Cinque Terre
5 reasons not to do a full day tour at Cinque Terre. If you are looking to see the 5 picturesque seaside towns that make up Cinque Terre in Italy, but don’t want to spend hours in each one then don’t do a full day tour from Florence. Why? 1: to see the postcard photo featured in photo 1 you only need to go to Manarola. 2: the towns are small and crowded when the tour busses are there. This is you as you are on the tour bus. 3: the towns are all very similar. You don’t need to visit them all to experience a Cinque Terre. 4: there isn’t much to do in the towns unless you want to hire a sun lounger at Monterosso (€18). 5: to get the view you need to see the towns from a distance which is really only possible from a boat or Manarola. Other tips: – The bus ride from Florence takes 2 hours. – There are no toilets unless you pay to go at the train stations or eat at a cafe that has a toilet. Alternate: – Make your own way to Manarola from Florence via train. It will take a couple of train changes and take a little longer but may be worth it if you don’t want to be constrained by the organised tour schedule. Or hire a car for the day. It’s an easy drive and you can leave your car at Manarola and use the train to move between the towns easily once you’re there.