This is my full practical travel guide to visiting Cinque Terre with kids! The two getaway towns to Cinque Terre are Levanto on one side and La Spezia and the whole area is very well served by frequent regional trains. By far the best way to reach and discover Cinque Terre with kids is traveling by train. Contact | Privacy Policy | Disclosure |Terms of Use. These are the Cinque Terre Hiking paths at a glance: The most family friendly path in Cinque Terre is the one between Riomaggiore and Manarola. Just check the train time to Monterosso and ensure not to miss the connections with the boat later on. On this site, you will find Italy travel ideas, inspiration, guides and tips that I hope will help you plan a wonderful stay in my wonderful, complex, magical country. The town has all the charms of the typical Cinque Terre town, including colorful houses, gelato, boats and it also has a lovely playground for children, with amazing views! The worse time to visit Cinque Terre is the autumn and the winter. 26 Amazing Photos through Otrantos Old Town, Lecce 11 Amazing family friendly activities not to be missed, FLORENCE :: Best way to visit Florence in a day with kids, PISA :: Visit Pisa Piazza dei Miracoli in half a day with kids, Italy travel tips for first time visitors, How to choose the Best Maldivian Resort Island For YOU, Why Reethi Faru Resort was our Perfect Island in the Maldives, Visit Iceland in October Weather, Tips and Q&A. Why is Cinque Terre Unesco world heritage site? Great tips and inspires to travel with kids, most often a plan gets changed considering comfort for kids. We always try to make sure that the whole family is happy. You can find here >>> my complete guide to Monterosso with kids. Packing for Cinque Terre is no different than packing for the rest of Italy so I recommend you find our all season packing list for families with kids here.
Enjoy the sunset and have dinner Now this is possible but you would have to skip Portovenere and schedule it in for the next day. While I do understand that it can make sense if you dont want to change hotel each night, I believe a day trip Florence to Cinque Terre is too long and too tiring. Now, I hope you packed your swimming costumes. The town is narrow and full of steps so I recommend it with older children only: if you have small ones, you can still enjoy its pretty harbor and Main Street however, I feel other towns will leave you more scope to play and rest. Safe travel planning! Cinque Terre is famous for the hiking path connecting one town to the other and if you have outdoorsy kids and some of these paths are kid friendly. 
Portovenere However, if this is not possible during your travel arrangements here is how you can visit the Cinque Terre with kids in one day and most importantly stress-free. Our suggestion is to cruise all the way to La Spezia which costs about 35 Euro. A hike in the Cinque Terre with kids you will certainly remember for years to come. While it is totally possible to have a nice family stay in the Cinque Terre, there is not doubt that the nature of the terrain poses some challenges if you are visiting with babies or toddlers in particular. Ok you are not going to keep them entertained with this for very long, but with small kids, it works! They have up to date information about hiking opportunities, train timetables and they are equipped with toilets always good to know! Just for info if you visit during off season the beach has no umbrellas nor sunbeds, perfect to enjoy the nature without any colourful obstacles in the way. However, Corniglia is not the most baby friendly town in the area and I recommend it more as a destination for a day hike more than a base to visit Cinque Terre. Riomaggiore is another lovely stops for families that mixes the charms of colorful homes and pretty harbors with the fun of a small yet beautifully located playground. The hike from Monterosso to Vernazza sounds really interesting, not heard of this one before. HI, Some villages you cannot enter anyway by cars, but definitely not a car destination. The agencys excellent English language website http://www.cinqueterreriviera.com/ gives you the option of searching for family properties from the search by theme drop down menu. Indeed, visiting Cinque Terre with kids can be tricky! There are 3 main ways to reach Cinque Terre, some more suitable for families with kids than others. A classics graduate, teacher of Italian as a second language and family travel blogger, Marta launched Mama Loves Italy as a way to inspire, support and help curious visitors to make the most of a trip to Italy and learn about Italian culture on the way. The best way to go sightseeing in this area is to take your time and wander around the meandering streets of each of the Cinque Terre towns.
I also recommend you choose carefully the Cinque Terre town to call home and some are much more toddler friendly than others: find below my best tips! Start your trip in La Spezia, which by the way is also a nice place to discover before or after your magical stress-free excursion. The 5 villages of Cinque Terre may all seem similar when you look at photos in the area but they all have distinctive traits that make them worth an individual stop. La Posada, Via Alla Stazione 11, Vernazza The flattest part of Footpath No. The rewards of this less traveled interior hike (approximately three hours in length) are fewer crowds, and stunning views of the sea as you wander the terraced hillsides planted in grapevines and olive trees. Check with the local info point for updated information.
Manarola would be your Cinque Terre village for this. The very best to enjoy these romantic Italian villages is for sure to find an accommodation within the five villages of the Cinque Terre. The main issue you have in Liguria in general and in Cinque Terre in particular is parking. My name is Marta Correale, I am the travel-loving Italian Mama behind this Mama Loves Italy Blog. Dear Sarah, Thanks for commenting. Please note that even when easy, these are hikes so you should only approach them with suitable shoes and with a baby carrier rather than a stroller. Such as informative guide! http://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it/htm/eng/index.php, From mid June to mid September, the Golfo Paradiso runs from Genoa and Camogli to Monterossa al mare and Vernazza. It is hard to play favorites when it comes to Cinque Terre towns but Vernazza is one of the most scenic of all an unmissable stop when visiting the area. We look forward to your mail! Hi, And this is why it says on the post, visit by boat . Walk along the path (sea on your right) to bring you to the 2ndbay and the less crowded one. This is a safety measure and rules are getting strict: make sure you are well equipped to avoid fines, Insect repellent and after-bite (for mosquitoes) in summer. I had heard the towns and villages are a nightmare for cars so had wondered how we could do it without stressing ourselves out. Trains run past midnight so you can make the most out of your one day in Cinque Terre. Get in TouchQuestions, suggestions, criticism or ideas? Cinque Terre are 5 villages in the southernmost part of Liguria, close to the regional border with Tuscany. And if you are in Italy for longer then do check out these Best Places to visit in Italy. You will thank me for it. There is a lovely gelato shop right at the harbor! The best part has to be when you approach Vernazza and the 1stview down to the harbour. I add this option for completeness but to be honest, visiting Cinque Terre by kids, may it be with kids or without, is not a good idea. Why not? One path is through the tunnel and the other recommended one will lead you on a beautiful short path over a small hill, offering stunning views and a bit of a medieval feeling. The ferries are timed to allow you to see all coastal Cinque Terre towns in a day: it is possible to buy a day pass, which is handy. Stay tuned for the ItaliaKids app to access all of our essential family information from any device. I love it when traditions like these are kept not only for the tourists but also for the few locals that are calling Vernazza their home. UNESCO included in its list Cinque Terre proper but also other areas nearby such as Portovenere, whichwas an important commercial and cultural centre dating back to the Roman period and the three islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. The official tourism board actually urges travelers and visitors not to visit the Italian Riviera Coastline during peak summer times, as they cannot cope anymore. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The area of the famous Cinque Terre spans over 15 km only and this means it can be visited in one day. Liguria has some of the most delicious foods in the whole of Italy and Cinque Terre are full of restaurants and family friendly eats. You can get the Cinque Terre Pass, which gives you access to trains and hikes: find all the info here. Meet the cats: small kids wont be able to resist the many cats that roam this area. While I highly recommend you explore in our own time and peek into each church, some attractions are especially worth seeking out. At the time of writing, there is no playground in Vernazza. You can get train tickets on the day at any train station and they are valid on any of the regional trains, giving you maximum flexibility in terms of when to get on and off. ", "I love the Roma Estate Festival along the Tiber river in the summer. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Already when the boat turns the corner and enters in to the harbour area you are in awe. Share it or pin it for later! The towns are all connected by the local train service that connects each of them in a matter of minute. in the center of Riomaggiore. Our full family guide to visiting Cinque Terre with kids: practical tips on the best family friendly towns and hotels in Cinque Terre, transport options and family friendly hiking opportunities. The downsides about visiting at this time are the crowds, especially if coming during Easter holidays, and the fact that it is too cold to swim (kids may be disappointed if this is what they expect). Families do need to plan carefully to experience kid friendly Cinque Terre as the terrain is varied. Where to stay if budget of logistics make them out of the question, I highly recommend you also look at making your base in one of the localities nearby such as Porto Venere or Levanto. Excellent guide! Complete your details below to sign up for our newsletter. Over the years this place has been visited by thousands and thousands of people and during peak times it is literally swamped by tourists coming from far and near. October and November are rainy, hiking paths are closed and temperatures tend to be rigid. If you have a stroller and you cannot leave it home for the day, you can still enjoy a lovely morning at the small port, watch the boats and have gelato. Though it probably would have ruined me. 
A good changing bag for baby with portable changing mat, A portable baby bed if not provided by the hotel. Head up the hill from the ancient city gate through the narrow medieval streets lined with shops to the Doria castle and the picturesque church of San Pietro which is situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the sea. ", "Biking on the city walls in Lucca, Tuscany was the best. Its interesting that its good for kids, too, since the beaches are not sosandy and there are all these steep hills. The view is breathtaking. Loved this post? But the path is amazing and offers beautiful views. 2 or the Blue Trail, is a 13 km (8 mile) path that winds through all five villages and can be completed in about five hours. The hotel offers a range of triple and suite rooms for families, as well as adjoining doubles. You do not see much of the villages from this journey, but in the sections between you will see the azure blue of the Ligurian Sea shimmering through. The best time to visit Cinque Terre for sea and sun fun with kids is the summer (June August). I believe that this Cinque Terre one day trip itinerary with or without kids was stress free and that you could all enjoy the beauty that Cinque Terre has to offer without getting frustrated at the thousands of tourists stressing through the villages. Hit the trails find a list of family friendly trails in Cinque Terre below, Play in a scenic playground playgrounds here are small but usually in very pretty position with stunning views, great for kids and their parents, Go boating several companies offer day excursions to see Cinque Terre from the sea or kayaking tours, Go to the beach in Monterosso, you have space to relax and play on the sand, Eat! There [], "Minori, Amalfi Coast is my favorite place for the beach in Italy. As you carry on walking the path splits. If you are interested in hiking, you need at least 2 days in the area to fully enjoy it, 3 days being the perfect length. There is affordable off-street parking around the station just drive around until you find a place. We hope to do this with our boys some day so well definitely come back to this guide! Well I always feel that some things have to give when travelling with kids but not everything. For a shorter, more kid-friendly experience, take advantage of the ferries that run between the villages, or take the advice of our kids and hike the trail that is just right.. We strongly recommend that whichever restaurant you choose, to book in advance to ensure a table. During peak season this beach has sun-umbrellas and sunbeds. Motivated by the jokes my husband and kids were making about the graffiti inscribed concrete tunnel along via dellAmore (Path of Love), I decided we would try a more ambitious hike the next time. Cinque Terre are easy to visit with kids once they are out of a stroller and enjoy a walk but can be a challenging place to visit with a toddler. The hike offers breathtaking views along the Italian Riviera coastline whilst the vegetation mixes olive trees with vineyards. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Although this is an easy walk with kids of all ages, it is also the least attractive part of the trail, and we would have been very disappointed with the Cinque Terre if that was all we saw. Vernazza is gorgeous and a must see but it hasnt god much for families as such: the best thing to do here is to watch the boats and have a snack, while the adults take an endless number of photos! As this is your Cinque Terre one day trip, and probably you travel Italy with kids, then make the compromise of skipping the other two Cinque Terre villages, enjoy the Italian Riviera coastline on the boat ride and get off again in Porto Venere. Unlike Monterosso however, it doesnt have a large sandy beach so it is less suited for days at the beach than for a day sightseeing. Here are some more Italy travel tips for first time visitors. Best Cinque Terre towns for families and practical travel tips for visiting Cinque Terre with a baby, toddler or school age kids. First and foremost, the towns have gorgeous bright colors. Give them a camera so they can have a kitty-photo scavenger hunt, it will make sightseeing so much easier! Portovenere has so much to offer that it is well worth to spend the night here or if not definitely to pencil it in for a longer visit on your next trip to Italy and the Cinque Terre with kids. Sporty families with older kids may enjoy seeing Cinque Terre from the sea with a kayaking experience. There is also a play area for the kids with much needed shade. View disclosure. You can find our cookie and privacy policy here. Compared with other towns on the coast, you may find Monterosso less charming (if I was to biggest a romantic weekend I would probably go Vernazza or Manarola) but for young kids, this is my first choice. Just before the path is taking you over the hill you will see the inviting beach with the famous Monterosso Rock. Fortified by the good local fare, we hiked along a trail that delighted us with little bridges over streams, olive groves interspersed with low stone walls, and views of the cliffs with the sea beyond. Dont worry as if you follow the way we visited the Cinque Terre with kids in one day then you will soon lose most of the crowds. Read our full guide about traveling Italy by train here. Like the rest of the path above, it is currently closed: check with local info points for updates. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I love that you managed an itinerary that went against the grain of the crowds so things got less crowded as your day went on. This is also a very busy time for tourism and prices are at a premium. The five charming villages clinging to the cliffs that give the region its name (Cinque Terre means five lands) were built around the 11th century and for centuries were accessible only by boat or by footpath. Genoa with Kids, Liguria with Kids 1 Comment Tags: Cinque Terre, Liguria, Fairy tales inspire when hiking in the Cinque Terre with kids, While traveling in Italy this spring, our familys destination for an active, outdoor vacation was a dramatic stretch of Italys Ligurian coast known as the Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is very well equipped with tourist information points, located in the towns train stations. Already just writing this makes me want to return. Because of the short distances between the towns and the good train connections, you can easily see all of the Cinque Terre towns in one day. In summer, this can be a wonderful activity to do with teens in the area: you can check prices and details here. Unfortunately, this path was subject to a landslide and large parts of it are currently closed. If you are in this area, consider stretching beyond Cinque terra and discoer more of Liguria, there is so much to do here for families! Pizzeria da Ercole, Via Visconti 34 Too Easy: Between Riomaggiore and Manarola Note that for all hiking you need a hiking permit which you can buy at the beginning of the path. Hop back on the boat to La Spezia to finish your journey. Cinque Terre is one of the most beautiful places Ive ever been to. Each ticket is valid for 75 minutes so if you are planning on taking several trains in one day you may want to consider the Cinque Terre card instead. The passes come with a map which gives the elevation and duration of each hike. Nice! Hi Elizabeth, thank you for your comments. This position means that the town offers stunning views over the Ligurian Coast and also that is see a tiny less tourism than its seaside counterparts. The vibe of Rimaggiore is younger and I felt, out of all to them, this was maybe the town with the least family friendly vibe and more of a young student style/. Italys west coast is just so beautiful. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. A good carrier -if planning on hiking with baby, opt for a good structures hiking one, Sun hat and sun screen for baby in spring / summer, Beach gear including water shoes for toddlers. There are two ferry lines along the Cinque Terre Coast. Articles on this website may contain affiliate links and, should you make a purchase through them, we might make a small commission at no extra cost to you. It is perched inland and if you want to get from it to the sea, you need to go down (and then back up) 400 steps! You dont need a special packing list for Cinque Terre but some items come exceptionally handy here: I hope you found this guide to visiting Cinque Terre with kids useful and it made planning a family trip here a little easier. In terms of food, make sure your kids taste real pesto and have a munch over the local cheese focaccia (warning: they will never want to eat any other focaccia ever again!) Cinque Terre famous for beautiful scenery more than actual things to do and the best things to do here as a family are a mix of sightseeing, hiking and of course eating! Famous for colorful houses hanging from vertical cliffs plunging into the ocean, they are at the top of the Italy bucket list of many visitors however, they are not the easiest place to visit if you have very young kids! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi, my name is Corina, a mum of twins, a wife and founder of Packed Again a Swiss Family Travel & Adventure Blog. Over the weekend and in the morning, you should have no problem at all to find a place. Hi, Thank you for your comment and reading our post. Too Hard? For sure you have seen the photos all over the internet when searching for the Italian Riviera Coastline, but you might not be quite sure where this beautiful place actually is. Use our Italy Trip Planning Tool to create an account for your own personal Italy family travel inspiration. These might have to be planned well in advanced especially if you do visit during Peak Season. Listed from left to right when looking at the National Park from the sea. The distance between the cities is tiny and it only takes 3 to 5 minutes to hop from one to the other by train. All you need to know to visit Cinque Terre with kids in tow. http://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it/htm/eng/index.php, Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Traveling to Venice with Kids, Italy Family Trip to Venice, Florence, Rome and Amalfi Coast, Letters to Juliet: Italy Family Trip Report. Corniglia is the only town out of the five not to be on the sea. Questions, suggestions, criticism or ideas? Whether you are planning your 1sttrip to Italy with kids or whether you have already visited Italy many times, I believe the romantic, colourful and breathtaking Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera coastline has to be seen at least once. Like the others towns, it has steps so it is more suited to older kids and sightseeing with a baby carrier than for children in strollers.
Cinque Terre towns are wonderful but very popular and, as we have seen, not always super child friendly. The Blog will give you lots of information on Swiss Adventures & Beyond. Price is 20 euros (22 euros holidays and in August) roundtrip for adults, 12 euros for children ages six to eleven. Our kids were too young when we visited to stay out for a sunset and dinner activity but we have done it pre-kids. Here you have a good selection of hotels and guesthouses, some of the best rated among families are: Hotel La Colonnina, Monterosso al Mare, offering lovely family rooms in a wonderful, handy location, MaDa Charm apartment in Vernazza, in one of the most sough after locations in the whole of the town, Hotel Marina Piccola in Manarola, offering family rooms in an easy to reach location with wonderful views. This is one of the best and newest in the area and is likely to stay as a highlight for children: this is the type of place that shows Cinque Terre are for kids after all! Need to know: the conditions of the path change year after year and season after season so it is necessary to always check at the local info points (there is one in each train station) which ones are open at the time of your visit. I dont have kids yet but I often travel with my nieces and nephews so this will be handy in the future! Ristorante Le Bocche Calata Doria 102, Corniglia Kids under 6 go free, which is a definite plus! Marta Correale is an Italian mama of two. How to get to Cinque Terre with kids: easiest access, Cinque Terre with kids in one day: how much can you see, Cinque Terre towns: what to expect in each town, The best place to stay in Cinque Terre with kids, Best places to stay near Cinque Terre for families, Cinque Terre info points: where to get updated info, Tips for visiting Cinque Terre with toddlers, family guide to visiting Manarola with kids, How many days in Cinque Terre? The beauty of the area alone is a good reason to visit this area at any age and while the practical aspects of the terrain may seem to make this area children-unfriendly, it is all but. There are some steep steps involved and if it is a hot day you need to ensure to take plenty of water. It is outdoors where we feel the most connected and happy with each other. Cinque Terre own their notoriety to two main factors: the beauty of their landscape and the peculiar way in which their inhabitants built villages and agricultural lands in the area, adapting to the challenges of the terrain. This however doesnt mean it is not possible to enjoy Vernazza with kids. Your best day in Italy might soon be at an end but never the less you still have the bonus visit of this itinerary Cinque Terre one day visit with kids before you. Author Alexandra Regan is a librarian and travel writer who currently lives in France. Several small shops are offering souvenirs, postcards and real Italian coffee. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The path is easy but not stroller friendly as it has steps.
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