syd

My husband and I are planning to visit Cinque Terra and the Italian Riviera while travelling to Italy this fall. Our original plan was to spend 2 nights in CT, and 2 nights in the IR.

We are working with a travel consultant who is advising us to spend all 4 nights in Rapallo with a side trip to CT. He suggested that there really is not enough to do in CT and that the hotels there are not up to par.

About us, this will be our first visit to Italy. We are interested in walking the CT trail. Busy nightlife is not a priority. Charming villages, arts and crafts, great views and good dining are important.

Any feedback?

carrom

The Cinque Terre trail is wonderful and absolutely worth the trip. If you walk all the 15/17 km you'll find there won't be that many people. The hotels are not up to much and the towns are overrun with tourists so food is not excellent and everything is expensive. I haven't been to Rapallo in ages but 4 nights seems a bit long. I would do 2 and 2.

LucieV

I have no idea what your consultant considers "up to par" and "enough to do," but my husband and I spent 4 nights in Manarola last October (very end of "high season," so uncrowded, but weather glorious.) We not only didn't want to leave, we can't wait to return. CT is heaven on earth, imo.

Calamari

My best friend lives in Rapallo. If I did not have her to visit, I would say 1-2 days in Rapallo is definately enough. It is lovely, but the population is mostly older. Portofino is only 20 min drive and fun to walk around for the day. I remember seeing a boat that transported people from CT & Rapallo to Portofino too. Definately worth looking into!

Huitres

For clarification, it is the Cinque Terre (plural for "5 earths/towns&quot and Cinque Terre is ON the Italian Riviera. No way would I stay in Rapallo AND the Cinque Terre. Portofino and Rapallo are only a 40-minute train ride up the coast from the Cinque Terre, no sense getting 2 hotels that close to each other. If you make either Monterosso, Manarola, Vernazza or Riomaggiore (skip staying in Corniglia) your base, you can take day trips up into Genova, Portofino, down to Lucca, etc. and visit the whole Riviera di Levante (Italian Riviera). It is quite convenient. I would spend all 4 nights in the CT at one of the above-mentioned towns, then you can take day trips around to the surrounding cities. If you want to cut your stay down to 3 nights, that is more than enough time to see the area, then you could add your other day to the rest of your Italy trip. Buon viaggio!

syd

Thanks so much for all of these replies and for the clarifications on Cinque Terre.

carrom, can you comment a bit more on your remarks about hotels and towns in the Cinque Terre?

On another side point, I'm reading that Rapallo may be becoming big and touristy. True?

Grazie!

MyriamC

I agree with Huitres in that I would stay all 4 nights either in Rapallo (or somewhere else on the coast) or in the Cinque Terre. No need to change places.
I don't agree in cutting your stay down to 3 nights. There is really enough to see to spend a week at least. Besides the CT and Rapallo, add Portofino, Portovenere, Lerici and Genoa to your list of places to visit!

DRJ

We've been to the CT a couple of times and agree that they are unique and charming. I, too, recommend Rapallo as a headquarters. Try googling Albergo Bandoni. We had a waterfront room and, as I recall, not expensive. (Also, IMO, Portofino is a spectacular entrance by boat but the town itself is nada.)

carrom

Whatever you do don't stay at the Ca Duxi in Rio Maggiore as it was pretty grim for the price! I would check out Trip Advisor for hotels and probably choose Monterosso which is a bit livelier. But the walk is nicer from Riomaggiore to Monterosso not the other way round. Personally I love changing hotels and staying in different towns when i travel even if they are close but I see the point of other posters who prefer to stay put. We stayed in Santa margherita Ligure once in a very nice hotel. That was also a convenient location for visiting Portofino, Genoa etc.
Unfortunately, being Italian, I can't really share other posters' enthusiasm for 5 Terre because some parts are so shoddy and degraded and the railway service is an embarassment.

JJ5

We stayed in Rapello for 5 days and saw /walked all the 5 towns above and other places below (Lucca etc.) and loved it. In other words we saw the entire Italian Riviera (Liguria) in that time period. We did NOT have a car and did it with bus, train, boat. Our best meals were not in the Cinque Terra itself.

JJ5

But, I must admit, that we walked a lot- and most times it was not on the "flat" either.

syd

These are all great responses and much appreciated.

I still have a concern about Rapallo being overly developed and touristy. This is mainly based on reading I've done in Rick Steve's and Frommer's guidebooks. Is this true?

MyriamC

The Cinque Terre towns are much more touristy than Rapallo!

LoveforItalia

We also worked with a travel consultant who actually lives near the CT (Megan at www.bellavitaitalia.com) and she was definitely an expert on the place. She put us at the Doria Park Hotel in Lerici, which is a lovely village just south of the CT (which you reach by boat - fun!). It was a great recommendation. In addition to visiting the CT, we saw Portovenere (BETTER than Portofino!), Carrara and Lucca plus cooking lessons with Megan and her mother in law.

Rapallo just seems so far north and I've heard it's rather industrial???

JJ5

We saw Portovenere too, and I agree- absolutely loved it.

But Rapallo is definitely not too industrial. Actually a large medical school is there, and with a booming family life, etc.- I had a rather "college" town feeling, myself.
It seems much more like "real life" Italia to me than the CT towns that are geared toward tourism nearly completely, IMHO.

Huitres

I would not say Rapallo is more touristy than the Cinque Terre, it is the other way around, thanks to Rick Steves. If you seem set on staying in Rapallo, then make that your base and visit all around, including down to Portovenere, etc. Very neat places to see and convenient by train or boat getting around. I never rent a car when in Italia and have always managed fine with public transportation (trains, busses, boats, etc).

If you decide to stay in the Cinque Terre, Monterosso will offer you the most hotel accommodations and is the northernmost town, so maybe easier access to Rapallo, Portofino and points north. Manarola and Riomaggiore are nice towns too. I love the whole area as my family friends live there and I know it very well so really anywhere you go will be fine.

syd

Thanks again for the replies.

We really are not set on staying in Rapallo, in fact we knew nothing about it until our travel consultant made the recommendation. Now we're researching the area before making a committment. All of the places mentioned sound quite nice. It's a bit difficult making a decision.

We do not plan to have a car while in the Riviera region. Glad to hear from Huitres and JJ5 that you've not had trouble getting around with public transportation and walking.

motor_city_girl

syd, we stayed in Monterosso at Hotel Villa Steno and loved it.

lovisa

You might also consider staying in Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure, or Levanto instead of Rapallo. If you put these town names in the Search function you will find a lot of information. Camogli is next to Santa Margherita Ligure which is next to Rapallo. Levanto is just north of the Cinque Terre proper. All are on the train line. I've stayed in all 3, and I would prefer any of them to Rapallo.

mike1728

Syd, try staying in the town of Lavento, sometimes called the 6th town of the Cinque Terra. It is less than 10 minutes by the shuttle train. It has a great beach, numerous hotels, shops, markets, ect. lots of great restaurants, and less touristy than the Cinque Terre. Hope you like pesto, because you will sample the worlds best here!!...Good luck.
Mike