Im planning a trip to Italy with a friend for July/August of this year. From what I've read, Cinque Terre sounds beautiful, and I hope to spend 3 nights there.

I was wondering whether we should pick one of the towns to stay in for the whole time, and make daytrips, either hiking or by train, to the others? Or are the towns different enough to warrant packing up and moving each day to stay in 3 different places?

I've read several posts that recommend Vernazza as the nicest place to stay, though they tend not to give reasons. My friend and I are female, in our early twenties, and would prefer a mix of great beaches and beautiful scenery with some nightlife thrown in. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. It all sounds so wonderful, Im having a tough time deciding!

To choose and stay only in one place for three nights is a wise decision.
By little shuttle and local train you can easily visit every part of Cinque Terre.
I like to suggest you the B&B IL VIGNETO (www.ilvigneto5terre,com).
Its location is unique: a small hamlet of Riomaggiore, named Volastra.
If you prefer Vernazza, then I suggest Gianni Franzi where you can also enjoy delicious dinners.

Ciao.

Vincenzo

I'd stay in one place rather than jump around. You're only talking about a few miles (or less) between villages
You won't find a lot of "great beaches" in CT, Monterosso has the best one.
There's not a lot of "nightlife" in CT either, maybe a little in Monterosso. Plenty of beautiful scenery though.

All of the 5 villages are linked by train or boat so you don't need to move from village to village. It is beautiful country and the hike from village to village is well worth the time. If you are traveling by train you'll come in via La Spezia. If you're driving you can either drive to your village or drive to Lerici and park, then take the boat. It is not good to leave a car in La Spezia. For the last few years we've stayed in Vernazza at Gianni Franzi http://www.giannifranzi.it/. Room are small but clean and the town of Vernazza is so little that when the tourists leave in the evening it charming.

Thank you for all the suggestions. We will certainly stay in one place now, I just have to decide which. The hotels you recommend all look beautiful, though they're slightly out of my price range! I'm looking for more of a 20-30 euro a night hostel dorm. So I'll keep digging. But thanks for your help!

Definitely agree with staying in one place. Our favourite, however, is always Riomaggiore. We find it to be less touristy. The B&B we stayed in last time unfortunately has no website but it was 50 euros for my husband and I. We sort of accidentally stumbled upon it.

I have not researched hostels so cannot comment on that.

Spent 2 days in 2005, staying in Monterosso. The hike from Monterosso to Vernaza is a great experience. Walking the side of the mountain through the old vinyards is somewhat strenuous but after about 2 hours finished with the spectacular approach to Vernazza. Start early in the morning becasue of teh heat. The 5 villages are all conected by paths but this is the hardest part of the walk. The villages are also connected by rail but you should definitely take a ferry ride so you get the wonderful panoramic view of these hillside towns from the sea.

I think that 20-30 euros a night might be doable.

Here is a quote from Rick Steves:

"Vernazza, the essence of the Cinque Terre, is my top choice for a home base. There are two recommended pensions and piles of private rooms for rent.

These days, with so many rooms available, you can generally arrive without a reservation and find a place (except holidays such as Easter, weekends, and July–Aug). In fact, you can save money this way — or gain the chance to shop around and land a place with a terrace and a view for less. Drop by any shop or bar and ask; most locals know someone who rents rooms."

Hmm, I think I would feel much better having a reservation in advance, particularly since we're travelling in high season.

Im leaning towards the Ostello Cinque Terre in Manarola... seems to be a nice town, and the hostel got good reviews for the most part, from what I could find. Some complaints about rules and whatnot, but I dont think it will be an issue. If anyone has stayed here, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

And what is the average price for a ferry trip from town to town? It sounds beautiful, but I thought that boats were often more expensive.

Becks...check out the town of Levanto..sometimes referred to as the 6th town of the Cinque Terre...it has a great beach (much bigger than any in the Cinque Terre) more restaurants, cafes, shops, ect...in essence it more lively than the 5 towns of the Cinque Terre. It is a 5-10 minute train ride to the first CT town Montorosso...very convenient to reach the CT....It is a great place to spend a few days, I believe it is one of the best kept secrets of the CT...Mikek

Becks,

Here is the site with ferry schedule and prices: http://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti....sorio_2006.pdf

Trains run from village to village on a regular basis and the cost is minimual (I think 5 Euro for the day).

You can always hike from village to village and that also costs because you are hiking thru a National Park.

Mike: Thanks very much for the advice, I think Levanto will work very nicely into my plans! I've already found a couple of good hostels there too. Again, many thanks!

jnjfraz: Thanks for the ferry schedule too, none of my guide books seem to have any info on that. I'd love to do the hikes, but I'm not sure how well my friend would take it! Though I'm sure I can talk her around.

Becks..make sure you get the fresh pasta with pesto..best in the world...as the CT is famous for it...good luck...mike

As all the previous posters stated, you should stay in one town for your 3 nights. The trains run frequently between the villages. Have been there 2x and on our last visit there in the summer of 2006 we stayed 3 nights in Vernazza. During the hot time of the day we claimed a rock down at the beach and hung out. The evenings are beautiful as the daytrippers are gone. Be sure to try the many pesto dishes available and also the foccacia bread. Enjoy and Buon Viaggio!

If you haven't already booked a place to stay, I recommend Manuel's Guesthouse in Monterosso - 25 euros per person per night. It's a hike up there, but well worth it. Manuel has beer and wine taps (1 euro per glass) on the common patio, which has an amazing view. His website is www.manuelsguesthouse.com. Monterosso has the best and largest beach and nightlife. We stayed there last July and are already planning a return trip.

In late October we spent five nights in Manarola and loved this village. We rented an apartment. Everyone was friendly and made us feel so welcome. The village was so charming with all of the colorful boats on the sidewalk. Being in the middle it was easy to walk, take the train or boat to see all of the towns.