Quick answer
Take a direct InterCity from Milano Centrale to Monterosso, the first of the five villages: 7 trains a day, about 3 hours, from €13.90 when booked a few weeks ahead. From Monterosso, local trains run to Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore in a few minutes each. A day trip works only with the 6:10am train out and the 6:55pm train back.
Train times, fares, Cinque Terre Card and Via dell’Amore prices were checked on 5 October 2026. InterCity fares change with the date, so read them as a guide.
How to get from Milan to Cinque Terre
The train is the practical way. There is no station called “Cinque Terre”: the five villages (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore) sit on a local line between Levanto in the north and La Spezia in the south. From Milano Centrale, direct InterCity trains stop at three places on that line.
Milano Centrale, where every direct train to the Cinque Terre starts.
| Get off at | Direct trains a day | Journey time | Fare, 5 weeks ahead | Then |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterosso | 7 InterCity | 2h52 to 3h00 | €13.90 to €20.90 | You are in the first village |
| Levanto | 7 InterCity | 2h47 to 2h54 | €12.90 to €19.90 | Local train to Monterosso |
| La Spezia Centrale | 8 InterCity + 1 FrecciaBianca | 3h04 to 3h17 | €9.90 to €21.90 | 8 minutes to Riomaggiore by local train |
Figures are for Tuesday 10 November 2026. For most visitors, Monterosso is the simplest choice, because you step off the train in a village. La Spezia makes sense if you want to start at the southern end with Riomaggiore and the Via dell’Amore, or if you are sleeping there.
Trains with one to three changes (in Genoa, Parma, Sestri Levante or La Spezia) take 3.5 to more than 5 hours and cost no less, at €19.60 to €28.40 to Monterosso. Take a direct train when you can.
Milan to Cinque Terre train times and fares
These are the direct InterCity trains from Milano Centrale to Monterosso on Tuesday 10 November 2026. Other dates in autumn 2026 had the same seven departures.
| Leaves Milano Centrale | Arrives Monterosso | Fare (5 weeks ahead) |
|---|---|---|
| 6:10am | 9:05am | €18.90 |
| 8:05am | 11:05am | €18.90 |
| 12:10pm | 3:05pm | €20.90 |
| 2:05pm | 5:05pm | €20.90 |
| 4:05pm | 7:05pm | €20.90 |
| 6:05pm | 9:05pm | €20.90 |
| 9:10pm | 12:02am | €13.90 |
Book ahead. For the next day (6 October), all seven trains cost €28.50. Five days ahead (Saturday 10 October), the 6:10am cost €23.90 and the later ones €28.50. InterCity tickets are for a set train, so you cannot hop on an earlier one.
Coming back, the direct trains leave Monterosso at 5:14am, 6:54am, 10:33am, 12:55pm, 2:55pm, 4:55pm and 6:55pm, which is the last one (it reaches Milano Centrale at 10pm). From La Spezia Centrale, the last direct InterCity leaves at 6:38pm, and a FrecciaBianca at 5:46pm takes 2 hours 57 for €11.90.
From mid-December 2026 the timetable shifts by a minute (the first train leaves at 6:09am). On 5 October 2026, tickets for spring 2027 were not on sale yet, so look again on trenitalia.com closer to your dates.
You can book on Trenitalia’s own site, or compare dates on Trainline’s Milan to Monterosso page, which also has a Milan to La Spezia page. Our Milano Centrale guide explains the ticket gates and how to find your platform.
In summer: the Treno del Mare from Porta Garibaldi
On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from late March to late September, there is one more direct option, and it is my own pick for a day by the sea. Trenord’s Treno del Mare (sea train) runs from Milano Porta Garibaldi along the Riviera di Levante to La Spezia, with stops at Levanto and Monterosso. In the March 2026 timetable it left Porta Garibaldi at 8:14am and reached La Spezia at 12:53pm, and the return left La Spezia at 4:45pm. It is a regional train with no seat reservation, so it is slower than the InterCity but you can buy the ticket on the day. The 2026 season ended on 28 September; our day trips from Milan guide lists all its stops.
Getting between the villages: the Cinque Terre Express
Regional trains run up and down the coast between Levanto and La Spezia and stop in all five villages. People call them the Cinque Terre Express; Trenitalia just calls them regional trains. Monterosso to Riomaggiore, the full length of the five villages, takes 14 to 17 minutes.
Manarola, one stop north of Riomaggiore on the local train.
From 14 March to 1 November 2026, these trains need a special Cinque Terre fare. The price depends on the day’s demand band, set on a calendar published by Trenitalia.
| Single ride between villages | Band A (low) | Band B (medium) | Band C (high) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | €5.00 | €8.00 | €10.00 |
| Child, 4 to 11 | €2.50 | €4.00 | €5.00 |
- After 7:30pm, every ride costs the band A price.
- A single ticket is good for one ride with no stops on the way, within 75 minutes of validation. Validate a paper ticket in the machine before you board.
- If you arrive from outside the park (from Genoa, for example) on a regional ticket, you pay a supplement of €3, €5 or €6.
On a Wednesday in October 2026, two or three trains an hour ran from Monterosso to Riomaggiore between mid-morning and evening, from 5:05am to 11:33pm. On a Tuesday in November, after the Cinque Terre fare period, there was roughly one train an hour and a ride cost €2.70.
Cinque Terre Card: prices and whether you need it
The National Park sells two day cards. Both carry your name, are valid until midnight on the date you choose, and cost more on busier days.
| Card | What it covers | Adult, 1 day (low day) | Adult, 1 day (medium day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinque Terre Train Card | Unlimited 2nd-class regional trains Levanto to La Spezia, plus everything in the Trekking Card | €22.00 | €29.50 |
| Cinque Terre Trekking Card | Paid trails (including the Via dell’Amore), park buses in the villages, station toilets, park Wi-Fi | €10.00 | Varies by day |
Prices are for Monday 12 October (low) and Saturday 10 October 2026 (medium); high-demand days cost more, so check the price for your date on the park’s shop. Two-day and three-day cards, child, over-70 and family versions also exist.
Do the math before you buy. On a low day, a single train ride is €5 and the Train Card €22, so the card pays off from about five rides. On a medium day it is €8 against €29.50. The card also covers the Blue TrailMap (Sentiero Verde Azzurro), the coastal path linking Monterosso, Vernazza and Corniglia, which requires a card. The park warns that trails can be limited for weather, maintenance or crowds. After 1 November the regular €2.70 fare applies, and the card is unlikely to pay off on trains alone.
You can buy the card on card.parconazionale5terre.it, at park info points, or from Trenitalia as the “Cinque Terre Treno MS Card”. Trenitalia sells it at the Milano Centrale ticket office and self-service machines, so you can sort it out before you leave Milan. Bring ID, because inspectors check the name.
Is the Via dell’Amore open in 2026?
Yes. The Via dell'AmoreMap, a 900-metre path cut into the cliff between Riomaggiore and Manarola, reopened in full on 27 July 2024 after being closed for 12 years. A rockfall closed it again for a while in late October 2024. In 2026 it is open every day.
- Book a 30-minute time slot. The park allows up to 200 people every 30 minutes.
- One way only: you enter at Riomaggiore (to the left as you leave the station) and exit at Manarola.
- Tickets start at €10 on viadellamore.info, or you can add access to a Cinque Terre Card on the park’s shop.
- Hours: 9am to 9pm (last entry 8:30pm) until 24 October 2026, then 9am to 6pm (last entry 5:30pm) from 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027.
- Children under 4 and visitors with disabilities go free with proof.
Because it runs south to north, plan your day so you reach Riomaggiore first if the Via dell’Amore matters to you.
Can you do the Cinque Terre as a day trip from Milan?
You can, but it is a long day. The only way to get a useful amount of time on the coast is the first train out and the last direct train back:
- 6:10am InterCity from Milano Centrale, arriving in Monterosso at 9:05am.
- Local train south to Riomaggiore (about 15 minutes), then the Via dell’Amore to Manarola.
- Local trains back north to Vernazza or Corniglia in the afternoon.
- 6:55pm InterCity from Monterosso, arriving in Milan at 10pm.
That gives you just under 10 hours on the coast and about 6 hours on trains. With the 8:05am train you lose two hours and arrive at 11:05am. Leave a margin for the local train before your InterCity home. If you miss the 6:55pm, the next option on a Tuesday in autumn 2026 was a 7:36pm with two changes, arriving at 11:39pm.
Milan’s metro starts at about 5:30am, which is tight for a 6:10am train if you are staying far from the station. Check the first train on your line, or sleep near Centrale the night before. Our pick of hotels near Milano Centrale helps with that.
If the trip feels too long, Lake Como is 40 to 65 minutes away and covered in our Lake Como day trip guide, and Verona is about 1 hour 13 by Frecciarossa. Our day trips from Milan guide compares them all.
Guided day trips from Milan
If you would rather not plan the trains, organized day trips from Milan run as long coach or train days, usually with a boat ride on part of the coast. GetYourGuide lists them on its Cinque Terre day trips from Milan page. Before you book, check how many hours you get in the villages, whether the boat is weather-dependent, and the cancellation policy.
Staying overnight instead
One night changes the trip. You can take a later train from Milan, see the villages in the evening when the day visitors leave, and start early the next morning. La Spezia and Levanto both have direct trains from Milan and sit on the local line, so they work as bases if the villages are full or too expensive. Monterosso also has direct trains.
If you are building a longer route through Italy, the Cinque Terre fits between Milan and Florence. Our 10-day Italy itinerary shows how the main stops connect, and the Milan to Florence train guide has fares for the fast trains. For timing, our guide to the best time to visit Milan covers the weather month by month.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Milan to Cinque Terre?
The direct InterCity from Milano Centrale takes 2 hours 52 to 3 hours to Monterosso, about 2 hours 50 to Levanto and 3 hours 4 to 3 hours 17 to La Spezia Centrale. Trains with changes take 3.5 to more than 5 hours.
How much is the train from Milan to Cinque Terre?
On 5 October 2026, direct InterCity fares to Monterosso were €13.90 to €20.90 about five weeks ahead and €28.50 for the next day. One FrecciaBianca to La Spezia cost €9.90 booked ahead.
Can you do the Cinque Terre as a day trip from Milan?
Yes, if you take the 6:10am InterCity and the last direct train back at 6:55pm from Monterosso. That gives you just under 10 hours on the coast and about 6 hours on trains. A night in La Spezia, Levanto or one of the villages is more relaxed.
Do I need the Cinque Terre Card?
No. Until 1 November 2026 you can buy single train tickets between the villages at €5, €8 or €10 depending on the day. The Train Card (from €22 on low-demand days) pays off if you take about five local trains or want to walk the paid trails.
Is the Via dell'Amore open?
Yes. It reopened in full in July 2024 and in 2026 it is open every day by booked time slot, one way from Riomaggiore to Manarola. Tickets start at €10, and from 26 October 2026 the hours are 9am to 6pm.
Which station do I get off at for the Cinque Terre?
There is no Cinque Terre station. The direct trains stop at Levanto, Monterosso and La Spezia Centrale, and the local train links them with Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Monterosso is the only one of the five villages with direct trains from Milan.
Can I buy the Cinque Terre Card in Milan?
Yes. Trenitalia sells it as the Cinque Terre Treno MS Card at the Milano Centrale ticket office and self-service machines, on its website and in its app. The card carries your name, so bring ID.