Does cinque terre merit three days
 

Hi everybody;
Me and my wife will be doing 2 weeks in france (provence/ cote dazure) and Italy (cinque terre/ lake como/ Verona). We will stay in each destination for 3 days.
My concern is we are going to some pretty touristy places and sometimes the charm of Italy is lost in these tourist mecca's. I wanted to add some small town "FLAVOR" :) to the trip.
I was thinking of Lucca in Tuscany and Parma (or surrounding area Emiglia romana)
Where can i cut a few days. We where thinking cinque terre might be the one. maybe also cote dazure

What do you guys think???

Thanks

What time of year?

Are you mad for hiking cliff trails between tiny villages?

Must admit I don't "get" the mania for CT - except for the touting of the infamous Steeeeves.

I'm not a big fan of the Cinque Terre, either. Depending on when you're going, Lucca could be pretty overrun with tourists, too. And it's not what I would call a small town (about 90,000 inhabitants). Parma is about twice that size. Why don't you go to some other small town in Liguria? I'm not the one to suggest one, though.

I love Cinque Terre and would go back in an instant but two days is probably enough. We hiked and walked through the villages. Not so busy in May.

Sorry I left out some details.
We will be there in may.
hiking sounds fun but not my passion
what i really enjoy is good food, not high end but nonnas cooking
we went to le marche last year and loved it (its my fathers home region)
Also went to Greve, lots of tourists but also great food.
Any suggestions for a nice little town or big city in the area keeping in mind
Food is my main priority followed by nice scenery

Stopped in Livorno on a cruise and went to CT. Not a hiker. Did 3 villages and had no interest in last one as it was the largest, and more a beach resort. So I too would think 2 days max if no hiking.

Two days should normally enough to visit each of the five villages and hike between them, unless the weather prevents hiking. If you want to hike into the hills behind the villages, you'll probably want more time. I enjoyed some excellent meals in the area -- extraordinary fresh fish one night; pesto pasta another.

Hope that helps!

First, the use of proper grammar would suffice "Me and my wife will be doing 2 weeks in france (provence..." It's actually "my wife and I"

Sometimes we are all careless when posting, and my English isn't always the best, but reading some of this sh** on Fodor's is a killer...

Have you noticed how long the train rides are between Cote d'Azur and the Cinque Terre and Lake Como? Six hours minimum to the CT and another 5 hours minimum to Lake Como.

I live in Le Marche, and may be biased, but I think it has the best traditional cooking in all of Italy. It even has some world-class restaurants. I just checked the latest Michelin rankings, and see that Senigallia still has two two-star restaurants. Not bad for a town of some 40,000 people!

Have you visited Umbria? You might try to visit some towns there. They don't get anywhere near the number of tourists that Tuscany has, and have some splendid scenery. The food is similar to that in Le Marche, but with less seafood.

Emilia Romagna also has some great food, but maybe is a bit lacking in the scenery, as it's mostly flat. Still, there are some pretty and untouristy spots in the Apennines above Bologna and Modena.

Another area you might enjoy is in the Apulian Alps of Tuscany. I'm not sure how the food is there, but I would guess there's plenty of rustic fare from Nonna's kitchen.

As a walker I adored CT, and besides the villages there are other pretty towns in the vicinity including Portovenere. I too loved the food there - so for me as a lover of walking and good food I would stay a week (which I did).

I know the most popular places on the Italian Riviera are those places east of Genoa such as Portofino, Santa Margherita, Cinque terre etc. but few people seem to pay attention to some of the less well known but equally beautiful places on the Riviera west of Genoa (actually west of Savona). A beautiful coastal town you might consider would be Finale Ligure and some beautiful nearby towns and villages you could visit would be Finalborgo, Noli and Varigotti. You can learn more about these places on the local tourist office websites for the area:

http://turismo.provincia.savona.it/en/localita

http://www.turismoinliguria.it/turis...Chiamata=false

The great thing about these towns is not only are they beautiful but they lack the mobs of tourists that you'll find in those places east of Genoa.

I wouldn't go to the Cinque Terre for the food; there are far too many foreign tourists there to sustain a high quality of traditional Italian cooking. Some of the other Ligurian towns mentioned by French Mystique would probably be better prospects for someone who wants to experience high quality Ligurian food. However, I've never been to these towns, so I can't say from personal experience.

The Cinque Terre hiking trails have taken a terrible beating this autumn from heavy rains and localized flooding. The area hadn't fully recovered yet from the terrible storms of 2011; some trails have been closed ever since. Anyone who goes there hoping to hike between the villages should keep an eye on this service which shows a map of the trails and the present conditions.

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/s...sp?id_lingue=2

The map is not showing at the moment because all of the trails are closed at present due to weather conditions. They've been closed for weeks now. The higher (further inland) trails are always the first to recover, because the downhill ones are more exposed to the risk of landslides. These trails however are the ones that require a greater degree of fitness and, in some cases, more specialized equipment.

I would keep the three days but base in another town in the region which will be less overrun by tourists. I love Rapallo and also Camogli but Santa Margherita is great too. These three towns are literally less than 5 minutes apart on the train, and about 45 minutes to the CT so easy day trip. You could go early and avoid some of the tourist crunch. Even if you don't/can't hike the trains between the five towns you can walk 15 minutes or so in either direction and get great views. Then go back to the town and train to the next. Boats also are wonderful. If boats are running to Portovenere that is another wonderful day trip.

I would keep the Liguria region as it is between your other destinations, rather than including other places further away. (at least for the trip you have outlined).

Good recommendations here (except for the grammar correction). I second the ferry to Portovenere, if the weather cooperates. It stops at each of the towns, and Porto is worth a visit.

Robert2533, Correcting grammar, when not asked to do so, is a little rude when there are many folks whose first language is not English.

My hub and I visited the CT as a day trip from Pisa. Unless hiking is your interest, I'd even consider skipping it. Good photo ops though.

May won't see any problems with excessive crowds in 5 Terre nor Cote d'azur IME - perfect time of year to go - now the French Riviera is a big area with lots of varied places to explore but the Cinque Terre towns are tiny and arguably all the same - if you don't like hiking then you may be bored and I hiked the whole 7 miles between towns easily in one day (day tripped in from nearby Santa Marghera Ligure, which I suggest as a better base - day trip to 5 Terre or Portofino, San Fruttoso (sp?), etc.

Are you serious Palenq? May is prime high season in the Cinque Terre! It was actually overcrowded to my tast on a rainy day in October.

The coastal path between the five towns has been at least partially closed since 2011 because of the risk of landslides. In other words, you haven't been able to use the coastal route to walk the whole way since then. The upper paths have mostly been open, but, as I said above, all paths in the park are closed at the moment because of inclement weather.

You probably mean San Fruttuoso.

I had the best pesto pasta there. So very fresh and could use a bowl of it now. Good seafood and fresh salads and wine. We went the first week of May and there was a cruise ship in port because some were on our ferry but not crowded at all. I loved the shops and took a ton of pictures of all the laundry hanging everywhere. It is amazing how the villages are built right into the mountains. You can do a short bit of hiking just to see the views.

Robert2533, you are a rude arse. Did your Mother not teach you any manners?

I must apologize to Robert, my Mother did teach me manners and it was rude of me to suggest your mother did not and to call you an arse.

Enjoy Cinque Terre.

We first went to Le Cinque Terre in 1994 and we saw three of the five sleepy, quiet towns. We were the only tourists in each of the towns visited. We returned in July of 2013 on a day trip visiting Vernazza and Monterossa. Each place was jammed, jammed with tourists, both American and Italian.

I do not understand the attraction to this area unless one likes souvenir and t-shirt shops.

Buon viaggio,

When it comes to food, the regions of Italy are incomparable. The best traditional cooking of the Italian Riviera is absolutely nothing like the best traditional cooking of Parma or Lucca. Actually, the best traditional cooking of Parma is quite different from the best traditional cooking of neighboring Modena. You can find beautiful food in every region of Italy, but you also need to take your own preferences into account. If you have limited appetite for seafood, you won't want to linger in Liguria. Likewise, if you aren't much of a cheese eater, you're going to weary of menus in Parma. I am not a big fan of Tuscan food period, but you obviously enjoyed eating in Greve (but Lucca's food and wine is quite different).

If you are eager to experience great food, nice scenery and have an untourist-y view of the Italian Riviera, then FrenchMystique is giving you a good suggestion to choose the Ligurian coast between the French border and Genova. I agree that Lucca is not an escape from tourists, and the point there is not the scenery but the town. Parma is beautiful and its nearby castle towns are a joy, and you will not get an overload of tourists in the general area, except a few crowded around the cheese factories and the Verdi opera sights. For scenery, though, you go to the hills south of Modena (and the food there can be outstanding too).

In between le Cinque Terre and Parma there is an absolutely gorgeous area of rolling hills and mountain outlooks, with marvelous rustic food that is its own cross between Liguria, Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. It is called the Lunigiana, and much of it includes the old pilgrims' route from Canterbury to Rome, so there are many pretty towns to enjoy. The right spot for a base in that area would be Pontremoli. It is comparable to Le Marche in that it is an immersion in the completely untouristy side of Italy that is so wonderful to experience.

http://ciaolunigiana.com/location-lunigiana/

http://www.podereconti.com/index.php...giana/?lang=en

I second Isabel's recommendations. I loved Rapallo, Camogli and Santa Margherita! I stayed in Rapallo for a week with day trips that included the Cinque Terre (just spent a day there, but I am not a hiker; traveled between the towns by ferry, train, and boat.)

If food is your thing, you should check out U Giancu in the hills above Rapallo. (For a price), you can prep with Fausto in the morning and come back in the evening to enjoy a fabulous meal that you helped to create -- and watch other diners enjoying the fruits of your labor. This was an unforgettable experience!

We adored Cinque Terra, staying 3 nights in a small guest house, and enjoyed the quiet walks between towns. The views are spectacular. I would not have missed it and would happily return.

bvlenci

How do you define traditional cooking when there is so much diversity throughout Italy? Do you mean cucina povera? If you scratch the surface there is wonderful cooking all over the country.

Also where are the Apulian Alps? Do you mean Apuan Alps?

So many great responses.
Thanks everyone even Roberto 911 grammar police

To all who mentioned Rapallo I agree , it's a great place, we spent some time in the area in 2012

As far as traditional food, I love all the different regions cooking styles. From seafood to sausage to tripe. What i look for is a classic recipe with most importantly quality ingredients. And no microwave. Cucina povera is right up my alley but don't get me wrong I love a good white truffle.

Umbria is also a great destination but we have also been there and it is a little out of the way to get to lake como after.

French mystique gave some great recommendations We have been to san remo before and had great food. Maybe staying west of Genoa is a good Idea .

Sandra you mention the hills around modena that also sounds interesting

Back to planning thank you all again. Sorry about the grammar

My wife and I went a few years ago (2010) in late June. It was pretty warm.

We were based in Florence and took not only a few day trips but two overnighters; to San Gimignano / Siena and Pisa, Lucca, CT.

We were able to get to the Leaning Tower and spend a very short amount of time there by getting off at the San Rossore station instead of Centrale.

We then went to Lucca for the afternoon (short train ride). There were very few tourists. We walked through the town center, rented bikes and rode around the town on the city wall. Very nice bike ride.

We wandered around and took a 5PM train to La Spezia where we had hotel reservations a block from the train. I didn't want the hassle of staying in CT and walking up and down hills to the hotel.

After checking in we took the 7 minute local train to Riomaggiore, spent a few hours, saw a beautiful sunset, had dinner outdoors facing the ocean and returned to La Spezia for the night.

The next day we went back to Riomagiore wandered, then walked to the second village, wandered and walked to the third village.

The third village doesn't have a marina so we walked back to the second village and took a boat to Portovenere and wandered there for a while before taking a bus back to La Spezia where we picked up our overnight backpacks at the hotel and took the 3 hour train back to Florence.

An excellent couple of days.

If you'd like to check it out then you can have a look at this link to a photo report I wrote about visiting all of the towns I mentioned plus many other nearby places. At the very end of the report are links to downloadable brochures (in English) from the tourist office websites in that region. They'll tell you not only about the places I mentioned but all kinds of other info, including what are the regional specialties of each town and the names of restaurants where you can find the best of that particular type of cuisine. There's plenty of local food and wine info in the brochures.

I will warn you that this report is very long as it also documents time I spent living/working/vacationing on a relative's farm in that area and other miscellaneous stuff. You'll notice the report is broken up into several replies so if you want to get to the parts about the places I mention start at the reply dated December 4, 2012 at 1:08AM for Finalborgo and December 4, 2012 at 2:49PM for Pietra Ligure, Varigotti, Noli, Finale Ligure and some other places where I rode my bike.

http://tinyurl.com/bjgz52m

If you're traveling by public transport then Finale Ligure is the best place to base as the rail station is in town. The other places will require a short bus/taxi ride to get to. If you'll have a car then any of the towns/villages in my report are accessible.

Here are the links to the downloadable tourist brochures for the towns I mentioned and the general region, which is known as the Riviera delle Palme. These links are a couple years old so I don't know if they're still active but I got these in printed brochures from a local tourist office (in Celle Ligure) so you can ask at a local tourist office there.

Verezzi, Balestrino and Toirano:

www.italiantouristoffice.se/sv/docs/93.pdf

www.italiantouristoffice.se/sv/docs/91.pdf

Castelvecchio and Zuccarello:

www.italiantouristoffice.se/sv/docs/92.pdf

Varazze, Celle Ligure, Monte Beigua:

www.italiantouristoffice.se/sv/docs/95.pdf

turismo.provincia.savona.it/sites/default/files/catalogo/pdf/SAVONA_inglese_2012.pdf

Finale Ligure, Voze, Finalborgo, Noli, Varigotti:

www.italiantouristoffice.se/sv/docs/94.pdf

turismo.provincia.savona.it/sites/default/files/catalogo/pdf/LOANO_inglese_2012.pdf

Here's the link to the main regional tourist office website for further info:

turismo.provincia.savona.it/en

Here's a link to the I Borghi più bella d'Italia (Italy's Most Beautiful Villages) website that lists all of these villages throughout Italy, not just where I'm exploring in Liguria. It's an interactive map so just click on a region and the villages will be highlighted.

www.borghitalia.it/index_en.php