Riomaggiore, then Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and finally to Monterosso. Each stop is about 5 minutes apart from each other.

If you plan on visiting all villages, it’s cheaper to buy a Cinque Terre Train Card. For 18,20 euros, you’ll get unlimited train rides on the Cinque Terre Express trains on the La Spezia – Cinque Terre – Levanto line and free wifi on the trains. The Cinque Terre Train Card also gets you free access to two of the private trails in the Cinque Terre National Park (general access is free).

A one-way train ticket between the villages costs 5 euros, so do the math and budget for what’s best. If you’re riding the train at least 4 times, get the Cinque Terre Train Card!

Where to stay In Cinque Terre

The name Cinque Terre means five lands, and it represents the five different villages that make up all of Cinque Terre. Across all five areas, there is an estimated 4,000 residents that live there full time, but over 2.5 million travelers visit Cinque Terre annually.

When deciding which part of Cinque Terre to stay in, you’ll want to consider what type of experience you are looking for. Do you want to be in the hustle and bustle? Are you looking to be steps away from the beach? 

Each village offers something special, and you really can’t go wrong whichever direction you go in! If you need a change of scenery, the next village is only a 5-minute train ride away! For first timers, we recommend staying in either Riomaggiore or Monterosso.

We share some of the highlights of each village below: 

• Riomaggiore: You’ll want to stay here if your goal is to be in the middle of the action. This is the most southern village, and one of the more popular villages with many shops and restaurants to explore. You’ll find some of the most beautiful and famous trails here, along with a teeny tiny beach where you can swim in the Mediterranean Sea. For dare devils, you can catch views and jump off the cliffs into the fresh blue-green water. 
• Manarola: You’ll want to stay here if you’re looking for a charming village with multi-colored houses hidden high in the hills overlooking the sea. The tiny harbor gives it a true seaside vibe.
• Corniglia: You’ll want to stay here if you’re looking for a more quiet village with an interesting history and known for the delicious white wine. Warning: there are 382 steps you’ll have to climb to reach the village center, so wear comfy shoes and leave the heavy baggage behind.
• Vernazza: You’ll want to stay here if you’re looking for the “prettiest village” in Cinque Terre and to catch the beautiful viewpoints from over the harbor, at the top of the village, and from Doria Castle.
• Monterosso: You’ll want to stay here if you’re looking for more of a beach vacation. This is the largest of the five villages with large beaches that are steps from the sea. The area has minimal shops and restaurants, but the beaches are the highlights and boy, do they steal the show!

What To Do In Cinque Terre

Nature, Beaches & Village Hopping

• Go hiking: Hiking is one of the best ways to check out the views of Cinque Terre. There are tons of trails to explore in the national park, 48 trails to be exact! But be prepared to CLIMB hills. Cinque Terre is known for their many steps that keep going up and up…and up and up!  
• Beach day: Head over to the village of Monterosso and explore their beautiful beaches. You can take the boat over to this beach town for only a few euros or take the 5 Terre Express train. One thing to note is that the beaches of Monterosso close at 7pm so no night-time swim here!
• Village hop: Hop around to all the villages by boat or train! The 5 Terre Express train connects all 5 villages, and you can definitely hit them all up in one or two days. The train ride is convenient, but the boat ride is so much fun! You get an awesome view of the villages from the boat. It’s 15 euros to hop around 3 villages or 35 euros for an unlimited one-day pass. We highly recommend traveling by boat if you have some extra time—it’s an incredible way to get to the villages!

Where To Eat In Cinque Terre

You’ll be able to taste some delicious fresh seafood while in Cinque Terre. From marinated anchovies served with focaccia (light, fluffy yet crispy bread salted and drizzled with olive oil) to fritto misto (a mixed fried plate of fish, shellfish, and vegetables).

Everything was amazing, and we really enjoyed all of our meals. Make sure you make reservations though! There are limited restaurants, and they fill up quickly. 

• Rio Bistrot: A MICHELIN Guide Restaurant in Riomaggiore with sea view! The food was incredible and relatively affordable for the quality of food and an upscale resturant. Meal ranges from 25-40 euros per person. The service was top notch, and the beautifully plated fresh food came out super quick. 
• Bar Zorza: A small, nice cafe spot if you are looking for something quick, with no reservations in Riomaggiore. We recommend ordering the focaccia panini with a Nutella-stuffed muffin – delicious!
• Bar O’Netto: A dive bar with free wifi and friendly service in Riomaggiore. It’s one of the first spots you’ll see coming into town.  
• Il Pirata: A bakery in Vernazza known for the tastiest pastries. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but this is the spot for a morning croissant.
• Ristorante Ciak: An affordable restaurant in Monterosso known for the homemade gnocchi with pesto and “spaghetti ciak” aka seafood spaghetti.

Easy Way To Save Money

In recent years, Cinque Terre has increased in popularity and become a tourist attraction. The biggest expense is housing, with hotels being overpriced. Our budget guide to Cinque Terre offers a few simple ways that you can save money without sacrificing your overall experience in the villages.

1. Stay at no-frills guesthouses: Check out Airbnb and VRBO options and be open to basic accommodations rather than luxurious or elaborate hotels. You will be spending majority of your time out exploring all that Cinque Terre has to offer, so where you rest your head doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Riomaggiore will have the most options.
2. Stay outside of the villages: Consider staying in one of the outlying towns such as La Spezia or Levanto. There are more options the further away you get and both are short train rides.
3. Invest in the Train Card: Each one-way train ride between the villages cost 5 euros. If you’re going to take at least 2-round trip rides, you’ll save by getting a daily pass for 18,20 euros.
4. Hike between the villages: You don’t have to take the train to get to the next village; you can hike long trails and take in the breathtaking scenery and views for free!
5. Eat cheap meals: Make lunch your biggest meal. Prices are typically cheaper at lunch compared to dinner. For dinner, go to the grocery store or grab street food and have a picnic while watching the beautiful sunset.

We hope you enjoyed our budget guide to Cinque Terre! It will forever hold a special place in our hearts. We can’t wait for you to make your way to the five villages!