kaz11

I am planning a trip to Europe for my husband and myself in April/May next year.I would love to spend time in the Cinque Terre and was wondering if it is still breathtakingly beautiful and worth a few days, or has it lost it's character because of the increase in tourism?

degas

Yes, it is still breathtakingly beautiful and worth a visit, perhaps two days to do some hikes.

kaz11

I was also wondering if it is better to stay in one of the villages and take a trip to Lucca and Pisa, or stay in Lucca and do a day trip to the Cinque Terre?

Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

walkinaround

if you visit CT, i would make sure you have at least one full day (not just a day trip) to do the walk between the 5 villages. in my opinion, this walk is the only reason to visit CT. You may be tired (although it is comparatively easy, therefore it is worth doing the walk in between 2 overnights in one of the villages.

Is it worth it? it's hard to say. the physical beauty is unquestionable. however, i found it lacking in charm and overrun with tourists (i was there in oct - hardly the high season). most of the restaurants that i could find were geared only to tourists and not that good. Of course we all visit many places that are frequented by tourists but i just didn't think CT handled the tourists very well. Probably due to the small size of the villages compared to the number of visitors. when i was there, there were a lot of american university students who were quite loud.

in short, i recommend it for its physical beauty and the ability to take a seaside walk between three scenic villages. however, if you are looking for real charm and a more "authentic" feeling place, i would not recommend it.

kfusto

I was there in September and was tremendously disappointed. It was crammed full of American tourists with their Steeves guidebooks in hand.

Yes, it is beautiful but it has lost its charm, IMHO.

We left after 30 minutes and got on the next train north. We will not return.

degas

Combining charm, character, few tourists and breathtakingly beautiful is often a very tall order.

Keep your expectations in check and always look for the good things.

rex

I am very glad to see this question asked this bluntly. I have never made it to the Cinque Terre, and I have been increasingly thinking that I just never make it there.

I might be content to savor the experiences of others who have made it there and enjoyed it.

Best wishes,

Rex

Tries2PakLite

So crowded that no one goes there anymore?

TopMan

It seems to have had the same fate as the infamous Rue Cler in Paris which Rick Steves has also "put on the map" for some people.

Personally, I am not sure I agree that the number of people who go there has caused the CT to "lose" its "charm" unless one equates charm with lack of tourists.

You have to also understand that there sometimes seems to be this rather mysterious list of "most favored places" operating on this board and God help you if you go to one and don't "enjoy" it as much as you are expected to.

But, you probably could never answer this question to your own complete satisfaction unless you DO go there and decide for yourself.

PalQ

No it will not be too crowded in April or May unless you go the week before and after Easter, heavy travel weeks in Europe due to school and work vacations these two weeks. In any case crowds have never ruined anyplace for me - they only add to the ambience in a way. If you went in July or August it would be a mob scene.

hansikday

Topboy, we know its hard for you to suppress your low regard for people on the forum, but do try a little harder.

kaz11

I'd like to thank you all for your replies.They were very helpful and exactly what I needed to hear.I needed to change my mindset because if I went travelling with such high expectations of every place I visit, I may occasionally be disappointed.

This will be our first trip to Europe, and like most first timers, I have unrealistic expectations.I do know that in 1 month we can't see all the sights, meet all the locals,try all the food and get a good take on the culture and feel of a place, but I am so excited as I have been dreaming of this for 17 years, that I guess I wanted to try. I did't want to bypass the Cinque Terre if it really was worth visiting.

travelphile

I think if you stay in the 'middle' towns you'll be ok - especially in early season. We were there 2 yrs ago, in June, and stayed in Capellini's rooms, in Manarola - wonderful, and at night the town was deserted. The one evening we were in Monterosso, that was NOT true (though that is more of a resort town anyway).

Yes there are crowds, but the charm is still there - and I doubt that has changed much in 2 years. I think if you day-trip, you'll be part of the crowd, and miss the charm.

Happy travels - Kristy

pat

We stayed in Levanto, and did a lot of hiking. The first day we were stunned by the amount of people. Later we learned that it was a national holiday and that`s why it was so crowded. The other days, it wasn`t really very crowded, at least not on the trails. The hike from Levanto to the top CT town ( I can never remember the name) was pretty uncrowded. Also, we went in April and all the wild flowers were blooming! Go!

kaz11

I hadn't thought about just being part of the crowd if we day tripped.We will definitely go and stay in one of the middle villages for a few nights.

My husband is leaving all the planning to me, and as he has never even heard of the Cinque Terre, I think he will be pleasantly surprised.

Wild flowers in bloom sounds wonderful. Is the weather at this time of year still ok for swimming and snorkelling?

walkinaround

kaz,

if you do go to CT, i recommend:

Hotel Ca' Dei Duxi
Via Colomo, 36
Riomaggiore

i'm sure you will love it. honestly. i have said some negative things about it (see above) but you have to keep in mind that a lot of us are jaded and very passionate about european travel. we will debate the smallest detail to no end.

bring your camera because the scenery is spectacular and it really is a special place that you will not forget.

the walk between all five villages is a must in my opinion and we had a fantastic day doing it.

ktw

My first trip to CT eight years ago, we stayed in Santa Margarita Ligure and took a day trip and hiked the villages, I could not wait to go back and finally went in 2003 (May both times).

This time staying in Corniglia, "Slow Food" was having a festival and every kid for miles came for the music and overran the small town. They were sleeping in the vinyards and the narrow streets were jammed with young people. I doubt that it could get anymore crowded. To the residents credit they were up every morning at 5:30am washing the streets and picking up garbage.

I would not hesitate to go again and either stay in Santa Margarita or rent an apartment in one of the villages (except Vernazza which I think is the most overrun).

Santa Margarita is a great place to stay. you can take a ferry to the CT, the villages are beautiful from the water. I would do a search, there is a lot of info on this website re: CT.

I hope you visit this area, it is well worth it.

tpl

I think it's well worth a visit. We stayed in Nervi, just outside Genoa. In the morning we walked from our hotel and took the train to the first village. The walk between villages can be easily done as a day trip, depending on your fitness level.

We went in October and the weather was lovely. There were still plenty of tourists, but many of them walked fairly slowly -- there was enough room to politely pass and continue at our own pace. Enjoy your trip!

rex

Thanks for the "sidebar" message, RM...

So maybe I should not jump to conclusions.

JeanneB

Pat:
I left a question for you on this Stresa thread
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...amp;dirtyBit=1