Do we need to book Cinque Terra accomodation in advance, or should we be o.k. in end of May early June?

You would be wise to do advance reservations -- the Cinque Terre is definitely not "undiscovered".

ep, I would suggest you move fast depending on what day of the week you will be there. It was my most difficult place to find a hotel last year but finally did. I came in on a Friday night and I had 5 or 6 different groups ask me if I knew of any available rooms because they hadn't booked ahead. Good luck.

We based ourselves in Portovenere for our trip to Cinque Terre. Belvedere Hotel and town were nice. <BR> <BR>We then left our car in Portovenere and took the bus to La Spezia. Found the train station and purchased a day pass to make the run to all the towns of the Cinque Terre. They are very close together. We got on and off the train and explored the small towns. Ended the day back in La Spezia and bussed home to Portovenere. Great day and easy way to see the area,

As to hotel recommendations, both of Rick Steves recommended hotels in Manarola looked lovely. (One is uphill from the train station, and the other is downhill on the small harbor.) <BR> <BR>The Steno in Monterroso al Mare is also very nice.(Uphill from the center.) <BR> <BR>We stayed at the Hotel Baia on the boardwalk in Monterrroso (small but functional rooms with balcony looking over the water,and an excellent buffet breakfast included). It is a "level" walk of about 100 meters from the train station. <BR> <BR>For "training in",the Hotel Firenze e Continentale in La Spezia is very nice and just across the street from the train station. <BR> <BR>

You might also check out Lerici, which is a charming old town (aren't they all?) near La Spezia. Hotel Florida and Hotel Shelley are right on the water, and there are a number of daily boat rides to Cinque Terre (takes about 30-40 min, and is very scenic). But book early; Lerici is a popular resort town for the locals too.