One Night in Riomaggiore

After having just been in Riomaggiore i would say any accommodation in town has to be a short walk from the train station - either that or you will be mountain climbing. the rail line actually runs under, in a tunnel, much of the town - you access the station by a long underground tunnel from that part so it could be more quiet. But this is a busy busy rail line - lots of freight trains at all times and frequent passenger trains on the mainline between Rome-Pisa-La Spezia and Genoa.

There is an elevator in Riomaggiore (which apparently many visitors miss).

Try reading reviews on TripAdvisor. People there usually give details about how they reached the hotel that they stayed in, whether by elevator or stairs, and whether or not they heard train or other noise.

The five towns of le Cinque Terre are only a few minutes train ride from each other. If you don't like the offerings in Riomaggiore, try Manarola (which has a bus that runs uphill), and so on. Before booking a hotel, ask about alternates to stair-climbing to reach the hotel.

Also consider Levanto, just a few minutes by train beyond Monterosso al Mare. It is more spread out and less vertical (noise travels up) and some quiet hotels may be a simple flat walk away from the train station.

riomaggiore and monterosso are the only two 5 Terre lands that allow cars in so there are inherently noisier than the car-less Lands, who only allow in vehicles of locals or those staying at selected hotels.

Let me ask the question differently.

Since the towns are only minutes apart by train and we'll be coming from Lucca, where would you recommend we stay for one night (town and/or lodging).

We expect to spend the next day walking/visiting some of the towns and hopefuly Portovenere before returning to Florence in the evening.

With the late arrival, I would stay in Monterosso and take the hop on/off ferry boat the next day--as far as Portovenere.

We drove to Vernazza in September, staying for 3 days. Cars are allowed, but it's a challenging drive. The elevator up to Riomaggiore was out of order, so we had to walk up the hill, it's steep. Beautiful views though! The trains don't always run frequently so check the schedules before deciding where to stay.

Myer,

Bob's suggestion is exactly what I would choose! You can see the views from land or sea, hike when you want. Even get off and use the train if needed. I've visited the other towns and they are all beautiful. We stayed in SML and didn't hike as far as Monterosso so can't say how it is personally.

The photos I've seen of Monterosso make it look more like a small resort city (ala Cannes) rather than a small, quaint town with the Cinque Terre look and feel.

Am I right or do the photos not do it justice?

Monterosso is by far the largest of the 5 villges and is relatively flat. It also has the best beach and the most hotels. Not as quaint but more convenient.

bob,

You mentioned flat and beach.

Well, I live in South Florida and know both of the above.

I do however recognize the ease of not having to walk up and down steep hills.

I don't expect we'll have any luggage as we're keeping our room in Florence. Just some minor necessities.

Will have to think about this. Thanks.

Monterosso isn't a large village, just the largest of the 5. You can still explore it in just a couple of hours.

The photos of Monterosso you usually see show the beach promenade section CONNECTING the old and the new town. The old town is situated along a hill. It is not as steep as other CT towns.