Cinque Terre...yes or no?

It definitely can be overrun during high and shoulder seasons depending on the amount of cruise ships are docked in La Spezia on any give day + how many bus tours from Florence and other not-to-distant locations are present.

But I've never heard it described as "run down and a rip off" and we didn't find it to be so when we were there. That was the first spring after the terrible 2011 flood and before the dock expansion in L.S. so crowds were lighter than they're reported to be now. We also spent some of the peak hours poking about more lofty spots where a lot of the day-trippers don't go. It was very nice in the evenings, when the majority of day visitors had returned to the ships/other cities and towns, and in early mornings before they'd arrived.

The structures are old but that's part of the attraction, and infrastructure/tourist services are stressed when visitation is at peak but that doesn't mean "run down".

Editing to add: I'll agree with the Kristin below that it's best to stay in one of the villages versus do them as a day trip. It allows you to take advantage of the quieter early and later hours.

The Cinque Terre can be very crowded with day trippers and cruise ship crowds in the summer season. But I do not agree that it is "run down" or a "rip off". Accommodations are smaller, and older without some of the amenities of a high end hotel but I don't equate this with run down. I think pricing is comparable to any popular Mediterranean vacation spot.

I don't think it is a good idea to do the Cinque Terre as a day trip, as is often done, unless you are coming from a very near town like Levanto or Santa Margherita Ligure. And those are so close- I don't know if that would really constitute a day trip.

But if you spend a couple of nights, even in the height of summer, I think you can find ways to enjoy the area and skirt the crowds. A big draw for the area is hiking and they all have quite a lot of elevation change. So if you are not planning on hiking, you would be spending your time eating and drinking, maybe spending some time on the beach, and relaxing and absorbing the atmosphere. This might bother people who come looking for "something to do".

I went for the first time this past May and enjoyed every moment.

It is important, IMO, to give the Cinque Terre time. Stay a few nights (at least 3) and take some walks. You do not have to do strenuous hiking but walk through the towns using Rick's self-guided walks, enjoy early mornings and the evenings when the masses are gone. If you do hike, get away from the Sentiero Azzuro and hike up higher. You can even get a bus to take you up above Manarola and Vernazza so you do not have to do strenuous uphill. The sanctuaries above the towns are peaceful and uncrowded. We also enjoyed a day trip to PortoVenere via boat. Lovely town and less crazy.

What season are you thinking of going? We were there for 2 nights in October. It is beautiful and worth seeing, but it was very touristed. I have many friends who really loved CT.

The Cinque Terre is lovely - and I think it was more charming when it was more "run down" before it became quite so popular. I have a photograph of Riomaggiore, the southernmost village of the view, on my wall at home from 2007. One of the prominent buildings has faded paint, making it look like an old town. Returning to the same spot last May, I see the same building has a fresh coat of paint, making it look too "new" for my tastes.

Most places that are wonderful get a lot of tourists. Expect big crowds in the Cinque Terre in season during the day especially on the trails. You may find fewer tourists in Riomaggiore and Manarola these days than in past years because the main hiking trails have been closed for a few years. I'd probably avoid it in the summer myself - late September or early October has worked great for me.

Hello, I see that you have asked about both Cinque Terre and Venice crowds. They are both very popular, so there will be crowds. Staying overnight in these locations gives you the opportunity to see them in the evening and early morning which is a calmer, enjoyable atmosphere- lovely!

It’s sad to hear someone describe Cinque Terre as “run-down”. If that person was expecting new or newly remodeled buildings with all of the amenities of a modern hotel and town, then Cinque Terre would be a disappointment. The charm of those villages is that the architecture and steep walkways are authentic and old, the reason why everyone takes so many photos there! If your expectations match that description, you will also love it.

Not run down. The person you heard that from must have gone during peak travel season . It is great atmosphere at night when the tour day trippers leave

Is it worth it? Absolutely! The Cinque Terre is one of my favorite places. We were there this last September during the week. We ended up staying in Sestri Levante and took the train very early in morning. Monterosso was the first town and it probably had maybe 10 people walking around. Of course, as it got later in the day the more people we would see. But nothing like what heard or expected! I think we just got very lucky! The scenery is the eye candy here! Hiking above the town's is so picturesque! If you go - don't forget to bring or wear your swimsuit! We jumped in and hung out on rocks in Manarola which was very refreshing!

joel,

Yes, the Cinque Terre can be packed with tourists at times (especially on cruise ship days) but I've found that one can "manage" that by avoiding the hordes. The evenings are usually quite pleasant and somewhat vibrant.

"run down and a rip off"..... I'm not sure who provided that assessment but I most definitely don't agree with it. I'll provide separate comments on each point.

• "Run Down" - historically the Cinque Terre has been inhabited for many hundreds of years so understandably many of the buildings are very old. They've been renovated to somewhat modern standards, are very comfortable and painted in bright colours, but there are no modern stainless steel and glass buildings there. The towns have been built to follow ravines and terrain, and this tends to present somewhat of a "ramshackle" appearance in some cases, but this doesn't mean the place is "run down". The area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site several years ago, so there's a good reason for that.
• "Rip Off" - after numerous visits, I've never felt that to be the case. As with other parts of Europe, prices for accommodations are higher in peak season, but I've never found restaurant charges to be any higher than other parts of Italy.

IMO, it's worth a visit. If you prefer more of a "standard" hotel then Monterosso is the best town to choose for your home base. In order to minimize problems with crowds, it might be better to visit either earlier in the season (April?) or later (October?).

I really struggled with this decision too. I so detest mobs of tourists, but was dying to see the CT...especially since I learned my husband had missed it when he biked the Italian Riviera almost 30 years ago. If you're interested in a funny travel story about that or how we saw it without the crowds in high season, check out my blog at:
https://explorenowornever.com/riomaggiore-or-bust/

It was a compromise that worked out wonderfully!

We were there in early October. Mornings and afternoons/evenings were wonderful (we stayed in Vernazza). We avoided the crowds 2 ways - during the day, we spent much of the time walking above the towns (taking RS's self guided walks). We had spectacular views and it also had us away from the other tourists (in Vernazza, just going above the train station made a huge difference, and Manarola also opened up a lot as we headed away from town). We didn't think it was that bad, but also know we weren't there in peak season.

The second way was that our Airbnb had a balcony clinging to the cliff overlooking the sea. We spent every late afternoon with a glass of wine, watching the sun set.

As regards to being 'run down', I imagine some people might look at the photos of the colorful buildings and see that some of the paint has come off. Some might see that as run down, however for us, it was just part of the charm of the villages - I think we just saw history. If you watch some videos, it might help to see if the Cinque Terre draws you in or not - I know it did for us!

I wouldnt go in the tourist season. Shoulder season it is divine.

Not run down at all
Not a rip off ; I am actually very impressed that the area has successfully resisted outside development.

I am sure some hotel chains would love to snatch up some property here as would some restaurant groups, yet you will find none of that ; everything is family owned and run. Very refreshing even if it lacks the original charm it had over a decade ago before it was discovered and on the tourist map.

Does it get very crowed with overnight stays : NO
It does fill up during the day with the cruise ship crowd when they are in port though, when a big tour group from a cruise descends on a town it can make things very unpleasant.
Similar to running into a tour group from a cruise in Venice or most other popular Italy tourist sites.
Hopefully you can see them coming and go on a walking/hiking trail to avoid them or head to another town of the 5 where they are not at that time.

You may want to look at which days of the week you go. Our first visit in 08 we were there on a Mon/Tues and it was pretty calm. Next visit in '12, it was a weekend...and it was so overrun - the train stations were crowded and streets full of people. It was the exact same dates in Sept both years (22-24) and I realize that CT had only gotten more popular in those 4 years (and even more since). If our '08 visit had been like our '12 visit, we wouldn't have gone back. So plan your visit days wisely.

As for run-down - nope. For us, it was a nice break in between big cities - no museums to visit, just to wander the villages and walk the trails (apparently we just missed a rock slide on Via Dell Amore. We had walked it Sept 23, and there was a rock slide that injured some tourists the next day - I didn't even know until months later.) I mean, if you expect big new shiny buildings, you'll be disappointed. They are atmospheric villages and very picturesque.

this is a little off topic, but I thought valuable to know.

The Cinque Terre still has a cash is king mentality in most places (rare for current day Europe)
Most restaurants and even many places for lodging are cash only ; in terms of lodging a multiple day stay can easily be higher than your daily ATM withdrawal limit from your bank so it makes to inquire about this and plan accordingly.

We stayed in Monterosso Sept. 26-29, 2017 and used it as a base to see all 5 towns. There were crowds in the towns during the mid-day hours, but not so much as to impair our enjoyment. Early mornings and evenings the crowds melted away. Our 3 nights in CT were the perfect "vacation from the vacation" in between Rome and Florence.