Which town to choose for lodging in Cinque Terre
Sep 11th, 2014, 02:03 PM
#21
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last year in May we stayed in Riomaggiore for 1 week. we had a studio apartment on the first floor in the main street. We loved it. We like to stay in places for a week as we don't just want to see the sights or do the hikes. We like to experience what it is like to live there for a week. Some of the best experiences are after the day crowds leave.
We found the people very friendly and helpful, the food was great and we had no trouble finding things to do each day even though most of the main coastal track was closed. We visited all the 5 towns some of them twice. Vernazza was particularly busy during the day. We used both the trains and the ferries to get around. The ferry is more expensive. The trains were very busy. We also liked Portovenere but not Levanto.
Hope you enjoy your trip.
We found the people very friendly and helpful, the food was great and we had no trouble finding things to do each day even though most of the main coastal track was closed. We visited all the 5 towns some of them twice. Vernazza was particularly busy during the day. We used both the trains and the ferries to get around. The ferry is more expensive. The trains were very busy. We also liked Portovenere but not Levanto.
Hope you enjoy your trip.
Jul 1st, 2015, 11:05 PM
#22
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Well I've been touring the Cinque Terre a couple of times with my family in the past few years and we always chose an accomodation in Portovenere... I think it's the perfect hub for touring Cinque Terre by boat..
cheers
Trey
cheers
Trey
Jul 3rd, 2015, 02:01 AM
#23
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Notice how much of the Cinque Terre trashing refers to how it used to be. Well, that doesn't really matter to people who've never been there. My wife and I intensely dislike crowds, so much so that we considered getting out of Venice early on our trip there a few weeks ago (and often go on beach vacations to places where we don't see a single person for days). We ended up loving Cinque Terre. Sure, there are a lot of American tourists, us being two of them, but all of the towns were pleasant and enjoyable. Not to mention absolutely beautiful.
I would recommend going during the week, not on weekends, and avoiding holidays. Also, keep in mind that the trains between the villages run regularly (and we never waited more than 20 minutes for a train) with one exception: After 9:30 p.m., there's no train from Vernazza (or, I think, Corniglia or Manarola) back to Monterosso until 11:30, so if you have dinner at 7:30 or 8 and aren't done until 10, you'll have to wait until 11:30 for the next train.
We stayed in Monterosso at Stella Della Marina. Nice hotel with AC and views, and Gabriele is a great host. My favorite town was Manarola, but Vernazza seemed to have the best restaurants.
Oh, and go to the beach in the morning. The Monterosso beach got pretty crowded in the afternoon.
Enjoy CT.
I would recommend going during the week, not on weekends, and avoiding holidays. Also, keep in mind that the trains between the villages run regularly (and we never waited more than 20 minutes for a train) with one exception: After 9:30 p.m., there's no train from Vernazza (or, I think, Corniglia or Manarola) back to Monterosso until 11:30, so if you have dinner at 7:30 or 8 and aren't done until 10, you'll have to wait until 11:30 for the next train.
We stayed in Monterosso at Stella Della Marina. Nice hotel with AC and views, and Gabriele is a great host. My favorite town was Manarola, but Vernazza seemed to have the best restaurants.
Oh, and go to the beach in the morning. The Monterosso beach got pretty crowded in the afternoon.
Enjoy CT.
Jul 3rd, 2015, 05:17 AM
#24
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We were only there one Monday in May of 2012 but we found it to be uncrowded and beautiful. We visited 4 of the 5 villages and liked them a lot. We walked on the Via dell'Amore which was still open then and we hiked the high trail from Manarola to Corniglia. I'm sure it was better 20 or 30 years ago but we thoroughly enjoyed our limited time there.
davetroy - I'm curious how your trip went. You had posted some questions on my 2012 TR and it sounded like you had a great trip planned. Any chance you will post a TR?
davetroy - I'm curious how your trip went. You had posted some questions on my 2012 TR and it sounded like you had a great trip planned. Any chance you will post a TR?
Sep 28th, 2015, 09:42 PM
#25
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Uh -oh. What is meant by this:
"Most people are happy with whichever town they stay in except the modern part of Monterosso al Mare (and some find Corniglia too remote and tiny)."
I just booked a hotel there!
"Most people are happy with whichever town they stay in except the modern part of Monterosso al Mare (and some find Corniglia too remote and tiny)."
I just booked a hotel there!
Sep 29th, 2015, 08:19 AM
#26
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Just returned from a 2 week trip to Italy. Yes, Cinque Terre is crowded, even in September. Yes it has lots of kitsch but it is still awesome and I consider a must see.
Not any more overwhelmed with visitors as Venice , Florence or Pisa. Those three towns were shoulder to shoulder!!
Not any more overwhelmed with visitors as Venice , Florence or Pisa. Those three towns were shoulder to shoulder!!
Mar 3rd, 2016, 03:28 AM
#27
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Whoa La Torretta in Manarola looks to be high roller status prices. Particularly for Europe where one need almost never pay that much for a nice place to stay. Just IMO. Way above my European price-range but I'm considering staying in Manarola or Riomaggiore when I finally make it to Cinque Terre this April.
I'm already in Italy, and I'll have free days between Tuscany and Verona (where I'm headed for a big professional wine event-and where I'm finishing off 8 months of solid budget traveling in Europe) so I figured now is the time to FINALLY do the Cinque Terre!
which is easier to get your luggage to when you arrive at a train station?
I'd like to train in somewhere. stay two nights the same place where i can leave my luggage, and hike during the days as much as possible between the villages
Cheers
Brooke
I'm already in Italy, and I'll have free days between Tuscany and Verona (where I'm headed for a big professional wine event-and where I'm finishing off 8 months of solid budget traveling in Europe) so I figured now is the time to FINALLY do the Cinque Terre!
which is easier to get your luggage to when you arrive at a train station?
I'd like to train in somewhere. stay two nights the same place where i can leave my luggage, and hike during the days as much as possible between the villages
Cheers
Brooke
Mar 3rd, 2016, 03:32 AM
#28
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jenmorg-you sound like my kind of traveler! I love to just plant myself places and soak in the experience of being there. That said, traveling solo makes it expensive to be in touristy places and I have just a short break between my monthly rentals (way cheaper way to travel 
to see CT this next month. Through whom did you book your studio?
I'm an avid Airbn user but happy to use other services if they exist!
to see CT this next month. Through whom did you book your studio?I'm an avid Airbn user but happy to use other services if they exist!
Mar 3rd, 2016, 04:25 PM
#30
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Brooke:
La Torretta was relatively new when I stayed there in 2002, and the room I had was then quite affordable on even a very tight budget, but it has been getting very good reviews ever since, so its rates may now be in a different bracket.
As for transferring luggage from the train station to a hotel, Manarola is, as I recall, pretty much uphill from start to finish. I don't remember Riomaggiore as being quite as steep (though I could be wrong) but again, it is uphill. IIRC -- and I might not! -- both Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare have lodging that is more easily reached from the train station. But be prepared for managing either stairs or slopes on your way from the train to your lodging in any of these towns.
La Torretta was relatively new when I stayed there in 2002, and the room I had was then quite affordable on even a very tight budget, but it has been getting very good reviews ever since, so its rates may now be in a different bracket.
As for transferring luggage from the train station to a hotel, Manarola is, as I recall, pretty much uphill from start to finish. I don't remember Riomaggiore as being quite as steep (though I could be wrong) but again, it is uphill. IIRC -- and I might not! -- both Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare have lodging that is more easily reached from the train station. But be prepared for managing either stairs or slopes on your way from the train to your lodging in any of these towns.
Mar 4th, 2016, 12:55 AM
#31
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We stayed in Manarola for 4 nights and loved it. We spent days hiking, riding the boats between the towns and took a day trip to Portofino and Camogli. We also went to Portovenere for part of a day but felt we were too far from where we really wanted to be. We didn't have any trouble finding restaurants in Manarola which was centrally located for all the things I mentioned doing.
I had to check my trip report because I couldn't remember the name of where we stayed, but it was Arpiau. It is at the top of the typical pictures you see of Manarola in a quiet area directly overlooking the sea and we loved it. You walk up a fairly steep incline to get there but no steps! Id rather roll my suitcase then lug it up steps. There were no tourist crowds that we noticed up there. As a matter of fact, our street rarely had more than a few people on it whenever we went outside. I checked and they have rooms in your price range in the main building in June. We, however, stayed in the apartment 2 doors down. The website says to ask them about pricing for that, but each day we would open our eyes to our spectacular view. I think all the rooms have that same view but maybe not from the bed like we had. The main building has a terrace at the top floor where we would watch the sunsets with a glass of wine and pizza.
http://www.arpaiu.com/english.html
If you want to read my trip report, (it's long starting with a week at a cooking school), scroll halfway down to the Cinque Terre section. I talk about the apartment, restaurants and trips we took while there. Click on my name and scroll down to the bottom to the trip report section and you'll see it.
We would stay in Manarola again and found plenty to do the entire time. If you really want to stay in CT, I would stay in it, not on the outside. That was part of the fun for us.
I had to check my trip report because I couldn't remember the name of where we stayed, but it was Arpiau. It is at the top of the typical pictures you see of Manarola in a quiet area directly overlooking the sea and we loved it. You walk up a fairly steep incline to get there but no steps! Id rather roll my suitcase then lug it up steps. There were no tourist crowds that we noticed up there. As a matter of fact, our street rarely had more than a few people on it whenever we went outside. I checked and they have rooms in your price range in the main building in June. We, however, stayed in the apartment 2 doors down. The website says to ask them about pricing for that, but each day we would open our eyes to our spectacular view. I think all the rooms have that same view but maybe not from the bed like we had. The main building has a terrace at the top floor where we would watch the sunsets with a glass of wine and pizza.
http://www.arpaiu.com/english.html
If you want to read my trip report, (it's long starting with a week at a cooking school), scroll halfway down to the Cinque Terre section. I talk about the apartment, restaurants and trips we took while there. Click on my name and scroll down to the bottom to the trip report section and you'll see it.
We would stay in Manarola again and found plenty to do the entire time. If you really want to stay in CT, I would stay in it, not on the outside. That was part of the fun for us.
Mar 4th, 2016, 01:02 AM
#32
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Well, I had checked the dates on the last few posts before I added my opinion and they were written in the last few days, but haha, the original post was from 2014! Still good info though!
I wonder where the OP ended up!
I wonder where the OP ended up!
