Cinque Terre

Drue, personally I'd recommend booking at least 3 nights. That'll give you two full days plus whatever hours you'll have on arrival day. Responses are bound to vary as some people were done with it after only one day, and others could cheerfully stay for a week.

It can also depend on just how much exploring you wish, or are wiling and able, to do. The centers of the villages themselves are quite small and easily overwhelmed with day-trippers. We found that climbing up to some churches and cemeteries where those crowds are less likely to go provided breathing room plus some gorgeous views! Very early mornings and later evenings - when the day-trippers have gone - are great times to be out and about. Corniglia, especially, is very tiny, and best seen early or late when its narrow streets and passageways are not completely clogged.

drue,

I'd also recommend a minimum of three nights in the Cinque Terre, especially for a first visit. That will provide some time to explore the five towns, perhaps hike some of the Sentiero Azzurro trails or take a boat trip to Porto Venere. The towns are quite vibrant in the evenings and not as crowded once the day-trippers leave.

Which of the five towns are you planning to stay in?

We stayed in Monterosso for two nights last week ( only two nights due to trying to do a 6 month tour in 6 weeks) and LOVED it!! Would definitely recommend 3 nights. If you are staying in Monterosso stay in the old town. We stayed in Il Portico (a one bedroom apartment 5 steps from piazza Garibaldi and 2 steps from the two best meals we have had in 3 weeks in Italy). If you are not into hiking (which I am not) it is very easy to hop on hop off the ferry between towns. I know everyone has their own view on best town but I am a huge Monterosso fan now.

We stayed in Monterosso too, Drue, and enjoyed it for its amount of restaurants and shops. Our hotel was in the 'new' town a short, easy walk from the train station, and just a couple doors down from a great restaurant as well.
Rooms were on the small side but we chose it for location, balconies (request) overlooking the sea, and price. It also had an elevator.

La Spiaggia:
http://www.laspiaggiahotel.com

Thanks so much for your replies, Kathy, Ken, and slavender ... very helpful. We decided on four nights, since we plan to do a lot of hiking. We chose a family-run farm in the hills of Monterosso, that got great reviews in Trip Advisor ... "Olive Grove Park". Any additional advice or tips would be appreciated, including the names of the restaurants that provided those great meals!

Excellent! Sounds as if you're all set, and I'm sure you will enjoy the trekking the CT has to offer. Trails are fragile and can close after a heavy rain or sudden rock slide but unless they have another extreme situation like the one in 2011, you'll always find enough of them open. You do have the link to park's website with current trail conditions? If not:

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it

Let me know if you need help unraveling the info.

One possible caveat? Without knowing which accommodation you've booked, exactly how "into the hills" it is, and how you're reaching the CT (train? car?) just be sure that it isn't so remote that accessing the villages/trails is a challenge?

Thanks for the additional input, Kathy. I've been reading the reviews on Trip Advisor, and people are saying that it is 10 to 20 minutes from Monterosso - far enough to get away from the crowds, but close enough to the conveniences. We will be taking the train, so I'm prepared to climb those hills with my luggage! Thanks also, for forwarding the trails link. Very interesting and helpful.

You're very welcome. I thought it worthwhile to ask about the location of the farm as I've seen posts from frustrated tourists who've booked attractive accommodations in 'quiet' spots in the CT only to find them a long way from much of anything, and served by very limited transportation options.

The restaurants that we loved were L'osteria. Great seafood pasta. Also had awesome pizza and mixed seafood entree at pizzeria de Amy. Very fast efficient service. Only a few tables. Not fine dining but great food. (Not the one with a similar name on trip advisor- it is next to midi bar right on piazza garibaldi. ). Also good gelato at Il Golozone. Have a great trip.

And the one we loved was La Cantina di Miky

http://www.cantinadimiky.it/indexflash.html

They have a little enclosed garden, and a water-view terrace which are both very nice places for dinner. Inside is lovely as well, and has the nicest restrooms I've seen practically anywhere in Italy. Nice selection of regional craft brews, too. Try a flight if they still offer those.

Manuel and Christine, who operate the place, are terrific people.

Thanks for dining recommendations, Kathy and slavender!
And Kathy, the name of the farmhouse is L'Uliveto nel Parco ... do you know anything about it?

Drue,

Glad your planning on four nights. We sometimes forget that 3 nights is really only two days. The CT is a wonderful place, although it is getting more and more popular. We have been there 3 times, and we plan to be there again on our next trip, that we are now starting to plan. We stayed in Monterroso in the old town. Loved it and being right in the center. Take water taxi to Riomaggiore and walk the trail back. There are a number of great restaurants in any of the towns. We really liked the Belvedere and Chiak in Monterosso. Enjoy your trip.

drue,

I've never stayed at L' Uliveto nel Parco, but they get excellent ratings on Trip Advisor so I'm sure you'll be very comfortable there. It's located at the far end of the "new town" and up the hill a ways, so it will be a bit of a walk from the station. Hauling luggage, you may want to use a Taxi and that will also help you to learn where it is. Walking back to the station will be downhill, which will be easier.

I'd also highly recommend Cantina di Miky, but I believe they're closed on Wednesdays so keep that in mind.

Thanks Ken and Charlie ... helpful advice!

No, I haven't been to L'Uliveto nel Parco but just took a look at their website and ratings, and I'm sure you'll love it. Will cross fingers that you have perfect weather!

Thanks Kathy ... you've been very nice!

For all that the CT has become overrun, it's still drop-dead gorgeous, and it's not difficult to lose the masses if one has a mind (and capable feet) to do it! We loved it, and very much hope you do too!

Some of my favorite places? The cemeteries I'd mentioned earlier. They perch most of them high above the villages, and those I've climbed to were worth every huff and puff: wonderful views.

We were in Vernazza last September and it's gorgeous as always. Once the sun goes down and the day tripper and bus trippers leave, the village assumes a much more quite atmosphere bathed in the haunting yellow glow of its street lamps. We stayed a total of four nights in Monica Lercari Rooms (my review in TripAdvisor). Monica is featured in RS Europe Season 8 as well as his travel memoir Postcards from Europe. One thing to ready for is lots of stairs. They are seemingly endless but it'll help you work off all that gelato and good living. The meandering stairs that lead up to and in and out of all the buildings is a journey in itself. We encountered a couple of trail-side libraries during our walks. People are friendly and getting around and obtaining services is ever so easy. Not to mention, it's incredibly safe.

I second L'Osteria and Cantina di Miky. We were there last September and had excellent meals at both. I am still dreaming of Tuscan roasted potatoes from L'Osteria! My husband had a pesto gnocchi which was amaxing...If you like pesto, don't miss it while you're in CT! We both agreed that our dinner at L'Osteria was the best we had in ten days in Italy (and one of the less expensive!)

Wouldn't have thought of the cemeteries, Kathy. Will definitely check them out. Going with a friend who just hiked the Inca Trail, so the hills won't stop us!

Ditto to the stairs, KC! And looking forward to the quieter evenings ... you make them sound so lovely. And ck, you're making my mouth water. Can't wait to dine at both of those places. Thank you both!

drue, I want to emphasize the quaintness and safety of the CT experience (at least Vernazza anyway). It's like getting a lot of "Italy" without a lot of "Italy", in other words, all the warmth, friendliness and culture, without the traffic, commotion, pickpocket crimes, etc. Unless of course you'd like to experience that side of Italy too :D

Very nicely put, KC. Sounds like a wonderful way to end the trip!

Drue,

I saw that you plan to do a lot of hiking. The CT has so much more to offer than just the hikes between the 4 towns on the water and Corniglia. I was there last summer and we had to hike up in to the hills from Corniglia to get to Manarola. This was amazing and much better than the standard hike (I did not see any evidence of repairs to the trail when we took the ferry back to Vernazza. But the best hike is from Riomaggiore to Portovenere. Allow several hours for this hike. It starts straight up to the best views in the CT, but eventually levels off to hiking along a ridge. There is a picnic ground somewhere near the mid-point and is a great place for lunch. (there is some sort of concession stand, but we brought panini from Riomaggiore). You hike past La Spezia and you are actually looking down on it from across the bay. Allow some time to explore Portovenere and have a well deserved cold beverage at one of the many cafes and take the ferry back to your town. This was not an easy hike, but it was worth it for the avid hiker and one of my favorite hiking experiences in Europe.

Wow, Nick, that sounds amazing. Will definitely check that out. Thanks for passing that along!!