Cinque Terre with Kids: Which Village, Which Transport and When It Is a Bad Idea

The Cinque Terre work with children if you pick one or two villages, keep the day short and start at Monterosso; they are a poor choice for a long day of stairs, crowds and heat with toddlers. The villages are small and scenic, but built on steep ground, and the things that make them beautiful are the things that tire children.

Start with Monterosso

Monterosso al Mare is the flattest village and the only one with a proper sandy beach, with sunbeds and umbrellas for hire. That makes it the natural base for a family day: children can play in the sand while you sit. The other four villages have rocky swimming spots only, so water shoes are worth packing.

“Easiest” is relative. Monterosso has stairs and cobbled lanes too, and a pushchair will not roll everywhere. Plan on a baby carrier for babies; we cannot promise access, so ask your accommodation about the exact route.

Stairs and the village to skip with small children

Corniglia is the one to skip if your children are young. The station is at the bottom, and the village is up a staircase of roughly 380 steps. A park bus also runs up, covered by the cards, but it is a detour with luggage or a pushchair. Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore have narrow lanes and steps, and the coastal path between them is not a pushchair walk. Which sections are open changes after landslides and in bad weather, so see hiking the Cinque Terre before planning a walk with children.

Trains: short hops, cards for families

The ride from La Spezia to Riomaggiore is listed at 8 minutes, and to Monterosso at about 20, so no leg is long. Trains get crowded in high season. Children’s rates and family cards exist; check the age bands on the park’s official card page, as the youngest children travel free when accompanied by an adult with a card. How the cards work is in Cinque Terre by train from La Spezia.

Boat trips with children

A short boat trip is often easier for children than a day of walking, because they sit still and the coast comes to them.

• The boat tour around the islands of Portovenere lasts 1.5 hours from €40, with 382 reviews and 4.8 stars, and includes a swim stop. It goes to Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, not to the five villages.
• The Portovenere and three islands boat trip takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours from €69 (438 reviews, 4.8 stars), with free time in Portovenere.
• For the villages from the sea, the Cinque Terre hybrid boat tour with a swimming stop leaves from Monterosso and lasts 3 hours from €119 (567 reviews, 4.7 stars). The listing says it is a small group.

The short listings do not settle the minimum age, life jackets for children or toilets on board. Each operator sets its own minimum age, and it is on the booking page; do not assume it. More on islands and sea caves in Portovenere and the three islands by boat.

How long children last

Nobody can give a number that fits every child. Work with what you know: young children tire quickly in heat and on stairs, a full 8-hour boat day is long for them, and a 1.5-hour trip is not. Put the hardest part, the stairs or the village hop, in the morning, and keep the afternoon free for the beach.

When it is a bad idea

• A packed Saturday in high season with a toddler and a pushchair.
• A day of hiking on paths that may be closed, with children who do not like walking.
• Seasickness-prone children. If seasickness worries you, talk to a pharmacist or paediatrician before the trip; we do not recommend any remedy.
• Hot afternoons. Bring water and a hat, and ask the operator about shade on board.

If the Cinque Terre feel like too much, the boat or beach day at Monterosso is the gentle version. For choosing between a boat and a train day see Cinque Terre by boat or train, and for the villages themselves which village to visit. All boat options are on our Cinque Terre boat tours page.