Cinque Terre --- 1 or 2 nights?

Hi Allison,

I would recommend 2 nights. Cinque Terre is such a wonderful place with plenty to do if you're there 2 nights. Plus if you want to see all 5 towns you'll need the time to explore. I would also recommend doing the hike (takes approx 5 hours).

Have a great trip!

Read your Tuscany posting and I was going to comment that instead of taking the bus from La Spezia, just take the train. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the farthest town, Monterosso. The train goes thru the other towns long the coast. We were in CT this May and spent 4 nights there. Three would have been adequate. I guess it depends on whether you want to hike and how you want to do it. We stayed in Monterosso and took the train to Riomaggiore the day after we arrived. From there we hiked to Manarola had lunch then hiked on to Corniglia and finally Vernazza which was the more strenuous hike. After having a beer in town we took the train back to Monterosso. The next day we hiked from Monterosso to Vernazza- equally strenuous. Had a lovely lunch in Venazza, then after wandering around for awhile we took the ferry back to Monterosso because there was a train strike until 9pm. I would think October would be lovely. Perfect hiking weather.

Your arrival and departure times may influence the number of nights. If you plan to arrive in the afternoon and leave early, then 2 nights is best so you have a full day to explore. If you plan to arrive in the morning and leave the following afternoon, then 1 night might be OK. Personally, I prefer a minimum of 2 nights as I find the pace to be more relaxing.

You should definitely spend 2 nights there. 1 night doesn't give you a full day. We arrived mid-afternoon on a Sunday, had a great afternoon hanging out on the Vernazza waterfront, nice dinner, then on Saturday more of the same, then the ferry to Monterosso, hiked back to Vernazza, more waterfront (the water was just so inviting!). Then, on Tuesday morning, there is an outdoor market where all the local vendors are in the street, which was a treat. We stocked up on goodies for the day (pastries from Il Pirata and some fruit), then headed out. It was perfect, although we wished that we had had an extra night and day.

Thank you all so much! You have convinced me we need at least 2 nights in Cinque Terre! It does look beautiful, I'm looking forward to being there!

We stayed 2 nights and wished for 3, but with 2 nights you have one full day to hike, etc. It is SO beautiful. I personally would hike from north to south, which seems to be the concensus. The view of Vernazza as you approach from Monterosso on the trail is just spectacular -- a photographers dream. I also think it is a little easier to go north to south. If I had to leave out something else -- like Pisa for example -- I would do it to get at least that one full uniterupted day. You are going to have fun.

October is a great time to go. Cinque terre is my Italy. Glad you are staying 2 nights, you wil enjoy it. One thing, my travel companion was very nervous about arriving without a reservation so we made one at a higher price. When we got there we had offers for rooms in Vernazza that were nicer and cheaper. We changed accomodations and spent an extra night. In October you won't need a reservation and you can pick and choose where you want to stay. Stay in Vernazza, it is the best of the five.