I'm thinking of booking with A Casa 5 Terre - Maria 3 in Manarola. Does anyone have experience with this place? The room looks wonderful on the website, but we all know how that goes.

Oops excuse my typo in the title...

You might want to include the URL so folks can take a look at it. Even if someone hasn't been there they can give valued input by looking at the rental or point out something you missed.

Good idea: http://www.acasa5terre.it/index.html
Thanks!

Wow! That looks great! I wanna be there right now. Couple of questions. What floor is the apt on (if you have problems with stairs) and are you bothered with no shower curtain. It wouldn't bother me (I love the bathrooms with just a nozzle sticking out of the wall) but I've read other posters who are annoyed by this.

I can't remember if this is the town you can drive into but I'm guessing it is. There may be a gatekeeper preventing you from driving into the town to drop off luggage. Ask the hotel (or someone who speaks Italian) to provide a short note in Italian explaining that you are dropping off luggage and will park outside the village.

I know, I can't wait to go (Oct.)! Knowing what CT is like, I expect to be climbing a lot of stairs - at least I can work off all the wine and pasta. And the shower isn't really an issue. We will be taking a train from Genoa, so we are also not worried about parking, but we do need to consider the walk from the station which is about 8 minutes. I see the whole issue as incentive to pack light!

adrienne (or anyone else) - do you have any restaurant recommendations?

sgerhar1 - thanks for posting this question. We are planning to visit i Cinque Terre next year before my sister's wedding (she is having it at my parents home town in Italy). This seems like something that could work for us.

Thanks again for posting and hope you enjoy your trip. Let us know how it works out for you when you get back.

I have not stayed in this particular apt, but I did stay in Manarola this past May and what I remember is that we did a lot of climbing up the big hills! You'll totally work off all the great pasta!

There are so many great pasta places in this town as well! Enjoy!

Hi

We stayed in Manarola last May for 3 nights at the Marina Picola Hotel in a seaview room. It was wonderful. The hotel restaurant which overlooks the water is highly recommended. Although my favourite meal there was a picnic of olives, pesto, pizza and a bottle of wine sitting on the edge of the water watching the sunset. Magic place. The walk from the train is not too strenous, until you get to where you will have to climb the stairs to your apartment. It looks like a spectacular place though, so I think it would be worth it!

sgehar,

You are not going to find many pretty places without stairs and uphill walks in Cinque Terre, so if you like that place, take it. The only negative I repeatedly hear from people who stay in Manarola in that apparently they don't silence their church bell in that town after midnight. Perhaps they've since started. You might ask if that concerns you.

Where I live in Liguria, there are 1700 stairs to get to my front door from the sea. I walk up them regularly, with a week's groceries.

Backpacks are comfy. So are wheels on your luggage.

Just stop to catch your breath if you need to.

I'm always kinds amused when I read trip reports with people saying they climbed ALL the stairs to Vernazza -- and they counted them. 380!!!! That's NOTHING where I live.

You must be in great shape zeppole! I live in Florida, so I have very little climbing on a daily basis. But I can't wait to hike the trails and I promise not to complain about the stairs! (I won't even count them)

to respond to Zeppole, they still do not silence the church bell after midnight. I woke up once around 3am and could hear it going off.

I will say that after a great hike along the trails for the day, you'll go back to your apt tired and have a great night sleep!

sgerhar1 - did you end up staying at A Casa 5 Terre on your vacation? Did you enjoy it? I am looking into booking there too and wanted to hear your thoughts.

Thanks in advance for your help on this and hope that you had a good vacation.