I've checked Venere.com, tripadvisor and a couple of local sites and can't find anything in CT april 30-May 2 except Il Borgio di Campi in the hills above Riomaggiore. It sounds very nice but it's too far to walk to from town and access by bus is very limited.

Does anyone know of any other sites that might have information about places to stay in CT? My first choice was Manarola.

I've got an email out to Villa Margherita by the Sea in Levanto. It's got good reviews but it's a little farther away. Does anyone know if it is close enough to walk to the train station? Also, I know trains, buses and boats run between the towns but any idea how often and how early/late they run?

Thanks,
Marcia

Last summer, we enjoyed Arpaui in Manarola (so much that we are staying there again this year).

www.arpaui.com

Have a great trip!
Sally

I meant:

www.arpaiu.com

I hate that my spelling is bad...

Sally,
Thanks but that and all the typical places you find on teh major internet booking sites are booked up already. It appears my only option would be some small place that isn't associated with a booking service but I don't know how I'd find those.

Marcia

Levanto should definitely be on your list. We stayed there a few years ago in a small inexpensive hotel. Levanto is just a 5 minute train ride to CT, or a 2 hour hike. Lots of good places to eat in Levanto, and a very nice beach. I believe the local train runs every half hour or so.

We loved our stay at Marina Piccola in Manarola, but that was a few years ago. Someone posted here recently also praising their stay there. It's right at the top of the cliffs of the "port" in the center of town and has a wonderful outdoor restaurant.

Marcia,

As to the place I mentioned, you would book with them directly. I don't know if they are hooked up any booking services.

Arpaiu is super small - only 4 rooms and basically brand new. Stunning views and perfect location.

FWIW, I usually book directly with hotels even if I find the hotel on another site because often the prices are better.

Good luck!
Sally

You may try these sites:
www.villamargherita.net
www.hotelvillaaccini.it

In Vernazza, I picked up a card from a hotel there, the Gianni Franzi, Piazza Marconi 1, www.giannifranzi.it. We weren't staying there, but I got the card for future use because it looked nice.
>-

Have you tried La Torretta in Manarola? I stayed there a number of years ago, and loved it! You have to climb a long hill to get there, but I thought it was worth it! Good luck

www.cinqueterre.net/torretta

Thanks. I already tried Arpaiu with 2 different sets of dates and got shot down twice. Marina Piccolo never responded although if I remmeber they were a little higher then I was hoping to spend. I will try them again. I also tried Casa Cappelini and one other place. I just emailed Gianni Franzi and Hotel Villa Accini.

Accini's website mentioned http://www.italiadiscovery.it which seems to have some other properties (although it's English version looks Italian to me). I do usually contact places directly but it takes so long to hunt down these places and then wait for a response and time is running out. Besides, I've gotta get some work done. If I wasn't the boss, I'd get fired!

Villa Margerita in Levanto sounds like they are pretty tech savy so I hope I will here from them soon. Are places this booked up because May 1 holiday or is it just that the places mentioned on websites and guidebooks fill up faster? Are there enough small places in this area that I could risk taking my chances and just find a place once we arrive? We really just need a bed with a clena room but I wouldn't be stuck without a place to sleep.

Marcia

Because it was mentioned, thought I'd throw my two cents in on Gianni Franzi in Vernazza. I personally loved staying in Vernazza (May 2005) however I would never stay in Trattoria Gianni Franzi again! It was terrible. Room was okay (no more than okay, however), but the noise! Oh man, a good night's sleep was nowhere to be found. And I don't mean the noise from the town (no problems with that), I mean the noise from within the hotel itself. It should be renamed Trattoria Slamming Door or Trattoria Thin Walls. Vernazza was great, but next time we'll definitely be staying somewhere besides Trattoria Gianni Franzi.

I stayed at this place a few years ago and really liked it. It's in Monterosso.

www.locandailgigante.it/english/locanda.html

While looking this year, I stumbled upon La Mela in Vernazza: http://www.lamala.it/. It looks pretty gorgeous! It ended up that we didn't book it because the price was nearly double what we are paying for Arpaiu and Arpaiu is so lovely, we couldn't justify it.

Sally

SRS- that hotel looks amazing. Thanks for posting the link. Top of the list foe whenever I return to Cinque Terra.

laartista, That is what I thought too! I am hoping to check it out generally when we go to the CT this summer.

Tuesday, May 1 is European Labor day, and a big holiday. A lot of Italians make a "bridge", and make a four day weekend of it. Here is a website for Levanto which has links to a lot of hotels. Levanto is a nice little town, and it's very easy to get to the C.T.:
http://www.levanto.com/

An enthusiastic second vote for Marina Piccola in Manarola. October 2006, we stayed 4 nights, loved everything about it, even the curmudgeonly guy at the desk!
www.hotelmarinapiccola.com

We are staying in an apartment in June - can't recommend because we have not been there yet, but looks pretty good and also looks like they have one available at your time. Worth checking out: www.corrado5terre.com/English.htm

Julieann,
Do you happen to have another link for them? This one doesn't work and I tried the main domain and get dievrted to acquamarine something. That might be the correct site but you mentioned that they have availability on my dates and I don't see anywhere to check availability on that site.

I just heard back from Gianni Franzi in Vernazza and they DO have space but somewhat mixed reviews. I sent out several emails to places listed at levanto.com late last night and another one to Marina Piccola and Villa Margherita. I'll send out as many other request as I can find today and then I'll have to decide.
Thanks everyone for the tips!
Marcia