Cinque Terre

Gerri, I don't think it will make much difference whether you stay Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun. At that time of year, I doubt that the crowds will be "massive" but I'm sure it will be moderately busy in that area. Which of the five towns are you planning to stay in? Happy travels!

Hi, Ken. Thanks for your reply. We're thinking of staying in Manarola. What do you think? BTW, in the past, I've enjoyed reading your advice on several topics on this site.
Gerri

We loved Manarola. We spent two nights at La Torretta in late June. Manarola did ot feel crowded at all. Vernazza, when we got there on our hike, was so crowded we could not wait to leave. And I highly recommend La torrett. It is well worth the price ( we had a Classic room); a lot of extras are provided and the ambiance is wonderful.

We were there in late May a couple of years ago and before the mudslides. It was a bit crowded and the trains between the towns were full. Still, is was just fine. We walked three of the trails, visited all five towns and took the ferry from Monterosso down to Portovenere for lunch and returned on a later ferry. Yep, there's people there.

Gerri, I've been staying in Monterosso for the last few years, but Manarola is also a really good choice. I've heard nothing but exceptional reviews for La Torretta, which Lola mentioned. It's a bit above my budget but if I ever win the Lottery, I'll definitely book a stay there. If you want any beach time, Monterosso is the best choice. I've found that both the towns and the local trains can be horrendously crowded in the afternoons, especially when there are cruise ship groups in the area. They tend to descend on the towns like a swarm of locusts with groups of 60-80 each, and overwhelm the small towns as well as the trails. Monterosso seems to handle the crowds better as it's larger with both a "new town" and an "old town" and has more room to accommodate more people. However at really crowded times, Vernazza is a ZOO! On my last visit there, I was in the midst of about three cruise ship groups and it took me 15 minutes or more (I'm NOT exaggerating!) just to get off the station platform and down into town. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper and could hardly wait to get out of there! Once the crowds are gone, the evenings are great in all the towns, and that's the time I like the most. There are still a fair number of people but it's not the same as during the day. Hopefully by next May they'll have more repairs completed on the Sentiero Azzurro trails and the famous Via dell'Amore will be open again. Cheers!

Thanks to Ken, Larry and Lola for your replies. I really appreciate all of your advice. Lola and Ken, I have read great things about La Toretta, but it's above my price range also. Hopefully, we can duplicate the ambience at a more economical B&B! Gerri