If you’re worred about not finding a parking space at my first choice parking in La Spezia (Park Centro Stazione, beneath La Spezia Centrale) here’s a Plan B option for you. Or, this could be your first choice if you are an independent and savvy traveler and prefer to utilize free parking. If you’re not a fan of streetside parking, check out my post with details on two other alternatives for public payment parking garages in La Spezia. 

First things first, head to the LA SPEZIA MIGLIARINA (pronunciation: La Spetz-ee-uh Meel-yuh-ree-nuh) station. If you’re using a GPS and the railway station doesn’t come up, you can enter the following coordinates: 44° 7′ 23.16″ N, 9° 50′ 22.85″ E.La Spezia Migliarina is a secondary station and it’s usually pretty deserted. You won’t find a ticket counter, a TI office or personnel available like at a main station; you’ll find one automated computer kiosk available where you can purchase tickets and that’s it. Heads up: You will not be able to purchase the Cinque Terre Card at the Migliarina station (but you can purchase it online here, which will save you a lot of hassle). If you are traveling with a mobile phone with data, I highly recommend downloading the TrenItalia app in advance so you can purchase tickets quickly and easily without having to use the kiosk.  Here’s the good news: You’ll find 48 (yes, I counted them!) *free* white-lined parking spaces available right there at the station (just meters from the tracks). Really, it couldn’t be more convenient! And this station is so quiet that really there’s no chaos or stress.If those parking spaces are full, you’ll find lots more white-lined spaces on the road beneath the station. Don’t forget that the color coding for parking spaces is as follows: white = free, blue= payment required, yellow = reserved (like for handicap or resident-only parking).

Things to take into consideration if you park at La Spezia Migliarina station

• There’s no limit on how long you park in the white-lined spaces. For this reason, many locals park their cars in this area (so there’s not a high turnover rate like at La Spezia Centrale where all of the nearby parking requires payment).
• Do not park within the gated area you see below (even if the gate is open) as the parking there is reserved for TrenItalia employees only.
• The free parking at La Spezia Migliarina station is unguarded and there’s no surveillance.  While break-ins or vandalism are not commonplace in La Spezia they *can* happen, so parking is at your own risk. This area, unlike some other free parking lots in La Spezia, is right in the middle of a residential neighborhood so I would feel more comfortable leaving my car here than in some other places. However, common sense and a bit of caution should always be used. Do not leave anything in sight in the vehicle. If you plan to leave anything in the trunk, be sure that nobody is observing you while you do so.  Are your plates on your car from another country? This can make your vehicle a target. In this instance, I would feel okay leaving my car for the day but not for an extended period of time.

How to get to the Cinque Terre from the La Spezia Migliarina station

Because it’s a secondary station, many trains will require you to make a change at La Spezia Centrale. However, if you time it right, you can catch a train that will continue on and not require a change (recommended, especially if you have luggage with you). Check train times and schedules on the TrenItalia app or on the official website www.trenitalia.com Enter in that you’d like to leave from La Spezia Migliarina and then choose which Cinque Terre village you’d like to arrive to (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza or Monterosso).  

It takes 6 minutes to travel by train from La Spezia Migliarina to La Spezia Centrale. If you catch a direct train from the Migliarina station that won’t require a change at La Spezia Centrale, it will take you approximately this long to reach the following stations (I’ve also included ticket rates for peak-season 2022):

• Riomaggiore: 14-18 minutes, ticket price €5.70
• Manarola: 17-21 minutes, ticket price €5.70
• Corniglia: 20-24 minutes, ticket price €5.70
• Vernazza: 25-29 minutes, ticket price €6.00
• Monterosso: 29-33 minutes, ticket price €6.00

Of course, if changes are required you’ll need to tack on some additional time.

I hope you’ve found this information helpful!

Safe travels,