My husband and I will be in CT 10/21 and 10/22 and would like to find a nice 3-star place to stay. Budget-wise, we can spend about 100 euros/night. Monterosso sounds a bit too busy for our tastes - anyone out there have a hotel recommendation for somewhere a little quieter?

Look at Villa Margherita in Levanto.

If you get off the train in Riomaggiore, and walk the streets, an old lady in a black sweater may be walking by. You can pantomime to her that you need a place to sleep. She may lead you to a bar to wait for her. Soon, she may appear in a window above the street, calling out to other women who are also in their windows, talking. Then, she will return and lead you down the cobblestone streets to a house hanging out over the sea. There, Papa may come to the door with his shirt off. After talking to the lady, he may go back and put his shirt on, and then lead you up a winding stairway to the quiet guest "condo" with a balcony out over the sea.

Thank you for your help, BobtheNavigator - having read many of your previous posts, I know you are quite the expert and respect your judgment.

Thanks, sandals -- I love the spontaneity of it! What does one typically pay to rent the condo for a night or two?

We actually stayed in Portovenere -just south of the CT- at the Hotel Belvedere. (Thanks to BobTheNavigator!!)A beautiful and charming town, much quieter than the CT, but with a water taxi to all of the towns, so it is convienent. Might be something to look in to if you are looking for a quieter option.

Thanks Volterragirl -- do you know if both Levanto and Portovenere have access to the CT trail?

I know others like staying in other towns "near" the CT, but our favorite part was spending nights right in Manarola -- one of the sleepiest and most charming little villages ever. I'd stick with that idea. I can't even begin to imagine Portovenere being "quieter" than Manarola -- especially at night. We walked through the streets at night, quietly talking and got "shushed" by people leaning out their windows above us. We thought we might go have a drink after our wonderful dinner at our hotel's outside terrace restaurant, but at 10 PM there was NOTHING open, and I do mean NOTHING.

We loved our little Picolo Marina Hotel right in Manarola. Sandals story is pretty intriquing though.

We stayed in Levanto a few years ago. Some consider it the '6th Cinque Terra' town, since it is so close to Monterosso. The hiking trail from Levanto to Monterosso is great - a 3 hour scenic hike with virtually no one else on the trail. You can then take the 5 minute train ride back. I wouldn't consider Levanto a quiet town, it's a popular beach resort, but with very few non-Italians.

I second Patrick's vote for Manarola - though we stayed in Cappellini's rooms. Just that, a room with a balcony/amazing view, but no other services. In 2002 we paid less for that than what the backpackers had paid for beds in Riomaggiore ($42). You can find them on the internet, was simple pictures with just an email, not a true website.

Patrick - we seem to have similar Italian plans/favorites - The lakes, the Metropole, Manarola, etc...

In October most of the towns will be quiet. We have never been bugged by noise or tourists at that time of year. I however would agree with one of the earlier posts...i love Portovenere.

We are about to book a room at "Alla Porta Rossa" in Manarola - has anyone stayed there?

Oh Sandals thanks for putting a big smile on my face. Your story brought back vivid memories of my stay in Riomaggiore. One of my favorite memories was seeing the women having conversations with each other from window to window.

Another favorite was hearing a small van drive down the street making a rather loud distinctive ring. The driver stopped, opened the back doors of the van when suddenly the street was filled with a dozen women at the back of the van. Each was holding up their lira (1996) high in hand as they tried to argue and shove their way to get to choose the first pick from the fresh fish the man was selling.

As far as accommodations are concerned, we got lucky meeting Mario from Mar-Mar. He had a wonderful 2 BR apartment called "Anna" that we just loved. The apartment is STRAIGHT UP a few flights. If stairs are a problem for you, forget this flat. Mar-Mar has many other apartments. And price? Cheap. We paid $20 each in 1996. Their website now says 20-40 Euro per person. Go to Trip Advisor and enter Riomaggiore or any of the Cinque Terre towns to get more ideas of where you can stay.

We actually enjoyed our stay in Monterosso this April. Did not find it busy at all. I believe you would run into the same amount of "traffic" in October.

Stayed at Villa Steno, lovely views, great breakfast, nice staff and room, private bath. I would definately stay there again. Also, please eat at Gambero Rosso in Vernazza. The best meal of our trip!

zootsi, your post is the first I've ever heard of a hiking trail from Levanto to the CT. Sounds like a great idea since the CT trail is so "crowded" these days according to most reports. I'm glad we went before it became such a "hotspot" and was still very, very quiet, but your suggestion is an interesting one thanks to the additional bonus of that extra trail.

Patrick - Thank you for recommending Manarola - did you hear anything about Alla Porta Rossa when you were there?