Fancy yachts, gelato, pasta, cappuccinos. Is that what you think of when you think of the Italian Riviera?
What about lots of hills and rocky beaches??
What is the italian riviera
The Italian Riviera is the region of Italy in between the South of France and Tuscany along the Ligurian Sea. The towns along the coast are known for their colorful houses and cliff sides. Perhaps you’ve heard of Cinque Terre??
Getting to the Italian Riviera
Since the Italian Riviera is really a region, first you’ll need to decide what you want to do and how long you want to stay (or do you want to go for the day?).
Personally we recommend trying to stay for at least one night since there is a lot do and could make for a very exhausting day trip.
You can get to the Italian Riviera a number of ways including by car, boat or train.
If you’re traveling by car remember to obtain an International Driving Permit which you can get from AAA before leaving the states. The roads in this region are not too bad but the towns of Cinque Terre do get busy so keep that in mind for driving. The smaller the car tends to be better so you can fit into tiny spots!
Boat travel here between the larger towns is possible, with regular ferries running seasonally. You can check out ferry schedules here.
The last option and typically fastest option is to reach this area by train. This is also the way to go if you’re doing a day trip! The regional Italian trains will stop in Genova, La Spezia, Rapallo and Santa Margherita. From La Spezia you can access the regional Cinque Terre train to reach the towns of Cinque Terre. Visit this site for train information.
We recommend buying round trip tickets for the Cinque Terre regional train!
What to do
The Italian Riviera is beautiful, you could easily stay in one town right across the French border eating Italian food and drinking an aperol spritz on a rocky beach while not moving!
If you’re driving along the coast there are plenty of places to stop like Villa Grock, Spiaggia del Malpasso, Genoa, Portofino and of course Cinque Terre.
If you make it to the Italian Riviera definitely try to visit at least one of the towns of Cinque Terre!
In Cinque Terre you can enjoy the beaches, shop and walk around the towns or hike between the towns. Since we were pressed for time we only managed to hike from Monterosso to Vernazza then continue to the other towns by train. This site does a great job of breaking down the different hiking options. Tip: wear sneakers on this hike! Or at a minimum shoes with a back. You cannot hike the Cinque Terre trails with sandals/flip flops with no back, no matter how good the traction is. You will be turned away!
Another popular attraction in the Italian Riviera is visiting Portofino. This is where you may spot celebrities coming in on their fancy yacht! This is a great place to have a drink by the water and people watch. You never know who you’ll see!
The best things to do in Portofino is to arrive by boat, the best view of the colorful town this way, go shopping, and of course people watch. I wouldn’t recommend staying here as it can be quite overpriced but it’s definitely worth a visit!
Where to stay
If you have the time, spending a night or two in this region is the way to go, so you can enjoy some of the touristy sites earlier in the day before the tourists arrive.
Staying in one of the towns of Cinque Terre can be expensive as well as staying in Portofino.
We recommend staying in Rapallo to be more central and easily accessible via train. From the Rapallo train station you can reach Monterosso al Mare in 44 mins. From the Rapallo harbor you can easily take a ferry to Portofino or a private boat transfer to another small fishing town. There are much more affordable airbnb/hotel options staying in or near Rapallo that allow you to still be centrally located and access the popular touristy sites.
