The Cinque Terre is one of Italy’s most scenic spots. It is here that five colorful, gorgeous towns precariously sit on the hills that tumble into the Mediterranean Sea. The popularity of the Cinque Terre has exploded in recent years, with photos of Riomaggiore and Vernazza plastering the internet.
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The Cinque Terre is one of our favorite spots in Italy. In fact, we preferred the Cinque Terre over the Amalfi Coast on our first visit to Italy. The Cinque Terre is just as scenic as the Amalfi Coast but it is much easier to get around, especially during the summer months, when so many tourists
flock to Italy.
For budget travelers, there is a way to visit Cinque Terre without spending a fortune, and we are going to tell you how.
The Cinque Terre for Budget Travelers
Stay in La Spezia
La Spezia is a small city that sits just to the south of the five towns of the Cinque Terre. Most travelers will arrive in La Spezia by train before catching a second train to one of the five towns.
Accommodations are significantly cheaper in La Spezia than in the Cinque Terre. Sure, it may not be as scenic or as romantic as staying in Manarola or Vernazza, but it does not take long to get to these towns by train. In fact, it takes only 9 minutes to get to Riomaggiore, the first of the five towns on the train route.
We stayed in Hotel Birillo, a small, budget hotel. It was decent, with small rooms, an interesting bathroom (you actually had to walk through the shower to get into the bathroom…LOL), but it was only a five minute walk to the train station.
Hike the Cinque Terre
Hiking is the cheapest way to get from town to town and you can’t beat these views.
It takes a full day to hike the entire length of the Cinque Terre but it is an awesome experience. One of the best parts of hiking here is making a pitstop in each town for a gelato break. Yum!
Please note, it is not unusual for a section (or two) of the hike to be closed because of rockslides. The main routes are relatively flat so they are not too strenuous. If the main route is closed, you can skip to the next town by train or hoof it up and over the mountains, taking an alternate hiking route. Climbing the hillsides is tiring and can be very hot during the summer months. But you will have these trails almost to yourself and you will be rewarded by stunning views of the coastline.
In order to hike the Cinque Terre, you will have to purchase either the “Cinque Terre Card” or the “Cinque Terre Card Treno.”
The Cinque Terre Card gives you access to all of the hiking paths and access lifts.
The Cinque Terre Treno Card adds train travel to the Cinque Terre Card. With the Treno Card, you get unlimited train travel between Levanto and La Spezia. In recent years this has gotten quite pricey so I recommend getting updated prices on the official website.
See Also: Hiking the Cinque Terre in Italy
Go to the Beach
This is the perfect way to cool off after a day of hiking. Monterosso al Mare has the largest beaches and the only beach with sand in the Cinque Terre. What’s even better is that it is free!!
The beaches in Monterosso are free, but there are private beaches as well. You will have to pay extra for an umbrella and beach chair, but it sure does look nice!
Each town has a “beach.” In Manarola, people lay their towels out on the hard concrete down by the water.
If you are traveling with kids, it’s worth spending your money on one of these paddle boats with a slide. I think Tyler and Kara’s favorite memory from Italy was our one hour rental with this super fun contraption.
Use the Train to Get Around
If you purchase the Cinque Terre Treno Card your train travel will be included for the one or two days you have this pass. These have gotten relatively pricey in recent years, costing €19.50 to €32.50 for a one day pass, depending on the season. You can see the full price list here.
If you elect not to purchase the Treno Card then you can purchase single tickets at €5 to 10 each (get updated pricing here).
The trains are run by Trenitalia. For more information on pricing and timetables, check out www.trenitalia.com.
Cheap Eats in the Cinque Terre
Buy your food at co-ops and grocery stores. The grocery stores and markets are stocked with fresh fruit, bread, chocolate, and snacks…the perfect food to fuel your journey through these five towns. Assemble a picnic lunch, grab a bench with a scenic view, and enjoy your meal.
Eat pizza and sandwiches. They are delicious, cheap, and you can find them everywhere.
Go to a focacceria. For just a few euros you can have warm focaccia bread. Yum! Add to your meal some fresh fruit or deli meat and you have a tasty, cheap meal.
Eat the gelato. In every town. Seriously.
Many restaurants can be expensive, but for those travelers on a budget, dining at a nice restaurant, eating seafood while overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, may be worth the splurge.
Have fun exploring the Cinque Terre!
Do you have any questions about visiting the Cinque Terre on a budget? Let us know in the comment section below!
More Information for Your Trip to Italy
CINQUE TERRE:Don’t miss our guide about how to hike the Cinque Terre.
PISA: Learn how to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa while traveling from Florence to the Cinque Terre.
AMALFI COAST: Pick out which towns you want to visit in our article about the best towns to visit on the Amalfi Coast. If you are active and adventurous, one of the best things to do on the Amalfi Coast is hike the Path of the Gods. We also have a 3-day Sorrento Itinerary, best things to do in Capri, and where to stay on the Amalfi Coast.
DOLOMITES: In our article Best Hikes in the Dolomites, we cover 15 epic trails in the Dolomites. Which ones do you want to do?
NORTHERN ITALY: Verona is a beautiful city to add to your Italy itinerary and we also have a detailed guides on Lake Garda and how to day trip to Lake Como and Bellagio. In our Northern Italy Itinerary, visit Venice, the Dolomites, Verona, Milan, and Lake Como.
We have TONS more information about Italy in our Italy Travel Guide, including Rome, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, the Dolomites, the Amalfi Coast, the Cinque Terre, and Puglia.
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Comments 32
Hi Julie,
Where is “La Lampara Ristorante Bar Pizzeria” located?
Author
It is in Riomaggiore. That photo was taken in 2014 and the street view of Google from 2018 still shows that it is there but I don’t know if the restaurant still is in operation as of 2024. Cheers, Julie
Thank you for your info! We’re planning a trip soon and would love to know which part of Cinque terre has the pedal boats with the slides? Do you reserve ahead of time?
Author
We did that in Monterosso and were able to rent one right from the beach. This was in 2014. But I doubt that there is a way you can reserve one in advance. Have a great time! Cheers, Julie
Hi Julie,
When you write about Budget trip, will it be possible for you to give us the idea of specific category of the budget/expenses so it can help us plan. It will be great if it has following things – When you traveled (the month/year), how long you stayed, How much money for food, transportation, lodging, etc was spent.
Thanks.
Author
Great suggestion! In this case, we visited the Cinque Terre in 2014, so our pricing will no longer be accurate. But we are planning a return visit later this year, so I could update the post with updated info. Cheers, Julie
I am planning a trip to Cinque Terre at the end of this June, and found the hotel prices there is not necessarily higher than that of La Spezia. In fact, I ended up booking a hotel in Manarola for 3-night stay, for $196, while the hotel you recommended (Hotel Birillo in La Spezia) cost over $400 in the same timeframe.
Hello. You’ve written the best travel blog! I truly appreciate your perspective. And so I was wondering, how feasible would it be to travel the Cinque Terre with a scooter? My daughter and I are scootering in Tuscany (using Sienna as a home base for 2 nights). It feels like it could be fun and more flexible.
Author
I suppose you could get around by scooter. I honestly don’t know what the roads are like in the Cinque Terre because we got around on foot and by train. You could use Google Maps to see what the roads are like that connect the towns. But I don’t have any advice on parking and how much time it would take to get from town to town. Another alternative is to drive to Riomaggiore and then use the train to get around from here. Have fun in Italy! Cheers, Julie
Nice post but … you know that you can stay in the heart of Cinque Terre for 50€ per night?
In halfway between Corniglia and Vernazza, in the highest spot of the Blue Path?
See here: http://www.theheartofcinqueterre.com