Our Green Hammock Adventure kicked off with a red-eye flight from Washington Dulles (IAD) to Milan via Lufthansa—and we were very excited to be on an Airbus A380 for the first time! We booked bulkhead seats in Economy Light (yep, just carry-ons for two weeks!) and settled in for the overnight flight.
After a smooth arrival in Munich, we navigated a maze of passport checks and found a cozy corner for some much-needed naps (especially for the boys) and Haribo gummies. Then it was onward to Milan, where our driver from Daytrip.com met us for a scenic 3-hour drive to Riomaggiore, one of the five stunning villages of Cinque Terre.
Travel Tip: Since Riomaggiore is a UNESCO World Heritage site, vehicles can’t enter the town. Our driver dropped us near the main parking area, and we walked the short distance to our apartment—an important preview of the many steps and hills that define life in the Cinque Terre!
We checked into our Airbnb, Colors of Rio, with an easy self check-in process (and very proactive hosts – Enrico and Cecilia). After dropping our bags, our top priority was obvious: pizza and gelato.
We grabbed a takeout pizza from Pizzeria Kepris which was highly rated and suggested, then walked up to the bluff for dinner with a view.
And to close the night we found our first gelato stop at the Gelateria O.S.—just steps from our apartment.
Cinque Terre Travel Tips:
✅ To walk the Via dell’Amore, you’ll need two things:
- A Cinque Terre Card (often provided with accommodations in Riomaggiore)
- A ticket for the trail itself – available online or at the station (reservations are suggested)
✅ Most hiking trails in the Cinque require the Cinque Terre Card, so check if yours is included or purchase one ahead of time.
✅ Planning to use the train? Grab the Cinque Terre Train Pass—it paid off for us after just two trips.
✅ If you’re planning on hiking all 5 villages in one day, bring a day pack with water. There are places in each village to stop and fill up but you’ll need all the water you can get. Once you get past Manarola, you’ll be doing alot of elevation changing. You can always bail and take the train or train back to Rio.
✅ You’ll need actual hiking shoes to do the villages trails. No flipflops or crocs allowed. They can fine you and HIGHLY suggest Vibram type soles. It’s dusty and rocky and has a few loose sections.
Additional Accomodatations:
Scorci Di Mare (this is right on the harbor – it may be louder at night than the others)
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