Frequent trains link all five villages with each other Trenitalia-run trains as well as a train service run by the park authority, La Spezia and other places towards Genova only Trenitalia-run.
A more expensive, but very scenic option, are the boats that run up and down this part of the coast.
Walking is very popular, especially on the main coastal paths, which are subject to park entrance fees. It's worth exploring some of the higher paths to Volastra above Manarola, Monte Negro above Riomaggiore or paths that begin outside of the park such as the trail between Levanto and Monterosso.
Traveling by car is by far the worst way to explore the Cinque Terre, there is little parking and what there is lies well outside the villages. To get from one village to the next involves driving all the way up to the high road and back down again. Better to leave the car and use the train.
In order to walk along the trails between the villages, one must purchase a pass 5 euros, which is available at the information offices near the train stations at any of the five villages, as well as the stations at Levanto and La Spezia. You can pay a small supplement an extra â¬3 for the pass and get unlimited travel between the villages, Levanto, and La Spezia on regional trains for the duration of the pass.
Warning: Currently Sept 2012 the path linking Manarola and Corniglia is closed for repairs and there was a rockfall that injured some tourists on the Via Dell'Amore recently, so it, too, may now be closed.
