From La Spezia to the Cinque Terre and Florence

The Port of La Spezia is the perfect gateway to some of the most beautiful destinations in Italy. Indeed, you can easily get to the nearby National Park of Cinque Terre or even to Florence, the Craddle of the Renaissance. For this reason, La Spezia Port is a real Gate to Cinque Terre and Florence.

The city of La Spezia is not one of the most popular Italian cities. Though, it represents a good departure point for many day excursions to explore the Regions of Liguria and Tuscany. More specifically, the city’s fame comes from its cruise port. This is one of the biggest cruise terminals in Italy, hosting thousands of travellers every year.

In fact, many cruise ships stop here not only in summer but also in other seasons and give the chance to their passengers to discovers the many beauties in the surrounding areas.

Some info about the Port of La Spezia

When we mention La Spezia, we refer to its big Cruise Terminal, welcoming thousands of international visitors every year. Indeed, many cruise lines chose La Spezia as one of their stops during their cruise itinerary to let passengers discover the incredible attractions located at short distance.

The Port of La Spezia is located in the Region of Liguria overlooking the northern Tyrrenian sea. La Spezia in only one hour from the more famous maritime Genoa. Moreover, from the Ligurian Port, you can easily reach the borders of the nearby Tuscany and get to amazing cities like Pisa, Lucca or even Florence, Craddle of the Renaissance and capital city of Tuscany.

The new Cruise Terminal Golfo dei Poeti was inaugurated in 2015 and it is very close to the old town and the railway station. In fact, the train station is only 2 km away and you can reach it with a 15 minute walk. From there, you can catch many trains getting to cities like Genoa or the romantic landscape of the Cinque Terre (Five Lands).

 

Get to the Cinque Terre from the Cruise Port of La Spezia

The quickest and most practical way to get from the Cruise Terminal in La Spezia to the stunning Cinque Terre National Park is by train. As we previously mentioned, the railway station is located only a couple kilometers from the port and it is possible to reach it with a 15 minute walk.

When we say Cinque Terre we refer to the five small villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia Vernazza and Monterosso. The National Park also includes the village of Portovenere and three small islands of its coast. This last village is only half an hour by car from the cruise port of La Spezia. The peculiarity of this area, even inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1997, is the unique environment. The colorful tower houses are nestled along the Ligurian Coast and surrounded by suggestive cultivated terraces and rows of olive trees.

From the railway station of La Spezia you can easily catch a train to the Cinque Terre. During the summer season, the frequency is higher and there is a train every 20 minutes.

Another way to reach this area from La Spezia is by ferry boat.

Is is also possible to get to the Cinque Terre by car, even if it is not easy to find a parking space once in the villages.

How to visit the Cinque Terre

Travelling by train is practical and cheaper. Since 2001, it is possible to purchase a Cinque Terre Train Card to travel by train within the National Park at good rates. You can buy the ticket for one day only or for a maximum of three days. The Card allows you to travel between Levanto and La Spezia in second class regional trains and to take the buses running within the Park. Additionally, you have access to all areas and trails and you can get discounts on some museum entrances. You can purchase the Cinque Terre Train Card online or at all welcome centres of the Cinque Terre National Park. On the Trenitalia website, you can have a look at the daily train schedule.

Once within the National Park, another way to get from one village to another is by ferry-boat. This allows you to enjoy the view over the villages and the landscape when approaching to the coast. Indeed, the view from the train is limited due to the presence of many tunnels. Moreover, the charming village of Portovenere can be reached more easily by ferry, since no train station is available there. On the contrary, the village of Corniglia is not served by the ferry system. This is the only of the Five Lands to be located on the top of a hill and not along the coast.

Surely, a good chance to visit the Cinque Terre with no rush and the comfort of a private car or minivan is joining one of our private tours from La Spezia. In that case, we will pick you up at the Cruise Terminal and bring you back in time for your ship departure. Have a look at our website to discover our shore excursions from La Spezia to the Cinque Terre.

Our suggestions to visit the Cinque Terre from the Port of La Spezia

If you wish to enjoy the area without worring about time and delays, we can offer you multiple solutions. You can enjoy a Private Tour to the Cinque Terre and have a tour leader pick you up at the Terminal by minivan in order to drive you to the Five Lands. From there, you will have the chance to travel by ferry boat from one village to another. In case of bad weather conditions, you will take the train. From La Spezia, you can even join a Private Tour with no tour leader but an english speaking driver, who will give you the useful info to visit the villages and pick you up to drive back to the cruise terminal. Otherwise, if you are looking for a more exclusive experience, you can book a Private Boat Tour from La Spezia and discover the amazing Cinque Terre from a different perspective. You can even combine the visit to the Cinque Terre to a few hours in Pisa. There, you can admire the famous Leaning Tower and the suggestive Lungarno. Just have a look at our Tour from La Spezia to Cinque Terre and Pisa for more details.

Get to Florence from the Cruise Port of La Spezia

From the Cruise Port of La Spezia you can even reach the incredibly beautiful Florence, capital city of Tuscany. You can get to Florence by train in about 2 and half hours. The timetable is always available on the Trenitalia website.

Otherwise, you can reach the Cradle of the Renaissance in Tuscany by car. In this case, it will take you less than two hours.

Florence is located in the very heart of Tuscany, a region full of surprises and rich in culture and history. If you are planning to spend a few days in Tuscany,  we recommend you to have a look at our website. So you can get an idea of the several tours from Florence.

Our suggestions to visit Florence from the Port of La Spezia

If you have an entire day at disposal, we can suggest you our Private Tour from Pisa and Florence from La Spezia. This way, you can combine the visit of Pisa to the one of Florence. Otherwise, we remind you that all our tours can be customized and adapted to your needs.

On our Private Tours to Florence, we will show you around the old town full of art and unique masterpieces. You will discover the magical Piazza Duomo with its majestic Cathedral and Giotto’s Bell Tower. Also, you have the chance to take a walk on Ponte Vecchio with its many local boutiques and artesans’ shops. If you wish, you can visit the world wide famous Uffizi Galleries or the Accademia Museum. A view over Florence that you can not miss is the one from Piazzale Michelangelo. This is a huge panoramic terrace, from where you can admire the entire city in one shot. Remember that also the oold town of Florence has been declared a World Heritage Site from UNESCO.