<< Main concern about staying in the CT is arriving and leaving with luggage. Sounds like the local train service isn't really set up for luggage.>>

scrb, in fact, the local train service is absolutely fine for travelers with luggage. We've done it twice, with no problems whatsoever. Of course, we don't travel with a lot of heavy bags. Plenty of other people who use the train also stay in CT.

There is absolutely NO need to rent a car!

scrb,

Arriving in le Cinque Terre with luggage is not a problem, so long as you are willing to haul it uphill to a hotel. (You'll generally have the same problem arriving with a car, getting your luggage back to the car from your hotel).

If you want to visit Portofino, it is easier to do so from Santa Margherita Ligure than le Cinque Terre. You can walk, bus or boat to Portofino.

LucieV,

My question wasn't about where else you had been in Italy. My question was where else you stayed in Liguria and on what basis of comparision you advised against staying anyplace other than the CT and making a daytrip to the CT.

Think it might be possible that had you overnighted in other places along the coast you would have fallen in love with them? Have you only daytripped to Santa Margherita Ligure? )

I agree that when people come here to ask a question, the responses should be guided by one's personal experience. Your postings seem to want to steer people exclusively to one place as if you had spent lots of nights elsewhere along the coast, and knew on the basis of experience and elimination that le Cinque Terre is the best place. I don't get the impression you have a personal basis for comparison, and this is lavendar's trip -- so he or she should consider all the options outside of the intensely touristy, hiking-oriented le Cinque Terre!

Hmmmm, didn't mean to stir up such controversy!!

Thanks to all your input I've decided to spend 3 nights 4 days CT, hopefully Manarola and 1 night 2 days Camogli. ( no time for Genova now) New Years Resolution is to get into shape to be ready for some hiking in the CT.

Without Stepsbeyond suggestion I would not have even considered staying at Camogli. So thank you for enlightening me. Wish I had more time in this area but am committed to a flight out of Milan....next time.

This forum is such a wealth of information, thanks for sharing.

hi lavender,

we went to the CT many years ago - we weren't overwhelmed. I realise now that our fault was to go for a day, and not stay to let the atmosphere catch up with us.

the 2010 edition of fodor's Italy has a great section on the CT, both getting there and getting around once you arrive.

have a great trip

regards, ann

>>>Sounds like the local train service isn't really set up for luggage.<<<

? The local train service isn't any different than train service all over Europe when it comes to luggage. You manage and stow your on luggage on any train.

stepsbeyond, with all due respect, I get the impression that you have never done other than daytripped in CT. If I am wrong -- if, in fact, you have spent several nights in one of the 5 towns -- correct me.

In any case, my "steering" anybody to stay in CT is sincere: I happen to feel that it is an extraordinary place -- unique not just in Italy, but in the world -- that cannot be experienced with a cursory day trip. Kind of like going to the Grand Canyon on a day's bus tour and saying, "Nice big hole in the ground, but what's the fuss?!"

PS, lavender:
Do not apologize for having "stirred up" any controversy...it's just that we Fodorites are nothing if not opinionated (and passionate about our opinions)!

Is the schedule for the trains serving the CT at the trenitalia.com site?

That is, you would put in two CT towns to search for the timetables of the trains within the CT?

Or put in a town outside with a CT town to see the schedule?

Or do you go the La Spezia in the south and some other town in the north to transfer to the CT train?

Hey! My wife and I are planning on going in March... great thread. I'm a little confused, it seems like the opinion is pretty divided between CT being overly touristy and a must see. I had to laugh at the Rick Steves comment we just bought that book about an hour ago ;)

Lavender,

You wrote:

"Characteristic with a terrace sea view would be perfect!
Like everyone...searching for that special experience!"

So I'm giving you this link to the Casmona hotel in Camogli in case you decide to base there or split your Ligurian stay into two parts. It has lovely terraces, but outside your stated budget. You might decide to splurge. It's an exquisite perch.

http://www.casmona.com/eng/hotel_casmona.html

LucieV,

It is precisely because I have daytripped to le Cinque Terre that I dispute your contention that the "only" way to appreciate its beauty is to spend days and nights there. I thought that was clear. It's simply not true that going on a day trip means not appreciating what it is. You should look at many trip reports on Fodor's of people who have based outside the five towns and taken the train in during the daytime and raved about the place. Many of them also said they were glad they had actually based outside the five towns. You are simply wrong about this -- not about they way you need to appreciate le Cinque Terre but in assuming others can't experience the actuality of it and have a better trip FOR THEMSELVES by approaching it differently.

Unlike a lot of posters, Lavender offered some pretty specific information about his or her personal preferences: A beach, Italian ambience, quaintness, peace, beauty, a daytrip to Genova plus no need to be positioned for lots of hiking. My opinion is what they are spending travel money and time to find is more easily found as a whole and in depth if they base outside le Cinque Terre and visit it -- or if they don't mind splitting their nights, spend two outside and two inside.

By the way, LucieV, if you like lovely seaside walks with gorgeous views, you might daytrip into Zoagli the next time you are in le Cinque Terre for this:

http://www.preboggion.it/images/Zoagli_svizzero.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/3068085.jpg

http://www.preboggion.it/images/Zoagli-Chiappara.JPG

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/5908806.jpg



denzlite,

Yup, although the "argument" in this thread is not about "to see or not to see" le Cinque Terre. The "argument" is about how Lavender can get the experience he or she is hoping to find. LucieV seems to think le Cinque Terre is so overtouristed during the day you have to wait until late at night and sleep there or get up early in the morning before the daytrippers arrive (a la San Gimignano or Venice) or else it's blah. I say that for people who aren't keen on hiking, a single visit to le Cinque Terre on a nice weather day, with a boat trip, walking in a few of the towns, lingering through the sunset with an appertivo can make for a day of marvelously beautiful sights -- and still leave you time in Liguria to appreciate the charm of nearby equally uniquely beautiful towns (some with equally dramatic scenery) whose local Italian culture and cuisine havn't been thoroughly displaced by foreign tourists. And you'll find it easier to include a trip to Genova.

Stepsbeyond I'm ahead of you!! Have already booked at Hotel Casmona for one night, unfortunately no terraces available but a seaview is- saw the gorgeous breakfast terrace we can enjoy anyway! Yes it was outside our budget but yes I did decide to splurge...you seem to know me so well!!

Hope to catch a late afternoon train to Milan and make the most of our all too short time in Camogli.

Yes I did hope to describe quite specifically what I was looking for and you along with others have been tremendously helpful. I did however change my mind about the hiking ( at least little walks) and will spend some time enjoying the scenery that way too!

In Manarola I've booked Casa Capellini top apartment with terrace booked for 3 nights.

By the way, I'm a "she"!! travelling with a husband who actually enjoys hiking! For those who may have read earlier posts by me I was originally going to be travelling with 21 year old daughter but plans changed.

Have a great trip lavender! You will get to find out for yourself what kind of ambience you like best. Others may disagree, but I think of the ambience of le Cinque Terre as marvelously international and egalitarian. Yes, the olive oil and the vinyards and the well-preserved fisherman's houses are Ligurian, but it has for many years been cherished by youthful trekkers from all over Europe and America who enjoy hiking there and view=gazing there as a truly beautiful public space. It's not a party-town, but young travelers from everywhere fill the trattorie and modest bars, and get to know each other and swap travel tips. In other Ligurian towns, I think just as enchanting, italian families tend to dominate -- but be forewarned that means more cigarette smoke, more motorini, schoolchildren on your bus ride, babies in the restaurants, and no hamburgers, hot dogs, not much pizza but lots of lousy beer.

Should you get rain in Camogli that precludes a boat trip to San Fruttuoso or a stair climb up to San Rocco, hop the train to atmospheric Chiavari, which has porticoes to protect you from the rain and absolutely delicious food (especially at Luchin for farinata). If you like to eat well and explore a bit off the beaten track, order a copy of David Downie's Food and Wine of Genova and the Italian Riviera from Amazon. It has great recommendations for authentic budget eats in le Cinque Terre and Camogli and, of course, Genova.

try forte di marme