Cinque Terre, Portovenere & Lerici - Italy, 3 days

Our travel to the Italian Riviera started from Pisa. We booked a room in La Spezia, because it is close to Cinque Terre and the prices are lower.
Landing in Pisa is the best way to get to Cinque Terre. You can take a train from the airport, called Pisa Mover (2.7 €) and arrive to Pisa Central Station in 5 minutes. From here, you can take another train to La Spezia (1h15 min, 7-11 €).
Book a room in La Spezia at least 1 month before, to be sure you find the best places and prices.

See our video here: https://www.youtube.com/

Our itinerary

1st Day – Cinque Terre

From La Spezia there is a ferry which takes you to Cinque Terre. Only 4 of the 5 villages have a port: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso (35 € for the best ticket). The ferry stops in these 4 little towns and you can enjoy them for how long you want. They’ll give you the schedule so you know when to take the next ferry to get to the next village. The first ferry leaves at 9.15 am from La Spezia, so be in the port at 8.30 am because it usually gets crowded.
On the way back from Cinque Terre, you can stop in Portovenere, but it is best to visit it the second day, to enjoy all the beautiful sights.

2nd Day – Portovenere

Keep in mind that Portovenere does not have a train station so take the bus (2.5 €) / ferry (8 € ) to Portovenere.
We took the bus to get there, but it was very crowded and there were many serpentines. On the way back we chose the ferry, because it was more relaxing.
In Portovenere you can visit Castello Doria, with its beautiful sights over the sea and village. In fact, the most part of the village is surrounded by the wall of the old fortress. There is no entry fee for the castle.

3rd Day – Lerici

Lerici is a very beautiful city, which is not so touristy. You can get there by bus, from La Spezia (30-40 minutes, 2.5 €).
There are ferries leaving from Lerici to Cinque Terre/ Portovenere, too.
Here you can visit Lerici Castle, relax on the beach and swim.

Advices: if you travel in late spring, summer and early autumn always pack your swimming suit & sunscreen (especially for the ferry trip).