Planning a Trip to Cinque Terre?

Italy has too many beauty spots to choose from, but if you like quaint villages and stunning sea views then the Cinque Terre is a must visit place. Read on for tips on visiting Italy’s Cinque Terre.

Which village should I stay in?

I can only speak from my experience, but having spoken to other people while I was there, I’m pretty confident I made the right decision when I chose to use Monterosso as my base. Monterosso is probably the most happening of the five villages and has the biggest beach – which is stunning! It’s also super easy to get around, it’s so small you can get everywhere on foot.

How do I get there?

I flew to Pisa for a wedding in Tuscany, then got the train from Pisa. My flights cost £65 form London and then the trains were only about £30 return for a first class ticket. I urge you to get the trains in Italy – if you’re British the cleanliness, punctuality and cost will be a highlight of your trip. Seriously, how the f**k are trains in the UK soooo expensive?

What are the other villages like?

Kind of samey to be honest. But worth visiting. You can get a hop-on-hop-off ferry which is around £30 for the day (but well worth the cost) which allows you to visit ant village you want. plus the view from the boat is amazing and it’s just fun zipping around on the ocean.

We stopped at Portovenere which is a bit more glam than Monterosso and great for souvenir shopping. There are some really cool cafes and restaurants there.

We also got off the boat at Manorola as I saw people cliff jumping there and wanted to get in on the action. this was definitely a highlight of the trip. There’s a kind of natural swimming pool there, surrounded by rocks and it just looks so cool. Like something out of Game of Thrones. And yes, I did jump off a cliff, and yes I did almost crap my pants. But it was exhilarating.

What should I eat?

The pasta in Cinque Terre didn’t blow my mind, I’ll be honest with you, but boy oh boy they know how to make a pizza. The wine on offer is quite limited, they have the regional wine which is quite dry so if you’re not into that then just drink more to forget about the taste. I also loved the Lambrusco there – that is a drink made by the Gods. Flipping delicious. Obviously you must try all the gelato flavours you can too. If you’re vegan then I suggest not visiting as I ate my own bodyweight in cured meats each day. The Italians apparently eat cake for breakfast too, so be prepared for some holiday weight gain.

Any final tips?

If you’re looking for a party, you won’t find it on the Cinque Terre. It’s a very relaxed sleepy place, which was great for me as I wanted to relax, read and rejuvenate. It’s not the cheapest place, but, then again, there’s only so long you’d want to stay here as it really is tiny. Seriously though, this place is so stunning that you just need to visit.