Cinque Terre

Compulsory for the charged sections of the coastal path, and checked. The park's own ticketing lists one-day adult cards at €10 and €15 depending on whether unlimited trains are included. Buy online or at the park desks inside the village stations.

The short paved cliff walk between Riomaggiore and Manarola, closed for years after the 2012 landslide and now reopened. Access is capped: a reservation is compulsory on top of the card, and it is worth booking online rather than queueing.

The blue trail linking the villages. Monterosso to Vernazza is the hardest and best leg, about two hours of stone steps. One stretch near Monterosso is temporarily closed with a diversion via Via Corone — check the park's trail status the morning you walk, since sections shut for weather and landslides at no notice.

The prettiest of the five: a natural harbour, a church built onto the rock and the ruined Doria castle above it. Climb the tower for the view back down onto the boats.

The classic view, from the path towards Punta Bonfiglio. Free, and the houses light up about twenty minutes after the sun has gone.

The Cinque Terre Express shuttles between La Spezia and Levanto through all five villages, taking a few minutes between each. The Cinque Terre Treno card bundles unlimited journeys on that stretch with trail access.

Intercity and some high-speed trains stop at La Spezia Centrale, roughly two and a half hours from Milan and around four from Rome. Levanto is the quieter northern base and has parking that actually exists.

The villages are closed to non-resident traffic and the approach roads are single-track hairpins with nowhere to turn. Park at La Spezia or Levanto and take the train in.

May and late September to October: warm enough to swim, cool enough to walk the paths.

November to March is cheapest, though many restaurants close and the boat service stops.

July and August, plus any day two cruise ships call at La Spezia.

Start at Monterosso and walk the coastal path to Vernazza while it is cool. Cards are checked at the trailhead.

Drop into Vernazza's harbour, climb the Doria tower and swim off the rocks by the breakwater.

Trofie al pesto and a glass of the local white in Vernazza, or focaccia from a bakery eaten on the harbour wall.

Train two stops to Manarola, then the booked Via dell'Amore across to Riomaggiore.

Back to Manarola for the blue-hour view from Punta Bonfiglio, then dinner and an early night. Nothing here runs late.

South of the five, reached by boat or bus from La Spezia: a black-and-white striped church on a promontory, a Genoese castle, and the island of Palmaria facing it.

One stop north and much more relaxed, with a proper sandy beach, surf schools and hotel prices that are not set by scarcity.