Patrick, where did you stay in Manarola? Recommend it? Did you walk to Corneglia and back? How was it? Thanks, CJ

I have a question also. We will be going to CT in May. We'll have a car. I know there is a car park in Riomaggiore but would we be able to park in Vernazza? TIA

Hi Grimmy My information says there is a parking lot and a shuttle bus from it to the top of town. We shall see. . . Patrick or Steve_James, where are you? CJ <BR>

In Manarola we stayed at Piccolo Marina, overlooking the little &quot;harbour&quot;. The first day we walked south to Riomaggiore and back. The second day we walked all the way north, through Corniglia, Vernazza, and ending up at Monterossa, taking a boat back to Manarola. We left Manarola about 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning, stopped in Vernazza for about a two hour lunch, and still arrived in Monterossa around 3 or so.<BR><BR>We drove to Manarola and parked at the edge of the town. They gave us a permit to drive fairly close to our hotel with our luggage.

grimmy, there is a parking area in Vernazza, but we did not have a car with us. Depending on where you stay there, you might have a difficult walk down into the village area.

We did drive to Vernazza in Sept. 2001.The road to Vernazza from the Autostrassa was hair rising to say the least. In places the two lane road was literally falling down the hill and no guard rails anywhere. The two lane road became a one lane road because the other lane was crumbling down the hill! My husband was able to drive the stick shift car around those spots and only once did we meet someone coming the other way--it was a truck. We had to find a wide spot in the road and wait for it to pass. <BR><BR>Upon arriving at the top of a steep, long road that lead into Vernazza there was a wide spot along the road where someone was charging a fee to park there if there was a spot available. We were early so we got a spot but it was really tough to maneuver into and out of. Only 3 wheeled minitrucks can make it down the road into town. The walk down the hill was steep and long and it was a hot day but it lead along a stream that emptied into the ocean and had several houses with gardens that only a goat could get to in my opinion.<BR><BR>It was a fun day though a definitely worth the effort, but maybe you could take the train there from one of the other towns nearby.<BR>