Judy

I will be visiting Cinque Terre by car, and would like recommendations on where we should stay. We need a place that has its own, safe parking lot for its guests, as well as, a place that is easy to haul our big suitcases into. (No hiking narrow, treacherous paths/stairs with our luggage please... Let me know of these "hard to reach with a car & luggage" places too, so that I will foreknow to avoid them.) We are considering all price ranges. Would Portovenere be a good place to stay for 2 nights? We heard it is accessible by car...Where is a nice place to stay there? Have you been to Grand Hotel Portovenere, Royal Sporting, or Paradiso? What are they like? Which is the nicest?... Or, should I stay at Monterosso Al Mare or Levanto? Are those towns also accessible by car? Thanks for your input!

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Hello Nancy, You have been doing your homework.
I know all of the places you mention and have
stayed at most. I prefer Portovenere because it
is a destination unto itself. I stay at the Paradiso
since it is a 3 star at about $100. If you want more
amenities then the G.H. Porto. is the place, but
will cost about $150. The Porto Rocco in Monterosso
is very nice but expensive, but you are right at
the walk path to Vernazza--fabulous location.
You will love the area---take a boat to see it best.

Doug

The Cinque Terre is a great place for hiking. Here's a suggestion that really worked well for us...even though you didn't mention it. We stayed in Santa Margherita and took the train south back down to Corniglia and walked the path to Vernazza. The train takes only about 30 minutes and stops at all the five towns. They run quite frequently. The hike to Vernazza took us a little under 3 hours. It's basically not much more than a goat path but very popular. Vernazza was fabulous and a great place to eat. The reason we liked Santa Margherita as a base was that there are several nice hotels within walking distance of the train station. The FASCE is a two star that's very clean. The CONTINTALE is a 3 star with a great view. The next day we took the city bus (10 minutes and pocket change to get there) to Portofino to eyeball the jet-setters as well as all the other tourists eyeballing them. Santa Margherita has easy parking, no bad steep hills to climb, etc. This was good for us as we carry a lot of luggage. While we were on the Cinque Terre we got off at each of the towns and exlored. They are all very nice but Vernazza was the best. Have a great time, whatever you do!
Doug

Stan Hall

Wherever you wind up lodging in the Cinque Terre it's worth a drive up the hill above Maranola to a little restaurant called (I believe I correctly recall) "L'ulive." It's barely more than a truckstop--only about 8 tables, a strictly local (generally non-English-speaking) patronage, and the sort of place where if you order a just glass of wine (a good idea in those hilly, snaky gravel roads) proprietor Gianni hands you the bottle and, pointing somehat below its current level, says "drink down to there" -- but the site of the best of three weeks worth of meals in northern and central Italy, every one of which was a solid contender for that distinction. Look particularly, or ask, for "pesce e patate al forno con rosmarino e olio d'ulive" (ie, fish and potatoes baked in olive oil with rosemary). Proprietor Gianni speaks no English but a) you can communicate by pointing and gestures if you speak no Italian and/or b) it'd be worth your while to learn Italian just to be able to eat there.

Buon viaggio, e per favore m'escrivi quando torni sulle tue esperiences. Mia molie ed io esperiamo d'andar ancore in ltalia nel prossimo ano. Frattempo, ciao!

abbie

Has anyone stayed at the Stella Maris in Levanto? I made a reservation there which included dinner and breakfast for lit. 300.000. Is this a good deal? Or would it be better to find a place that allows us to choose our own dining arrangements? Thanks for any advice!

Richard

The rate at the Stella Maris doesn't sound bad considering it includes dinner. However, you probably would want to have dinner in some of the Cinque Terre towns, Vernazza e.g. We last hiked the Cinque Terre in '95 and stayed at the Hotel La Spiaggia in Monterosso. I can't recall the exact rate but I know it was under $100 including cont. breakfast. Monterosso has a great beach and is at the beginning (or end) of the trail. If you are driving there is a public, secure parking lot a few hundred feet from the hotel.

Tony

I would try to stay in Vernazza if at all possible. You will end up in a pensione at about $50 per night, with shared bath. Ask in the local restaurants who is renting out rooms, and they will direct you. Don't worry about the car. What you should do is drive to the bottom of the hill, drop off the luggage with your companion. Then park the car as close to town as possible, and walk back to where you dropped the luggage. Be sure to take a luggage cart to get around town if you have more than a backpack. And take only what you will need. It's a hassle, but well worth it. The towns with parking are highly congested and not nearly so charming. We hiked as long as we wished, then took the train back. Next day, we took the train to where we stopped the day before, and continued walking. It's fabulous.