Cinque Terre Hotal Advice
 

Hello -

I am planning on spending 3 nights in Cinque Terre in September and I would like some help with selecting a location and hotel. Can you let me know if you prefer Monterosso or Vernazza. Also which hotel would you recommend in each location. I am deciding between the following places:

Monterosso: Villa Steno

Vernazza: Albergo Barbara OR Camere Giuliano OR Trattoria Gianni Franzi

All of these places have pretty good reviews on Trip Advisor and are about the same price (except the Villa Steno is more expensive).

Thanks for your help!

I stayed at a great little place named Locanda Gigante in Monterosso and loved it. You can google it.

I would choose Vernazza of the two. Though I stayed in Riomaggiore, Vernazza was my favorite of the five towns. It is certainly more picturesque than Monterosso and feels more quaint. Watch the sunset on the pier and eat in one of the cafes surrounding the man-made harbor, with its small fishing boats lined up. Monteross, with its sandy beach, feels like a resort area. As for hotels, I can't recommend any since I just arrived and went to one of the many apartment rental agencies. They put us in an older gentlemen's apartment with a view of the water. On our second night, he cooked us a big pasta dinner (with his homemade Portofino sauce, half tomato, half Pesto) and opened a bottle of his homemade wine.

Monterosso is a bit more lively, more choice of restaurants and bars in the evening. Don't stay in Riomaggiore!
The walk through all the five towns is an absolute must but do it starting from Riomaggiore towards monterosso not the other way round!

We have stayed at Hotel Villa Steno three times (2003 - 2005) and we love it. If you type "Hotel Villa Steno" into the search box at the top of the screen you should be able to read a few of my VERY detailed reviews. The hotel is located in the Old Town part of Monterosso and is extremely charming. It's a bit away from the beach so it is very quiet at night.

I stayed at Albergo Barbara in August 2002 as a backpacker. Be aware that there are several flights of steps and that there is no A/C. There were only shared bathrooms at that point in time as well, though they were clean. There is also no breakfast at Albergo Barbara and the owner is often MIA so you need to be fairly independent and not expect to have a hotel clerk around all the time. The location is literally right on the town sqaure so be prepared for a lot of noise, esp. if you sleep with your window open b/c of the heat. It's certainly not a bad place to stay at all, just much more bare bones than the Villa Steno.

I also want to mention that Vernazza in particular is full of rentable rooms in locals' homes. I stayed in one of these rooms in late August 2002 for the same price that I paid at Albergo Barbara a week earlier. It was MUCH nicer. I had a private bathroom and air conditioning, plus it was much quieter at night since the houses are not right on the town square.

If you are planning on staying in September at Villa Steno get in touch with them soon. I tried to get a room for Sept in December and they were already full.

My advice would be to stay in Monterosso, as Vernazza is very touristy and the prices are higher there than in the other 4 towns. It is certainly nice to visit during the day; however, there are more options available in Monterosso. Monterosso is the largest of the 5 towns with more restaurants, cafes, shops, etc.

If you do want to stay at Hotel Villa Steno you should contact them ASAP. We always book 7 to 9 months in advance.

I stayed in Albergo Olivedo about 8 years ago. I LOVED it. Laura, the owner, was wonderful, the rooms were beautiful, the view was of the lake and Switzerland. It was about 120 dollars, including dinner. I had my first hangover after that dinner.(Ah, the memories...)
Good luck!
Beth

SOrry, ALbergo Olivedo was in Vernazza.