Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast are two of essentially the most lovely locations to go to in Italy. You have achieved exceptionally properly should you’ve narrowed your decisions 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 lovely locations in their very own proper, there are some vital variations between the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi coasts. This information, which is predicated on our visits to the area, will inform you all you should know earlier than making that all-important closing resolution.
Why Visit Cinque Terre vs Amalfi Coast
If you don’t have time to learn this entire article, we wished to provide you a fast overview of why you need to select Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast. In a super world, you’d study all the ideas, methods, and important data, however this part is for these in a rush.
Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre is a simple place to go to, however it 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 through water), catch the prepare, or drive round Cinque Terre.
Although, be warned, anticipate landslide warnings and hairpin turns. These cities are situated on the base of steep cliffs, dramatically sitting on jagged rocks and spreading higgledy-piggledy on angles round their harbors. We don’t actually advocate 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 prepare or boat. If it’s essential to drive you possibly can park on the entrance of the villages however should stroll from there. There are some good 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 can even prepare to go to by ferry. The Amalfi Coast is situated in southern Italy, an affordable 1.5-hour drive from Naples and a straightforward day-tripping distance of Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. It is finest suited to these renting a automobile who need to benefit from numerous close by day journeys or who need to keep in a resort and guide guided day excursions.
The shoreline itself is absolutely lush and full of lovely seashores with numerous glitzy vacationer infrastructure. Instead of a ragged aesthetic, the Amalfi Coast is massively related to film stars and wealth. You’ll see loads of smooth lodging choices and luxurious journey alternatives. If you might be driving (like we did) simply remember that the roads alongside the coast are slender and there may be normally a whole lot 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 just perceive why you need to 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 automobile, glitzy seaside aesthetic, whereas Cinque Terre has a extra rugged draw. The distinction in their ‘personalities’ is the principle distinction between the 2 locations, particularly because the ‘personalities’ most dramatically affect your expertise when visiting. Let’s see how they weigh up towards one another.
Cinque Terre
For essentially the most half, Cinque Terre is all about rocky outcroppings, climbing, and boat excursions. While it will get lovely 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 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 beautiful. And the prepare line between the cities is tremendous helpful, permitting you to hop between city after city to strive scrumptious seafood and snap images. Remember, in case you are after a seaside vacation, the one actual seaside is Fegina Beach; most others are all rocks. Cinque Terre’s rocky format means it isn’t your basic seaside vacation spot.
Amalfi Coast
Regarding this area’s persona, go to the Amalfi Coast if you’d like luxurious lodges 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 presents rather more of a seaside vacation expertise, with a swanky type of persona and a extra spacious format.
Whether you select the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre, you possibly can clearly see the areas’ persona variations. The two provide utterly totally 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 unimaginable choice of excursions that you would be able to select to expertise the areas in a guided capability. Organized excursions have many advantages: they permit a much less annoying expertise, you don’t have to fret about transport, and so they 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 incredible alternatives to discover Cinque Terre by kayak. As the area is finest seen from water, we’d extremely advocate this as an adventurous and energetic solution 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 guide a cooking class when visiting Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is understood for its tasty delicacies, particularly with seafood and pasta dishes. You can guide 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 totally different villages. You can hike this independently, however for a neater 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 possibilities to swim in the ocean – normally with meals and drinks offered onboard. This is a superb solution to maximize your expertise of the shoreline, even should you simply base your self in Amalfi city.
Classes like this cooking class are an excellent solution 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 contemporary pasta, cooking courses are incredible.
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 trying to mix them with a significant metropolis, like Rome or Venice? Here’s what you should know.
Where is Cinque Terre?
Cinque Terre is a area of 5 small cities (typically referred to as villages) linked by a prepare line and a number of working harbors. It is situated in northern Italy on the northwest shoreline simply beneath Genoa. It can also be located inside the Cinque Terre National Park. When it involves setting, it’s fairly rural. And whilst you can simply entry it by prepare, be ready to commute from a significant 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 may simply leap on a high-speed prepare to achieve Monterosso al Mare, the primary city on the Cinque Terre coast. This takes over an hour; if you want, you possibly can proceed combining totally different cities in one journey. You’ll have a beautiful time navigating Cinque Terre by prepare, and you may merely verify 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 lovely seashores. The shoreline is situated on the southwest coast of Italy. It runs roughly between Positano and Salerno, an space coated in seashores and low-lying mountains. It is only a 1.5-hour drive from Naples, the most effective place to fly into if touring straight to the Amalfi Coast. It will probably be helpful should you get a rental automobile, as Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius are only a brief drive away.
So, how do you get to the Amalfi Coast from Naples? That’s nonetheless a simple reply. The finest solution to attain the Amalfi Coast from Naples is by renting a automobile. The Campania area is beautiful to drive round. If you might be 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 comfy driving in Italy, you possibly can guide a switch or take public transport. By public transport, it takes round 2 hours by bus to achieve Positano, the primary city on the Amalfi Coast.
To summarize, Cinque Terre is situated on the northwest coast of Italy. In distinction, the Amalfi Coast is situated in the southwest. The Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre are inside simple distance of a significant metropolis and worldwide flight hub. So, on the subject of transport, which is less complicated 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 achieve in case you are utilizing public transport, as its prepare line is incredible and serves virtually each village on the shoreline. However, should you lease a automobile, the Amalfi Coast is the simplest, because the roads are simpler to navigate and there are extra driveable day journeys. When selecting Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre based mostly on location and the best way to get there, we’d contemplate how assured you might be driving in Italy as an influential issue.
Things to Do in Cinque Terre vs the Amalfi Coast
Things to do are at all times useful when selecting between two locations. When it comes to picking between the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre, you need to undoubtedly issue in what every vacation spot presents in phrases of an itinerary. It is value noting that each areas provide totally different day journeys, too, such because the Amalfi Coast providing higher entry to the ruins of Pompeii. In distinction, Cinque Terre gives entry to Pisa. These are the highest sights for each locations.
Things to do in Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre’s finest issues to do are its lovely 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 get pleasure from:
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 perhaps recognized for seaside days, however it’s also fabulous for day journeys, with entry to Capri, Naples, and past. These are the highest actions and sights on 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 difficult 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 may go to both the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre in a day should 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 stress-free and having seaside days, but in addition excellent for not less than at some point 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 get pleasure from all of the climbing trails and expertise the cities when the day trippers depart.
Accommodation Options
Accommodation is extensively related throughout Italy, with visitor homes as the most well-liked type of price range lodging, mid-range lodges, 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 rather 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 impartial lodges and lodging in Cinque Terre.
Let’s take a look at the highest lodging decisions for every price range stage 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 true in the center of Corniglia, only a 15-minute stroll from the prepare station. It is hassle-free and presents 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 resort is located in the gorgeous city of Vernazza, only a brief stroll from the prepare station. For an affordable worth 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 resort is an exquisite luxurious spot with none stiff-lipped qualities. The ‘homey’ resort has a surprising outside pool with a scorching tub – each of which have beautiful views over the ocean. It is in the basic Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre’s foremost 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 traditional charges. It has free parking and a every day included Italian breakfast. So in case you are renting a automobile, it’s properly value reserving.
Mid-range: Locanda Costa Diva – Praiano
This beautiful 3-star resort was as soon as a standard farmhouse and now serves as a reasonably little resort with an adjoining restaurant that overlooks the ocean. You can get pleasure from villa-style aesthetics, with choices to guide sea-view rooms.
Luxury: Casa Angelina
Casa Angelina is vastly competitively priced in comparison with different luxurious lodges on the Amalfi Coast, which frequently listing as excessive as $2,000 an evening for normal rooms. Instead, for round half the worth, this stylish, stylish resort presents easy accessibility to a seaside through an elevator. Plus, there may be an indoor pool, health club, 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 time excessive season is a good suggestion. During the excessive season, you’ll discover the costliest 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 advantage of being extra of a climbing and sightseeing vacation spot than a seaside 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 get pleasure from al fresco eating and nice sightseeing with out crowds. For this purpose, September to early November are the most effective months to go to Cinque Terre. We vote October as the last word month, because the high-season crowds are passed by then. You’ll have spectacular views and lots of climbing prospects, and also you gained’t be battling crowds to understand them.
Amalfi Coast: June or September
With the Amalfi Coast, you’ll doubtless spend numerous time on a sandy seaside. 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 seaside 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 potential to maximise the climate.
Costs in Cinque Terre vs the Amalfi Coast
Budget is at all times important to contemplate, and realizing what you might be stepping 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 guide out shortly. With that in thoughts, although, let’s contemplate how price 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 in case you have a decrease price range. Cinque Terre doesn’t have the identical celeb repute because the Amalfi Coast, and it isn’t constructed based mostly 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 appeal to the identical costs. It is less expensive as an entire to go to.
That mentioned, Cinque Terre has restricted sources, which suggests costs can get aggressive. Its cities are solely small. And because the area has develop into more and more widespread, there have develop into extra vacationers than lodging in peak seasons, and eating places have additionally clocked on. Book in advance and keep away from peak season journey in case you are actually budget-conscious.
Amalfi Coast Costs
Generally talking, the Amalfi Coast is the costliest 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 numerous 5-star lodges and fine-dining eating places with lovely views.
The Amalfi Coast additionally has a caveat, although, which is that you would be able to nonetheless go to on a price range. The identical rule applies: guide in advance, letting you snag the most effective offers. You also needs to get lodging with self-catering services. You can benefit from grocery purchasing and reduce 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 guide a brief keep in only one, you’ll have a beautiful time. Both areas are beautiful. As a fast closing level earlier than you go, although, try these FAQs.
Which is healthier, Cinque Terre or Amalfi Coast?
Both Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast provide completely totally different vibes. The Amalfi Coast is rather more luxurious, with extra space and seashores. At the identical time, the Cinque Terre is a bit more quirky, with a desolate attract and rugged aesthetic. We’d advocate Cinque Terre for an adventurous vacation and the Amalfi Coast for an opulent one.
Is Cinque Terre costlier than Amalfi Coast?
No, Cinque Terre is a little bit cheaper than the Amalfi Coast, as long as you guide to buy essentially the most moderately priced rooms earlier than they promote out (lodging choices are rather more restricted). While each Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast are comparatively costly, Cinque Terre is understood to be barely extra budget-friendly with ample planning.
Which coast of Italy is healthier?
The Amalfi Coast is gorgeous, lined with wealthy inexperienced area, because of volcanic soils and exquisite seashores. It is straightforward to entry through automobile and has beautiful clifftop roads overlooking the ocean. The northwest coast – alongside Cinque Terre – is rather 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 dwelling 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 provide an actual sense of genuine tradition and uniqueness in Italy. The Amalfi Coast has its luxurious persona with luxe lodges and resorts and, after all, freshly squeezed lemon juice on scenic clifftop laybys. Cinque Terre has a extra rugged attraction, with romantically desolate cities seemingly perched on jagged ocean cliffs. By now, you’ll know which one most closely fits your journey type and upcoming journey to Italy. But maybe the actual query is, are you able to squeeze in each?
For extra concepts, should you select to go to the Amalfi Coast, try this information on the prettiest and finest 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.