Vernazza and its harbour seen from the trail

How to get to Vernazza and where to park

Train, car, parking with shuttle, ferry and trails: how to reach Vernazza, 2026 train fares and where to leave your car.

Vernazza and its harbour seen from the trail

Best option: the regional train between Levanto and La Speziawith a station right in the village
By car: A12 motorway, Carrodano–Levanto or Brugnato exit, then hill roadsabout an hour from the exit
Parking: two private paid car parks on the provincial roadabout 1.5 km from the village, with a shuttle
Village centre: closed to non-resident traffic
Train fares 2026: Cinque Terre fare from 14 March to 1 November5–10 euros per journey
Ferry: seasonalfrom La Spezia, Portovenere, Levanto and the other villages

Getting to Vernazza is easy by train and awkward by car. The village is wedged between the hills and the sea, the roads are narrow and the centre is for residents only: if you drive, you have to leave the car outside the village in small car parks that are often full. Here is how to plan your arrival, option by option, and which choice suits your trip.

By Italian Riviera editorial team·Updated on October 8, 2026·5 min read

By train: the easiest way

Vernazza station is inside the village: step off the train, walk down Via Roma and in a few minutes you are on the harbour square. It is on the Genoa–La Spezia line, served by the regional trains that shuttle between Levanto and La Spezia stopping at every village. From Monterosso and Corniglia it takes about five minutes, from La Spezia under twenty. From Genoa, allow about an hour and a half.

Tickets and fares in 2026

From 14 March to 1 November 2026 the Cinque Terre fare applies on the Levanto–La Spezia stretch. A single ticket costs 5, 8 or 10 euros for adults, depending on the day’s band (low, medium or high demand), and 2.50, 4 or 5 euros for children aged 4 to 12. It is valid for one journey, within 75 minutes of validation. After 7.30 pm the lowest band always applies. Source: Trenitalia, Cinque Terre by train.

If you plan several journeys in a day, consider the Cinque Terre Train Card: it includes unlimited second-class regional trains between Levanto and La Spezia, the Park’s paid trails and the village buses. It is personal and valid until midnight on the chosen day. The price depends on the date and is shown when you buy it on card.parconazionale5terre.it.

Train tips

In summer, the morning trains into the villages and the late-afternoon trains back to La Spezia are packed: leave early or return after dinner. Always validate your ticket before boarding; inspectors do check. And remember the platform at Vernazza is narrow: wait well back from the edge.

By car: route and parking

Vernazza is not on a coast road: you reach it from above, on hill roads. The most common route starts at the Carrodano–Levanto exit of the A12. Take the provincial road towards Levanto, follow signs for Monterosso and, before the road drops to the sea, turn left uphill towards Vernazza. You pass near the Soviore sanctuary and join the road that winds down to the village. In total about 30 km and an hour’s drive. Coming from the south, you can exit at Brugnato and climb towards Pignone and the Cinque Terre road.

The last few kilometres, after the hamlet of San Bernardino, are narrow and steep, with few places to pass. Drive slowly and, in summer, expect queues in the middle of the day.

Where to park

Vernazza’s centre is for residents only: do not try to drive past the car parks, as you risk a fine and would have nowhere to stop anyway. Along the provincial road, about 1.5 km from the village, there are two private paid car parks, one attended on the left as you go down and one a little further on the right. Spaces are few and in summer they run out early. A shuttle links the car parks with the village; otherwise you can walk down along the road.

Prices, opening hours and shuttle times change, and the information online does not match: ask when you arrive or contact the operators before you travel, especially if you plan to collect your car in the evening.

The alternative: park and ride the train

For a day trip, it is often smarter not to drive all the way to Vernazza. Leave the car in Levanto or La Spezia, where car parks are larger, and continue by train. You skip the hairpins, avoid finding the car park full and can see other villages on the same day. If you are staying overnight in Vernazza, ask your host where to leave the car and how to get your luggage down.

By ferry

From spring to autumn, when the sea is calm, ferries link Vernazza with La Spezia, Portovenere, Levanto and the other villages, except Corniglia, which has no landing. They dock at the harbour breakwater, steps from the square. It is the slowest and most expensive option, but arriving from the sea is the most beautiful way to see the village. Sailings are cancelled in rough seas. Timetables and fares on the Consorzio Marittimo Turistico 5 Terre Golfo dei Poeti website.

On foot

Vernazza is linked to Monterosso and Corniglia by the Blue Trail. Since 10 September 2026, however, the Park has closed the Corniglia–Vernazza–Monterosso section for geological checks, with no reopening date. Check the notices on the Cinque Terre National Park website before planning to arrive on foot.

By plane

The nearest airports are Pisa and Genoa, both about 100 km away. From Pisa take the train to La Spezia and change there for the Cinque Terre regional train; from Genoa get to the station and follow the coast line.

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