Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre is Your Postcard Perfect Place in Italy

Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre is your postcard-perfect place in Italy. Cinque Terre is a protected national park which comprises of cinque (five) terre (villages). Riomaggiore is the first train stop if you start from La Spezia where most people stay. The other four villages are Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso.

Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre is Your Postcard Perfect Place in Italy.

Where to stay in Cinque Terre

It is expensive to stay in any of the five villages mentioned above. And there are also very few choices. It’s even hard to find affordable accommodation within your backpacking budget. So, I decided to stay at La Spezia, the nearest town where the five villages are under its care. Also, La Spezia’s Train Station is well-connected to many parts of Italy. I stayed at the Grand Hostel Manin which I booked via Booking.com. You can also find other accommodations from HostelWorld, and Expedia.

Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre is Your Postcard Perfect Place in Italy.

How to get to the five villages in Cinque Terre

There’s a special train that goes to these five villages in Cinque Terre. It’s pretty much almost 24 hours – so don’t worry about it. However, you need to have a copy of the train timetable so you’d be aware. You can get it from your hostel or at the Train Station’s Tourist Information Office. From La Spezia to the last village takes less than an hour. It comes in every 20 minutes or less. No need to book in advance.

Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre is Your Postcard Perfect Place in Italy.

Hiking Tips

Buy a Day Train Pass to visit all the Cinque Terre Villages. It would cost you 16 Euros. Individual ticket to each village (one way) costs 4 Euros.
If you’re planning to hike, ride the train all the way to Monterosso and start from there. That would be 4Euros only. End your hike at Riomaggiore. Do check with the Tourist Office about the hiking trails. At the moment, the trails from Manarola to Riomaggiore is closed. The others are open. When you end at Riomaggiore, take the train back to La Spezia. The whole hike, depends on your pace, is about 6-8 hours.
You can also start hiking from Riomaggiore to Monterosso but I won’t recommend it. The view in Riomaggiore at the end of the day is more stunning than the one in Monterosso.