Best town in Cinque Terre to stay

None of the towns is large, and when the day-trippers leave, even Monterosso is sleepy compared to any medium sized city. I stayed in Monterosso in the older side of town (avoiding the big beach side) and it was a quiet, pleasant stay, even with a lot of other tourists.

If you're in good shape, start the trail in Monterosso (the hardest two segments are Monterosso-Vernazza-Corneglia). Depending on the time of year, weather, and day of week, the trail can be packed (as it was on a sunny Saturday in May), so start early if you'd like a little trail time to yourself. Wherever you stay, it is easy to get to each of the towns by boat or train.

Have fun, it's a magical, beautiful place.

This is a popular question as you can see in other posts about the CT. I think the best town for you depends on several things:
- When will you be there?
- If during warm weather, do you want a beach where you're staying? If so, then you would probably want Monterosso.
- Do you mind walking up and down hills? All the towns except Monterosso are very vertical.
- Are you looking for a more active town or a sleepier one? (Vernazza and Monterosso are the most active.)

They're all so beautiful and so well connected by the shuttle train that you'll likely have a wonderful time regardless of where you stay.

We just stayed in Vernazza this last Oct. and LOVED it ! We visited all 5 towns. Manarola would be my second choice....but yes, they are very steep and you have to be able to walk up steep steps. Vernazza was busy, but not too crowded that time of year. Take the trail between villages for GOOD exercise and breathtaking views !

We took the train down to Riomaggiore and hiked up to Vernazza....pooped out and took the train to Monterosso and back the next day. Enjoy !

Kelli, a few more comments. Vernazza tends to be one of the most popular villages in the CT, esp. with tour groups. Monterosso is the largest and has the most facilities and also the best beach. Riomaggiore is smaller and a bit more "informal". Manarola is also a good choice, and that's where the "official" Hostel is located. Which town to base in depends on your preferences.

I agree with the previous post that it's best to get the worst part of the hike out of the way first (Monterosso>Vernazza>Corniglia). Even if you stay in Riomaggiore, it's easy to take the train to Monterosso to start the hike. The via del'Amore is easy (be sure to stop at the small Bar and have a beverage)!

One thing to mention is that you'll need a Park Pass to hike the trails. You can obtain these at local train stations; these must be validated the same as a rail pass (if you buy in the evening, don't validate until you're going to use it). There ARE people checking hikers to ensure they have a Pass.

Hello Kelli. All of those villages, and Manorola, are good places for overnight accomodations. Read about the accomodations, in all four of those villages, in the book "Rick Steves' ITALY", and choose the one that is appealing to you. It is not necessary to have a room with a view of the sea. You will have wonderful views of the sea when you are walking on the trails between the villages. I suggest first walk on the trail between Corniglia and Vernazza (in that direction). If I could go there again, I would bring something to sit on (like, borrow a 5-gallon empty plastic bucket from a restaurant), carry it in the train, and sit on it up there, away from the trail, at the edge of a cliff (200 + feet above the Sea coast) and gaze at the sea for an hour. Vernazza is not super touristy. My overnight accomodation in the Cinque Terre was at Vernazza : I rented a room from Tonino Basso. It is excellent. And rooms rented from Giuliano Basso in Vernazza are a favorite.

Hi Kelli, All of the towns are very close by train (only a few minutes). I stayed in Vernazza in May and it was beautiful. There are restaurants, bars and coffee shops, but it is not as busy as Monterosso. If you like the beach, however, Monterosso offers the biggest one. It really doesn't matter what town you stay in because they are all very unique and very beautiful. The next time I go to CT, I might stay a few days in Vernazza and a few days in Riomaggiore. I hope that helps.

I just noticed this in the RS updates for Cinque Terre: "Also in Vernazza, you can still rent kayaks and now also small motorboats and jet skis. (This strikes us as unfortunate.)"

This definitely takes Vernazza down several pegs in my book.

We stayed in Monterosso, not for the beach, but because it has small hotels. Stayed at Villa Steno and loved it. I think Vernaza only has rooms for rent? Don't want a Hilton but we prefer more privacy and a shower in the room. Monterossa was fantastic and we enjoyed taking the ferry back after we hiked the trail. There was a village church procession one evening while we were dining at a table in a small Monterosso alley way and our table needed to be moved, mid dinner, for the procession. One of our best memories..ever.

Love Chinque Terra

I prefer Riomaggiore. It feels the most "real" and lived in.

Thanks everyone! Great advice. I think I have decided on Riomaggiore. Let me know if you have stayed there and where you stayed, if you liked it etc. We want to rent a room with a view and a bathroom.

Riomaggorie:
There is a wonderful looking room just off the walkway from getting off the elevator from the train station in Riomaggorie. It is about 15 stairs up from the walkway. My husband and I saw a lady sweeping the stairs. She motioned if we needed to sleep. We didn't but I decided to go up to see the room. The room with kitchenette is separate from her home on a hillside overlooking the water. I think you could lie in your bed and look out to the water. We got her name (Ivana Bonanni, Via Signorini 322) and phone number (0187920196 or 0187760083). She motioned to town that we could call the number and ask for info for staying with Engenio Bordone. We continued on around the walkway into Riomaggorie. I WOULD STAY THERE just because of the view. I have pictures if you want to send me your email address privately. We spent about a half hour listening to her and us "talking to her". She gave us a jade plant as we left. We planted it on the Via del Amore trail.

Hi Kelli-

We've stayed 4 times in Riomaggiore, and once in Vernazza- both (of course!) were great! We've rented from Edi 3 times, once with Mar Mar and once with Roberto- and all the rooms were good- with Edi we've been overlooking the harbor, twice in the same room- a creepy looking old doorway, with a rope latch leads up a dark, steep staircase, 3 flights, to a very clean tiled room, with a great balcony overlooking the harbor. Great sunset views, above the hustle/bustle of the daytrippers- relatively private- Riomaggiore is great- and consider the hike from the top of the town up to the monastery- the views are wonderful, the hike goes from tropical to pine to hilltop- and sometimes the bar is open for refreshments when you get to the top!

La Lanterna is our favorite restaurant, and Bar Centrale is a good breakfast spot. And we enjoy the tricolore pizza at Veciu Muin-

Wow Tony! Great information. Thanks so much!