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Both the Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast of Italy offer stunning views and charming seaside towns. It can be hard to decide between the two, especially if neither of them has ever been before!
We understand it can be difficult to decide between the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast so we have put together this little guide to help you make a decision. They are both beautiful, but there are important differences. You can find more information on both coasts at our blogs pages for the Amalfi Coast or the Cinque Terre. If time is tight, Walks of Italy also offers a Pompeii Tour starting from Rome with Amalfi CoastDrive.
How to get there: From Florence or Milan the Cinque Terre, or Rome or Naples the Amalfi Coast.
One way to choose between the two coasts is easy: The Cinque Terre is on the northern Italian coastline, and the Amalfi coast in southern Italy. Depending on where your origin is, the access to one coastline may be easier than the other.
It is easy to reach the Cinque Terre’s small villages from Florence and Milan, such as Manarola.
You can reach the Cinque Terre by train or car in 2 hours from Florence. You can either drive or take the train to the Cinque Terre from Milan in just under 3 hours.
It is easier to reach the Amalfi coast from Rome or Naples. It takes just one hour to get from Naples to Sorrento by the Circumvesuviana local train. You can take the train to Rome and then change to the Circumvesuviana train to Naples. Or, you could go to a ferry. The fast train from Rome-Naples takes just 1 hour 10 minutes. You can also take the train from Rome to Salerno on the Amalfi Coast. The fast train takes only 2 hours. Check out our blog post to learn why Salerno might be a better alternative to Sorrento and other Amalfi Coast towns. ).
Continue reading The Best Amalfi Coast Towns For Every Type Of Traveller
The Amalfi Coast is ideal for warmer weather
You should be aware that spring and fall are more pleasant than winter. The Amalfi Coast might be the best option. This is also true since the famous hiking trails in Cinque Terre can be washed away by the rain. It doesn’t mean winter is a bad time, but it can affect what you do. You can find more information at our travel blog to the Cinque Terre during the off-season.
The Cinque Terre is slightly cooler if you visit during the peak of summer.
Vineyards on the Amalfi coast
The Cinque Terre (maybe?) is a good place to go hiking.
The Cinque Terre is famous for its hiking trails linking the five towns. They’re spectacular! They offer stunning views of the beaches and towns. We love the Vernazza path, which gives you a wonderful view of Vernazza from the top. It’s a must-do hike for anyone who loves hiking.
There are two caveats. These paths can get very crowded during high season (roughly from May to September). They are also very narrow with steep, sheer drops to the side. We don’t recommend these paths for anyone who is a little unstable or afraid of heights. Instead, we recommend sticking to the Via dell’Amore which is a wide, flat, paved path linking Riomaggiore and Manarola. Learn How to Hike in the Cinque Terre.
Want to hike in the Cinque Terre? If you’re walking from Vernazza to Corniglia, this is what to expect!
You should also remember that hiking is possible on the Amalfi Coast. The Sentiero degli Dei is our favorite, meaning “Path of the Gods.” ).
The Amalfi Coast is ideal for day trips and sightseeing.
Both the Cinque Terre coast and Amalfi coast offer stunning, seaside views. The Cinque Terre coast is the best when it comes to historic or cultural sights. This includes the gardens and villas at Ravello, as well as the historical cathedrals at Amalfi Town, Salerno, Amalfi Town, and Salerno. There are also a few small museums such the ceramics museum at Vietri sul Mare, Amalfi’s paper museum, and the Minori Roman villa museum. This is not to mention the attractions of Salerno, which includes its castle.
Medieval castle in Salerno, Italy
For day trips to major attractions, the Amalfi Coast is better connected and more easily accessible. You can easily make a day trip to Capri depending on your location. ).
The Amalfi Coast is the best choice for 5-star restaurants and hotels; the Cinque Terre is the perfect option for backpacker-style accommodation.
Because the Amalfi Coast is a popular resort area, it has a lot of 5-star restaurants and luxury hotels. You can also find affordable B&Bs in quieter towns such as Ravello, Vietri sul Mare and Salerno. The main centres, particularly Positano, have a more resort-like feel.
In recent years, the Cinque Terre has become a popular tourist destination. The Cinque Terre’s B&Bs tend to be more affordable and run by families than luxury resorts. This also means that while the Cinque Terre is just as popular as the Amalfi Coast, there are fewer backpackers traveling to Positano. However, you’ll still see them trekking through the Cinque Terre.
The Amalfi Coast is a great place to go for spine-tingling drives
World-famous for its breathtaking views, adrenaline-inducing curves and sheer drops to water, the Amalfi coast road is known for its stunning scenery. If this sounds appealing, you should head to Amalfi Coast – there isn’t anything comparable in Cinque Terre. In fact, it’s better to take the local train that’s fast and cheap between the five towns.
The famous Amalfi coast road
Remember that while driving the Amalfi coast road by renting a car is recommended for experienced drivers, the SITA bus which follows the same route gets very crowded in summer.
You won’t find a better place for rustic, small-town living than neither
The small fishing villages of the Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast are no longer the same. They are now resort towns, and they are amazing resort towns. However, you shouldn’t expect to speak English with everyone in the town, especially in high season.
This is not surprising. Since the 19th century, Amalfi Coast has been a popular tourist destination. It is a popular tourist destination, with its most well-known towns being Positano and Amalfi Town, as well as Sorrento (even though it is not on the Amalfi Coast), and Sorrento.
Although the Cinque Terre towns have been a popular tourist destination for a shorter time, they are very trendy. These five small towns were once fishing villages. Yes, many of these small, family-run businesses still exist. The towns are almost entirely dependent on tourism, with fishing making up a small portion of the local economy.
If you are looking for authentic, Italian fishing villages then we suggest Puglia. (Here’s our list of reasons to visit Puglia in pictures). The Tuscan coast, Le Marche or Sicily.
As long as you understand what you are getting into, both the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast have some of the most relaxing and beautiful coastal towns in the world. We recommend that you visit them, no matter what season it is.
