Cinque Terre · With kids

Five kilometres of flat asphalt along the old railway line, with marked lanes separating bikes from walkers, lit tunnels and small beaches opening off it the whole way. Bike hire in Levanto, and easily the least stressful outing in the region with children.

A forty-five-hectare farm estate on Punta Mesco between Levanto and Monterosso, run by the FAI and reached only on foot along a panoramic path. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00–17:00, from late March to the start of November, and free to Cinque Terre Card holders.

Under-4s are not ticketed. A 4-to-11-year-old pays €7 for a one-day Trekking Card, €10 on high-season days, and a family card for two adults plus any number of children in that bracket is €27.10, or €40.20 in high season — usually cheaper than buying separately.

The Cinque Terre Express takes a few minutes between villages, mostly through tunnels with sudden bursts of sea, and the Train Card version of the card makes it unlimited. Station toilets are free with any card and €1 without, which matters more than you would think.

Corniglia is a long brick staircase up from its station, Vernazza and Riomaggiore are stepped lanes, and the trains are packed from June to September. Bring a carrier, plan one village a day rather than five, and use Levanto or Monterosso as the flat end of the trip.