Five cliffside villages by train, or Pisa, from one easy dock.
La Spezia is a naval town at the head of the Gulf of Poets and the gateway to the Cinque Terre, the five pastel fishing villages stacked on the cliffs 10 to 25 minutes up the coast by train. Ships dock at Molo Garibaldi inside the working port, with the Largo Fiorillo terminal building and a free shuttle to the port gate on the Passeggiata Morin promenade; from there the old town is a 15 minute walk and La Spezia Centrale station about 25 minutes or a €15 taxi. Most cruisers ride the Cinque Terre Express to Monterosso or Vernazza, take the ferry to Porto Venere, or go the other way to Pisa. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls here from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do La Spezia
The Cinque Terre by train on your own, the Gulf of Poets by boat, or Pisa and Florence inland: pick your style and the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Monterosso, Vernazza and Manarola on the Express
- Shuttle to the port gate, then a 25 minute walk, a €1.50 to €2 city bus or a €15 taxi to La Spezia Centrale; the Cinque Terre Express runs about every 30 minutes and a single is €5 to €10 depending on the day, or the Cinque Terre Train Card (about €22 to €35 as of 2026) covers unlimited rides and the trails
- Riomaggiore is 8 minutes, Manarola 10, Vernazza 20 and Monterosso 25; do three villages, not five, and start at the far end so you work back toward the ship
- Walk the Vernazza to Monterosso trail (90 minutes, card required) if you have the legs, or just lunch on anchovies and a glass of Sciacchetrà on the Vernazza harbor
Best for: independent travelers, hikers, photographers
Porto Venere, Lerici and the villages from the water
- The Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti ferries leave from the marina near the port gate, about 30 to 40 minutes to Porto Venere (about €15 round trip) and on along the Cinque Terre coast to Monterosso in about 2 hours
- Porto Venere is the sixth village nobody has heard of: the striped Church of St. Peter on the rocks, Byron’s grotto and a lunch of mussels on the quay, all without the Cinque Terre crowds
- Ship excursions do the same loop with a guide and a reserved boat for about $120 to $180 in 7 to 8 hours
Best for: couples, anyone who hates train crowds, calm-sea days
The Leaning Tower in an hour, Florence on a long call
- Regional trains reach Pisa Centrale in about an hour for about €8 to €10, then a 20 minute walk or bus to the Field of Miracles; the Tower climb is about €20 with a timed slot
- Florence is 2 to 2.5 hours each way by train, so only on a 12 hour call and better as the ship’s coach (about $110 to $160) with a guaranteed return
- Lucca, 90 minutes by train, is the relaxed alternative: rent a bike and ride the Renaissance walls
Best for: first-timers to Tuscany, families, repeat Cinque Terre visitors
La Spezia (Cinque Terre) cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at La Spezia for the Cinque Terre from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at La Spezia for the Cinque Terre
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to La Spezia
La Spezia sits between Genoa and Rome, so it replaces Livorno on many Western Mediterranean loops; pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.
Things to do from La Spezia
Count on about 45 minutes from the gangway to a train seat at La Spezia Centrale; here is what the rest of the day can hold.
Which lines call at La Spezia?
La Spezia has become the Cinque Terre and Florence call for most big ships in the Western Mediterranean; these are the lines with the most sailings.
When to go
The Ligurian coast is mild and bright from spring to fall, baking in the villages in August, and wettest in October and November; the trails and ferries are at their best in May, June and September.
La Spezia and Cinque Terre questions we answer every day
Where do cruise ships dock in La Spezia, and how do I get to the Cinque Terre?
Ships dock at Molo Garibaldi (and on busy days Molo Varicella) inside La Spezia’s working port, so there is no tendering, but you cannot walk through the port. Every line runs a free shuttle from the gangway to the Largo Fiorillo gate and terminal building on the Passeggiata Morin promenade, 5 minutes. From there the historic center is a 15 to 20 minute flat walk and La Spezia Centrale station about 2 km: 25 to 30 minutes on foot uphill, a €1.50 to €2 city bus (lines S, L or 3) or a €15 taxi. The Cinque Terre Express from Centrale reaches Riomaggiore in 8 minutes and Monterosso in 25.
What do the trains and the Cinque Terre Card cost?
As of 2026 a single Cinque Terre Express ticket is €5, €8 or €10 depending on the park’s demand band for the day, valid 75 minutes, bought at the station machines or the Trenitalia app and validated before boarding. The one-day Cinque Terre Train Card (about €22, €29.50 or €35 by band) adds unlimited rides between La Spezia and Levanto plus the paid trails; the trekking-only card is about €7.50. Pisa is about €8 to €10 and an hour each way on a regional train. Check the last train that gets you back to Centrale 90 minutes before all-aboard, and remember the ride back is 25 minutes plus the walk.
What money do I use, and will my phone work?
Italy uses the euro and cards work almost everywhere, including the train machines and the ferry office; carry cash for the bus ticket and the focaccia stands in the villages. Italian is the language and English is easy in the Cinque Terre. Liguria is on Central European Time, six hours ahead of New York. Most US carriers sell a daily international pass of about $10 to $12, or buy an eSIM before you sail; signal is patchy on the trails.
Is La Spezia and the Cinque Terre safe for cruise passengers?
Yes. La Spezia is a quiet naval town and the villages are safe; the cruise lines and the U.S. State Department flag only pickpockets on the crowded Cinque Terre trains and in the station. Keep your bag in front, leave the passport in the cabin safe with a photo on your phone, wear real shoes on the trails (the steps are steep and the park closes paths in heavy rain), and carry the ship’s port agent number from the daily program if you travel on your own.
What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?
The Cinque Terre by train is the prize and it is very doable on your own with 8 hours or more: three villages, a lunch and a trail in 6 hours. Book the ship’s version if your call is shorter, if you want the boat ride between villages without planning, or in July and August when the trains are standing room only and the guaranteed return is worth the price. Porto Venere by public ferry is an easy independent half day; Florence is ship-coach territory.
Do I need a passport for a Mediterranean cruise?
Yes. Every Mediterranean cruise needs a passport valid for at least three months beyond your return (we recommend six), and there is no closed-loop exception as there is for round trips from US ports. The EU’s new entry-exit system records your arrival at the first Schengen port, and the ETIAS travel authorization is being phased in; check the EU’s official site before you fly. Our specialists keep a current checklist for every sailing.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, government taxes, fees and port expenses, so the number you see is the number you pay for the cruise. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and onboard gratuities are extra, and SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on the picks at the top that you cannot get booking direct.
Talk to a Cinque Terre and Italy cruise specialist
Tell us your dates and how many hours you want in the villages and we will find the Italy sailing with the longest La Spezia day and the most SmartCruiser value, then book it for you. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.