Quick note about "squatty-potties:" This is partly why I recommend women wearing loose skirts in these areas, besides their being cooler in hot climates. Yes, you wear shorts when hiking, but otherwise, I like skirts.

Thx you all. I do want to know ALL the tidbits, esp re. the bathroom situation as I'm a big water drinker-you know what I mean. I've been told to bring my own packs of T.P. and I'm also bringing "wipes" just to be safe. Did you hike a lot? Do you prefer day backpacks or fanny packs? I'm worried about the backpacks now cuz of petty theft, esp in Naples and trains and maybe even the ruins. I'm bringing both.

Hiking in the Cinque Terre is the major draw for that area, in my opinion. We hiked between the towns except for one of the long trails which was closed. Tho't of something else you might want to know, and there were threads about this a couple of months ago before we went. The trail leaving from Montorroso was slick and a bit unnerving at a few points. There had been a lot of rain the day or two before and the mornings of our hikes. Nothing to worry or obsess about as there were only a few places that were both steep and slick. In late September, the crowds should not be bad. We were there in April which is probably comparable in that regard. If you have the choice, you might hike during the week instead of on the weekend. We made friends with a couple from Australia who told us that several groups of teens were hiking when they hiked on the weekend and were some were less than considerate about "right of way" when passing on narrow parts of the trail. The same couple also told us that there were many trails in the area apart from the ones between villages. We did not have time to do more, and I am sorry that I don't know how to get details for other hiking paths. The ones in the park proper were well-marked and reasonably well-maintained. The views are breathtaking. Regarding daypacks, we took one backpack which we traded off periodically. We never keep anything valuable in it. Tickets and passports and money always go in money belts either worn around the waist or neck and always under clothing. The backpack just had water and T.P. and wet wipes, etc. and maybe enough E's for two Cokes. Common opinion on this board and elsewhere is that fanny packs invite pickpockets and scream tourist. I have no fantasy that anyone mistakes me for a native, so that part doesn't bother me, but my friend had her fanny back picked clean without her having any awareness that it had even been unzipped. Keep money and important papers under your clothes even if it does make you feel 10 pounds heavier! PJK

Re the toilet situation, I don't recall seeing any open public toilets in any of the CT villages. I'm the sort who ALWAYS has to go - such a pain. In Corniglia there was one squat loo at the train station and a locked toilet in Riomaggiore, halfway up the hill in the town. Not much use to anyone locked! In the other villages you can buy something in a bar and use their toilet. In the bars the toilets were western style but with no paper.
Kay