April 2016
Despite still having our rental car with us, we decided to take the train to Cinque Terre from Pisa Centrale in anticipation of parking problem at Riomaggiore. We drove to Pisa Centrale which is about 2½ km from Grand Hotel Bonanno and parked our car by the roadside parking lot close to the train station. Being Sunday, it was free of charge, so we do not require to purchase parking coupons nor worry about putting sufficient coins. During normal days you may want to consider parking at Pisa Centrale Parking or at SABA Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II Both are close to the train station.
Pisa Centrale Railway station. There are parking lots along the round-about but already full at 8 a.m.
Railway platforms at Pisa Central.
Online Trenitalia rail ticket. It has a 4 hour validity from the time stated.
Driving route from Grand Hotel Bonanno to Pisa Centrale train station.
Parking lots available near Pisa Centrale station. The red are private, the blue are public.
Train route from Pisa Centrale to Riomaggeore.
Our train arrived on time and the journey took less than 1½ hours. This is a regional train and it stops along the way till La Spezia Centrale, the other major station. It’s then a short 10 minutes ride to Riomaggiore. You’ll disembark and cross over to the other side. The side that you arrived from Pisa, leads to a cliff that drops into the Mediterranean sea.
Once on the other side, you’ll walk into a tunnel which leads to Riomaggiore town. The dwellings are built on hill slopes and quite an exercise walking around Riomaggiore.
Riomaggiore train stop.
Looking down the cliff from the platform you arrived from Pisa/La Spezia.
Cinque Terre information board.
sampaisudah.com at Cinque Terre information centre. Long haul double-decker train in background.
From the train stop, walk along this tunnel to Riomaggiore town.
Township of Riomaggiore.
The hill slope dwellings of Riomaggiore.
