I will be in the Cinque Terre for 3 days in Oct. and I am having a hard time finding a hotel. The Affitta Camere de Baranin in Manarola has an apt. available. Does anyone know of this place and how does Manarola compare to the other towns, i.e, Vernazza? Appreciate any help you give. Looked in up in text search, nothing.

we stayed at de baranin in may. it is located at the top of the town. we had a small room with a balcony and a view. the room was very clean. there is a small breakfast room-breads, coffee and maybe yogurt. the staff was friendly. we would have no second thoughts about staying there again. <BR>in may, manarola was very quite, don't know about oct. i'm guessing that you will find far fewer american tourists in manarola than you will in vernazza. had a great meal at marina piccola, there is also a great bread/pizza shop on your left as you walk up the hill, i wish i could remember the name. i guess i'll have to go back and get it. <BR>good luck.

MK: thanks for the info. . . I was wondering about the walk up the hill - was it steep? How far from the train stop? Also, looks like there were a few stairs to climb in the hotel? Was the view good? Thanks again.

joan - i believe the walk is about 15 minutes from the train station, a gradual uphill walk. there may be a mini bus that takes you to the top, you can check with the hotel. there were stairs to our room and to the breakfast room. we do a lot of walking, so we don't notice the hills and stairs so much. <BR>the view was of the opposite terraced hillside, the lovely town and a bit of the ocean.

Hi joan, <BR>probably isn't the right time to discuss about travel, but if you want to go to Manarola try with a girl(Cath) who lives there and works as operator in northern Italy from many years. You will have all the answers you want at [email protected]

I can't speak about your hotel, but Manarola is my favorite of the five towns. It is as picturesque as Vernazza (especially its tiny cliff surrounded "marina" from which they hoist boats up to the street level and then roll them in to the streets). This is why no cars can get down near the sea. It is less touristy than Vernazza and certainly Monterossa, but yet seems a little more lively than Corniglia. Rommiogiore is fine, but seems so crowded during the day -- or at least it was the day we were there, perhaps because it is more easily reached especially from the south so a lot of people day trip there to say they've been to the Cinque Terre.

Hi Joan, <BR> <BR>My husband and I were in Italy for 26 days last Oct/Nov, and had the most wonderful time. We had 3 days in Vernazza, with our most memorable meal of the trip being in the little restaurant in Manarola mentioned above, the Marina Piccola (sp?). Perhaps the setting on the pier, the seafood was so fresh... they cooked mussels marinara specially for me... then 'frutta di mare'... it makes me smile just thinking of it. We loved Maranola, although we already had a room in Vernazza, which was also lovely... I'd definitely try and stay there next time... Have a wonderful time....DLC..