Train From Florence to La Spezia Centrale

The Cinque Terre has become one of the more popular tourist destinations in Italy, whether it’s for a day trip or to spend a few days. The biggest city near the five towns is La Spezia, which has a larger train station than any of the Cinque Terre villages and even offers direct service from Florence.

The distance from Florence to La Spezia is only 91 miles (147 km). Drive between the two cities would likely be shorter than a train trip, but since driving in Florence and in any of the Cinque Terre towns is a hassle, you’re better off taking the train.

Frequent Trains from Florence to La Spezia

There are at least 44 trains per day from Firenze Santa Maria Novella station in Florence to La Spezia Centrale station, including both direct and indirect trains. The direct connection in this case isn’t always the best choice, however, because it’s a slower train that makes this trip, making the journey longer.

Pisa is the stopover point between Florence and La Spezia. Regionale trains from Florence to Pisa run 2-5 times per hour throughout most of the day. From there, you can take a Frecciabianca or an InterCity train to La Spezia, with the fastest trip coming in at just over two hours. Most of the trips that require a train change in Pisa take around 2 hours and 10 minutes. The direct train are Regionale trains, which are slower, making the journey about 2.5 hours or more.

Ticket prices on this route range from $16-23. The less expensive options are the slower direct trains

Note that weekends and holidays typically mean less frequent service and sometimes longer travel times.

Direct Trains from Florence to La Spezia

As mentioned above, while there are direct trains from Florence to La Spezia, the better option is often going to be to changing trains in Pisa. The direct trains are slower, adding at least 30-45 minutes to your journey, compared to the indirect trains. This is one case where the direct trains are cheaper than the indirect ones, since the indirect trains are faster.

Amenities on Trains from Florence to La Spezia

Regionale trains do not offer the same amenities as the AV trains. There are sometimes both 1st and 2nd class cars, but the 1st class cars are not similar to the Frecciarossa 1st class, for example, some Regionale trains don't have air conditioning in every car. Reservations on these trains are not necessary.

On the Frecciabianca trains, there are both 1st class and 2nd class cars. As with Frecciarossa trains, 1st class passengers get a free drink and a newspaper. Frecciabianca trains usually have a cafe car which all passengers can use, and power outlets are in both class cars at each seat.

Florence and La Spezia Train Stations

Florence's Santa Maria Novella station, the main station in the city, is close to the historic center, and is a major hub for city and regional buses, making it easy to get to and from the station if you're traveling light.

Pisa Centrale station is also the city's primary station, located 1.4 miles (2.3 km) from the main attractions, including the leaning tower and cathedral. There is a luggage storage office at the station if you need to store your bags while you make a quick trip to see the tower. Take the number 1 bus from the station to get to the Campo dei Miracoli.

La Spezia Centrale is the city’s main station, located in the city center on Piazza Medaglie. Several bus lines stop outside the station, and there are frequent trains from La Spezia to the Cinque Terre towns nearby.