Trains in Italy are a lot like those in India. They are crowded and can sometimes be unclean but they leave you with the happiest memories possible. Travelling from the dynamic city of Naples to La Spezia, the gateway to the five Cinque Terre villages is a cakewalk, courtesy of the overnight train connecting the two. The journey on this direct inter-city train is roughly 6 hours long and you arrive at the central station of La Spezia in the early hours of the morning. You would, therefore, have enough time to hike up to the picturesque five lands. The ride is relatively safe and comfortable although the locals have a habit of crowding the hallways, and getting in and out of your cabin can thus sometimes be difficult.

A Second Class seat on this 9:46 train from Napoli Centrale comes for around 60USD. It is, however, advisable to book a 4-person couchette or a 3-bed cabin so that you can have a good night’s sleep. The couchette comes for 91USD while for the cabin you will have to shell out a 100USD. Pillows and water bottles are provided, and the cabins come with a private washbasin. Reserve your tickets a lot in advance from the Italia Rail website (https://www.italiarail.com/) and keep a printout along with your passport for inspection. If you are travelling solo, this journey will help you realise that being in the company of total strangers is not necessarily a bad thing.