Cinque Terre in March?
 

We are visiting Italy from March 23 - 27 and would like to spend the entire time in Cinque Terre. Is this a bad idea considering the weather and possibility that many restaurants and hotels won't be open yet? Thanks!

Hello chocojosh and welcome to Fodor's.

The Cinque Terre is very lovely but it wouldn't be my choice in March as I would anticipate cold and probably rainy weather. Did you want to hike between the towns? If so you could be dissapointed due to the weather.

It's hard to know what the weather will be like. We were there even earlier in March in 2004 - and the weather was beautiful - warm, sunny, clear days. We could only walk to 2 of the towns because not all the paths were open, so we took the train. Boat service was not open yet either. But we loved Cinque Terre, and went back in 2007.

CT in March seems to be a fantastic choice for some good reasons: season (spring is a triumph of colours and fragrances), crowding (no big crowds, especially out of weekends, and you have chosen a mon-fri period, very smart), prices (lower than in summer).
The only danger is rainy weather, possible in that period of the year. In a rainy day you could take a train and make a trip to Genova and visit the museums or the famous Acquario. In another rainy day you can reach Pisa and visit the Piazza dei Miracoli. If rainy days are more than two... it means you are quite unlucky...

I was in the Cinque Terre in March 2005. The weather was beautiful, with the exception of a very short rain shower. The trails were open between the villages except for one which had been partially blocked by a rock slide. The villages were not over-crowded, but restaurants and stores were open. The sea was also smooth enough for a boatride.

Wonderful! thank you all for your responses.I think we will take the chance. It sounds like most people have had good experiences there in March. Thanks!

I was there in January and the weather was about 60 - perhaps unusual but lots of things were open - the fact that there were few tourists there was a plus

In season the small towns can be elbow to elbow, losing any romance they have IMO

ditto for the trails in summer - can be gridlock like an LA freeway.

March would be a perfect time IMO unless you want to swim.

We are headed to Cinque Terre in two and a half weeks -- a last minute jaunt that we booked upon recommendation of a friend who has raved about it. We are doing this as a side trip from Paris, and after we booked our flight to Milan and rail into Monterosso we are having A TERRIBLE time finding a hotel. Anyone have suggestions for hotels that are open in the winter... and might have a room in 2.5 weeks!?!?! AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Travelinsal-
I know some Fodorites sneer at him, but Rick Steeves has an extensive and brutally honest list of hotels and rooms for rent in the CT in his Italy guidebook.

We are heading for the CT and surrounding area in April and renting an apartment in Portovenere from Sea and Country Villas. They have been lovely to work with so far and get good reviews on Slow Trav.
http://www.seaandcountryvillas.com/apartments.php

We were also looking at this B&B in Vernazza http://www.perfectplaces.com/31708

I don't know about availability or off-season schedules, but...

We stayed here in October 2006, for 4 nights, and loved it.
http://www.hotelmarinapiccola.com/

October 2008, we stayed here for 5 nights, and loved it even more.
http://www.cadandrean.it/englishindex.htm

I am partial to Manarola & Corniglia (and less likely to stay in Vernazza or Monterosso.) But really...any of the 5 towns is wonderful!

I completely envy you visiting CT in March – I wouldn’t hesitate for a second (though I would hesitate visiting in July or August!). My husband just said yesterday, “Let’s sell the house and go to Cinqueterre. <u>Now</u>!”

We booked a B&B in Monterosso called La Poesia -- but I did hear from a friend in Switzerland that the apartment rentals are truly the way to go. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP...

FYI To everyone... The weather was 65+ and sunny the entire time we were there. La Poesia was absolutely beautiful and we enjoyed our entire trip, even though the hiking trails were closed (booooo!) due to landslides. We don't think we would ever return during tourist season; this was perfect for us.

How wonderful! That weather is just perfect. Too bad you weren't able to do the hiking - you'll have to go again! Thanks for reporting back...

travelinsal-

Thanks for the report! I'm so glad you had a great trip!

We leave on Wednesday and the webcams and forecasts look like we will be stuck with rain. Between the weather and your report that the trails were closed, I might need to revise my packing list to leave out the hiking boots and clothes. Were ALL the trails closed? (We love to hike so we are bummed, but keep reminding ourselves that even if it rains the entire time, at least we are in ITALY!)