Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast are two of essentially the most stunning locations to go to in Italy. You have accomplished exceptionally nicely when you’ve narrowed your selections to those locations. The Cinque Terre cities are famously pastel-colored mini-destinations that spill over rocky outcroppings to small harbors. You can discover Cinque Terre as a day tour by boat, crusing up the complete part of the coast, or you possibly can base your self for a number of days in your city of alternative. The Amalfi Coast will also be tackled as a day tour however is barely higher suited to longer stays – with loads of luxurious resorts and lodging choices.
We have visited each and regardless of each being stunning locations in their very own proper, there are some important variations between the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi coasts. This information, which is predicated on our visits to the area, will let you know all it’s essential to know earlier than making that all-important ultimate choice.
Why Visit Cinque Terre vs Amalfi Coast
If you don’t have time to learn this complete article, we wished to present you a fast overview of why you must select Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast. In an excellent world, you’d be taught all the information, tips, and important data, however this part is for these in a rush.
Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre is a simple place to go to, but it surely requires a bit extra effort. Set in northern Italy, it’s a possible weekend detour from Pisa or Milan. You can take a ship tour alongside the Cinque Terre cities (that are a lot simpler to entry by way of water), catch the practice, or drive round Cinque Terre.
Although, be warned, count on landslide warnings and hairpin turns. These cities are positioned on the base of steep cliffs, dramatically sitting on jagged rocks and spreading higgledy-piggledy on angles round their harbors. We don’t actually suggest driving round Cinque Terre. There is subsequent to no parking, the streets are slender and it may be a hair-raising expertise. You are higher off taking the practice or boat. If it’s essential to drive you possibly can park on the entrance of the villages however must stroll from there. There are some good mountain climbing alternatives, scrumptious seafood, and the aesthetic of pastel-colored homes in dramatic, rugged settings.
Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast is way simpler to go to, with extremely accessible cities dotted alongside its shoreline. You may also prepare to go to by ferry. The Amalfi Coast is positioned in southern Italy, an inexpensive 1.5-hour drive from Naples and a straightforward day-tripping distance of Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. It is greatest suited to these renting a automotive who need to make the most of a number of close by day journeys or who need to keep in a resort and e book guided day excursions.
The shoreline itself is basically lush and full of lovely seashores with a number of glitzy vacationer infrastructure. Instead of a ragged aesthetic, the Amalfi Coast is massively related to film stars and wealth. You’ll see loads of modern lodging choices and luxurious journey alternatives. If you’re driving (like we did) simply remember that the roads alongside the coast are slender and there may be normally a number of visitors together with busses. This might be nerve-racking for some so simply be ready.
The Main Difference Between Cinque Terre vs Amalfi Coast
Now that you simply perceive why you must select the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre, let’s dive deeper into our comparability. We love each of them, albeit for various causes. The Amalfi Coast has that old-money, classic automotive, glitzy seashore aesthetic, whereas Cinque Terre has a extra rugged draw. The distinction in their ‘personalities’ is the principle distinction between the 2 locations, particularly for the reason that ‘personalities’ most dramatically affect your expertise when visiting. Let’s see how they weigh up in opposition to one another.
Cinque Terre
For essentially the most half, Cinque Terre is all about rocky outcroppings, mountain climbing, and boat excursions. While it will get stunning and sunny, it may be fairly dramatic on an overcast day – doused in thick fog and low-lying clouds if you attain the mountains. There are good mountain climbing trails to get views of the cities from above, or you possibly can take one of many ‘five villages’ boat excursions. Cinque Terre is supposed to be an journey, and its ‘personality’ could be very a lot its unlikely rocky surroundings.
The distinction between the coloured homes and the jagged rock is gorgeous. And the practice line between the cities is tremendous useful, permitting you to hop between city after city to strive scrumptious seafood and snap photographs. Remember, if you’re after a seashore vacation, the one actual seashore is Fegina Beach; most others are all rocks. Cinque Terre’s rocky structure means it isn’t your traditional seashore vacation spot.
Amalfi Coast
Regarding this area’s character, go to the Amalfi Coast if you’d like luxurious inns or resorts. It is way flashier, with resort city after resort city frequented by A-listers and old-school film stars. If you need an Italian trip that channels the la dolce vita, the gorgeous sandy seashores, and ornate terraces alongside the Amalfi Coast match the invoice. This area affords far more of a seashore vacation expertise, with a swanky model of character and a extra spacious structure.
Whether you select the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre, you possibly can clearly see the areas’ character variations. The two supply fully completely different packages, so take note of the expertise each can provide you.
Best Tours in Cinque Terre vs Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre have an unbelievable number of excursions you can select to expertise the areas in a guided capability. Organized excursions have many advantages: they permit a much less demanding expertise, you don’t have to fret about transport, they usually allow you to match extra right into a smaller area. If you don’t have time to browse the choices, try these high three for the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre.
Cinque Terre Tours
There are implausible alternatives to discover Cinque Terre by kayak. As the area is greatest seen from water, we’d extremely suggest this as an adventurous and lively method to immerse your self in Cinque Terre and its surroundings. This tour is a superb instance.
Cinque Terre isn’t simply seafood; the wine tasting is equally good. The area has some scrumptious wine to pattern, and arranged excursions have a tendency to incorporate transport.
You ought to undoubtedly e book a cooking class when visiting Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is thought for its tasty delicacies, particularly with seafood and pasta dishes. You can e book an enormous vary of courses.
Amalfi Coast Tours
Guided Path of the Gods hike
The Path of the Gods is essentially the most well-known hike on the Amalfi Coast. The path runs for five miles and covers historic mule routes, which initially linked completely different villages. You can hike this independently, however for a better expertise, a guided tour is the way in which ahead. It takes round three to 4 hours to finish a technique.
Like Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast is fabulous for boat day journeys. Experiences like this tour take you alongside the shoreline for a day, supplying you with beautiful views and probabilities to swim in the ocean – normally with meals and drinks offered onboard. This is a wonderful method to maximize your expertise of the shoreline, even when you simply base your self in Amalfi city.
Classes like this cooking class are an excellent method to embrace the Amalfi Coast and the meals tradition in Italy. Who doesn’t love Italian meals? To learn to make dishes like tiramisu and recent pasta, cooking courses are implausible.
Where Is the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre – and How Do You Get There?
So, the place precisely is the Amalfi Coast? And the place is Cinque Terre? When it involves deciding between Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast, it helps to have the ability to pinpoint them for a number of causes. Do you have already got flights booked? Or are you seeking to mix them with a serious metropolis, like Rome or Venice? Here’s what it’s essential to know.
Where is Cinque Terre?
Cinque Terre is a area of 5 small cities (generally referred to as villages) linked by a practice line and a number of working harbors. It is positioned in northern Italy on the northwest shoreline simply beneath Genoa. It can be located inside the Cinque Terre National Park. When it involves setting, it’s fairly rural. And whilst you can simply entry it by practice, be ready to commute from a serious metropolis like Genoa or Pisa – additional south.
So, how do you get to the Cinque Terre villages from Genoa? Easy. Genoa is an enormous transportation hub with many worldwide flights. Genoa is the capital of the Liguria area, and you’ll simply bounce on a high-speed practice to succeed in Monterosso al Mare, the primary city on the Cinque Terre coast. This takes over an hour; if you want, you possibly can proceed combining completely different cities in one journey. You’ll have a beautiful time navigating Cinque Terre by practice, and you’ll merely examine the schedule on Google Maps earlier than reserving tickets on-line.
Where is The Amalfi Coast?
In distinction, the Amalfi Coast is in southern Italy and has glitzy resort cities with stunning seashores. The shoreline is positioned on the southwest coast of Italy. It runs roughly between Positano and Salerno, an space lined in seashores and low-lying mountains. It is only a 1.5-hour drive from Naples, the very best place to fly into if touring straight to the Amalfi Coast. It might be helpful when you get a rental automotive, as Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius are only a quick drive away.
So, how do you get to the Amalfi Coast from Naples? That’s nonetheless a simple reply. The greatest method to attain the Amalfi Coast from Naples is by renting a automotive. The Campania area is gorgeous to drive round. If you’re assured on huge roads, you gained’t have any points driving to Amalfi after you fly into Naples. As talked about above, it takes simply 1.5 hours to drive from Naples to the Amalfi Coast – however you possibly can simply spend a full day detouring to Pompeii. If you aren’t snug driving in Italy, you possibly can e book a switch or take public transport. By public transport, it takes round 2 hours by bus to succeed in Positano, the primary city on the Amalfi Coast.
To summarize, Cinque Terre is positioned on the northwest coast of Italy. In distinction, the Amalfi Coast is positioned in the southwest. The Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre are inside straightforward distance of a serious metropolis and worldwide flight hub. So, relating to transport, which is simpler to get to – the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre? And how do these locations match into a bigger Italian itinerary?
We’d say that Cinque Terre is best to succeed in if you’re utilizing public transport, as its practice line is implausible and serves nearly each village on the shoreline. However, when you lease a automotive, the Amalfi Coast is the best, because the roads are simpler to navigate and there are extra driveable day journeys. When selecting Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre primarily based on location and the best way to get there, we’d take into account how assured you’re driving in Italy as an influential issue.
Things to Do in Cinque Terre vs the Amalfi Coast
Things to do are all the time useful when selecting between two locations. When it comes to selecting between the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre, you must undoubtedly issue in what every vacation spot affords in phrases of an itinerary. It is value noting that each areas supply completely different day journeys, too, such because the Amalfi Coast providing higher entry to the ruins of Pompeii. In distinction, Cinque Terre offers entry to Pisa. These are the highest sights for each locations.
Things to do in Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre’s greatest issues to do are its stunning hikes, which traverse dramatic clifftops and historic tracks. Cinque Terre is good for a lot of issues, although, and these are only a choose handful of the highest sights and actions you possibly can take pleasure in:
Things to do in the Amalfi Coast
It goes with out saying that there are tons of of wonderful issues to do on the Amalfi Coast. The coast is likely to be recognized for seashore days, however it is usually fabulous for day journeys, with entry to Capri, Naples, and past. These are the highest actions and sights to your itinerary:
How Much Time Do You Need In Each one
How a lot time do you want in the Amalfi Coast vs Cinque Terre? It is a tough query, however what helps is that the reply is comparable.
You can take a day journey to the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre – you possibly can shortly dip your toes in and briefly expertise both of those locations. Cinque Terre is barely extra suited to this, because it is a bit more compact. The Amalfi Coast is normally mixed with Pompeii and Vesuvius, whereas Cinque Terre is handled as a standalone attraction. As a basic rule, although, you possibly can go to both the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre in a day when you actually wished.
However, the perfect period of time is 3-4 days at a minimal for each the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre. This is as a result of the Amalfi Coast is ideal for enjoyable and having seashore days, but in addition splendid for no less than someday journey to see the archaeology at Pompeii or perhaps a day journey to Capri. With Cinque Terre, 3-4 days is ideal as a result of it means that you can take pleasure in all of the mountain climbing trails and expertise the cities when the day trippers go away.
Accommodation Options
Accommodation is broadly related throughout Italy, with visitor homes as the preferred type of finances lodging, mid-range inns, and a few high-end luxurious lodging choices. However, there are a number of variations between Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast. The Amalfi Coast is far more luxurious and has extra of a resort vibe, whereas Cinque Terre is extra of an intimate vacation spot in Italy. Expect extra family-run companies and unbiased inns and lodging in Cinque Terre.
Let’s have a look at the highest lodging selections for every finances degree in Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast. Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre? Which area has lodging that most closely fits you?
Cinque Terre Accommodations
Budget: Ostello Corniglia
This hostel is correct in the center of Corniglia, only a 15-minute stroll from the practice station. It is hassle-free and affords a mixture of mixed-gender, single-sex, and personal rooms. You additionally get a communal kitchen and eating space.
Mid-range: Pensione Sorriso
This 2-star lodge is located in the gorgeous city of Vernazza, only a quick stroll from the practice station. For an inexpensive value of round $120 an evening, you get a mixture of double and single rooms, plus a every day Italian breakfast.
Luxury: Hotel Porto Roca
This 4-star lodge is a wonderful luxurious spot with none stiff-lipped qualities. The ‘homey’ lodge has a shocking outside pool with a scorching tub – each of which have pretty views over the ocean. It is in the traditional Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre’s principal city.
Amalfi Coast Accommodations
Budget: La Cascina Camere – Bed & Breakfast
This low cost and cheerful mattress & breakfast possibility is massively budget-friendly regarding the Amalfi Coast’s ordinary charges. It has free parking and a every day included Italian breakfast. So if you’re renting a automotive, it’s nicely value reserving.
Mid-range: Locanda Costa Diva – Praiano
This gorgeous 3-star lodge was as soon as a standard farmhouse and now serves as a fairly little lodge with an adjoining restaurant that overlooks the ocean. You can take pleasure in villa-style aesthetics, with choices to e book sea-view rooms.
Luxury: Casa Angelina
Casa Angelina is massively competitively priced in comparison with different luxurious inns on the Amalfi Coast, which frequently checklist as excessive as $2,000 an evening for normal rooms. Instead, for round half the value, this stylish, stylish lodge affords easy accessibility to a seashore by way of an elevator. Plus, there may be an indoor pool, fitness center, spa, and every day breakfast buffet. Select rooms have ocean-view terraces.
Best Time to Visit Cinque Terre vs the Amalfi Coast
We are nice lovers of shoulder seasons – it’s no secret. As a basic rule throughout the board in Italy, avoiding the summer season excessive season is a good suggestion. During the excessive season, you’ll discover the most costly costs, packed sights, and, fairly frankly, essentially the most hectic expertise of each locations. Picking a shoulder season like April to early June or late September to early November is a superb hack when visiting Italy.
But what about these particular locations?
Cinque Terre: September to November
Cinque Terre has the good thing about being extra of a mountain climbing and sightseeing vacation spot than a seashore day and swimming vacation spot, merely because it has barely any actual seashores. This means it’s ideally suited to a shoulder season go to, the place temperatures are nonetheless heat sufficient to take pleasure in al fresco eating and nice sightseeing with out crowds. For this purpose, September to early November are the very best months to go to Cinque Terre. We vote October as the final word month, because the high-season crowds are passed by then. You’ll have spectacular views and lots of mountain climbing potentialities, and also you gained’t be battling crowds to understand them.
Amalfi Coast: June or September
With the Amalfi Coast, you’ll probably spend a number of time on a sandy seashore. For this purpose, it’s value slicing your shoulder season superb to ensure heat climate and a heat sea for swimming. For occasion, visiting in early June, you’ll nonetheless narrowly keep away from the first excessive season, but you’ll get the heat and nice seashore day vibe. September is one other good possibility. If you care about warmth and swimming, the Amalfi Coast is value visiting as near the excessive season as doable to maximise the climate.
Costs in Cinque Terre vs the Amalfi Coast
Budget is all the time important to think about, and figuring out what you’re entering into cost-wise earlier than you arrive is useful. Cinque Terre and the area surrounding the Amalfi Coast are main locations when visiting Italy, so know that lodging will get costly and e book out shortly. With that in thoughts, although, let’s take into account how value can affect your alternative between the Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast.
Cinque Terre Costs
Both areas can get costly, however Cinque Terre is the higher possibility when you have a decrease finances. Cinque Terre doesn’t have the identical movie star repute because the Amalfi Coast, and it isn’t constructed primarily based on luxurious resorts and eating places. Instead, Cinque Terre constructed its repute off of being (initially) an off-the-beaten-track location. Because luxurious isn’t a part of the area’s identification, it doesn’t entice the identical costs. It is less expensive as an entire to go to.
That stated, Cinque Terre has restricted sources, which implies costs can get aggressive. Its cities are solely small. And because the area has grow to be more and more well-liked, there have grow to be extra vacationers than lodging in peak seasons, and eating places have additionally clocked on. Book in advance and keep away from peak season journey if you’re actually budget-conscious.
Amalfi Coast Costs
Generally talking, the Amalfi Coast is the most costly of the 2 areas. It has a historical past of being a luxurious vacation spot and, as such, it has the lodging and fancy eating places to match. You’ll discover a number of 5-star inns and fine-dining eating places with stunning views.
The Amalfi Coast additionally has a caveat, although, which is you can nonetheless go to on a finances. The similar rule applies: e book in advance, letting you snag the very best offers. You also needs to get lodging with self-catering amenities. You can make the most of grocery buying and lower prices with a kitchen.
Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast: FAQs
Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast is a query that passes many lips. Whether you street journey throughout Italy to go to Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast or a day journey to or e book a brief keep in only one, you’ll have a beautiful time. Both areas are gorgeous. As a fast ultimate level earlier than you go, although, try these FAQs.
Which is best, Cinque Terre or Amalfi Coast?
Both Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast supply completely completely different vibes. The Amalfi Coast is far more luxurious, with more room and seashores. At the identical time, the Cinque Terre is a bit more quirky, with a desolate attract and rugged aesthetic. We’d suggest Cinque Terre for an adventurous vacation and the Amalfi Coast for an expensive one.
Is Cinque Terre dearer than Amalfi Coast?
No, Cinque Terre is a little bit cheaper than the Amalfi Coast, as long as you e book to buy essentially the most fairly priced rooms earlier than they promote out (lodging choices are far more restricted). While each Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast are comparatively costly, Cinque Terre is thought to be barely extra budget-friendly with enough planning.
Which coast of Italy is best?
The Amalfi Coast is gorgeous, lined with wealthy inexperienced area, because of volcanic soils and exquisite seashores. It is straightforward to entry by way of automotive and has gorgeous clifftop roads overlooking the ocean. The northwest coast – alongside Cinque Terre – is far more rugged, with fewer seashores and extra dramatically perched villages with rocky harbors. If you need seashores, go to Amalfi Coast cities. If you need dramatic surroundings, Cinque Terre villages shortly take the biscuit.
What is the prettiest city in the Amalfi?
Ravello wins this title. The resort city is house to the Terrace of Infinity, which you’ll go to on the Villa Cimbrone. It additionally has spectacular structure and extra surroundings from its terraced gardens.
So, the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre, which is able to you select? Both locations supply an actual sense of genuine tradition and uniqueness in Italy. The Amalfi Coast has its luxurious character with luxe inns and resorts and, after all, freshly squeezed lemon juice on scenic clifftop laybys. Cinque Terre has a extra rugged enchantment, with romantically desolate cities seemingly perched on jagged ocean cliffs. By now, you’ll know which one most closely fits your journey model and upcoming journey to Italy. But maybe the actual query is, are you able to squeeze in each?
For extra concepts, when you select to go to the Amalfi Coast, try this information on the prettiest and greatest Amalfi Coast cities to go to in 2023. While, for Cinque Terre, see this information on the place to remain – which features a rundown of the 5 villages and past.