Cinque Terre Accommodation

We stayed at a really lovely smallish hotel called A Ca Du Gigante (At the giant's house) in Monterosso. It was close to the station, and the best thing was that unlike many other 5terre accommodations, there are no steps involved in getting there from the street level. Site is http://www.ilgigantecinqueterre.it/

I stayed there several years ago, so you may wish to look for recent reviews as well!

I tried to book A Ca du Gigante and it is apparently not available. Any other suggestions?

We just returned from CT and stayed at Hotel Pasquale. It is about a 5 minute walk from the train station. All flat, easy walk. Plus the hotel has an elevator. We enjoyed our stay and would definitely return to the same hotel.

Elevators or places to stay in the CT without a lot of steps are far outnumbered by the many 3, 4 and 5 story places with lots of stairs. As I recall, most of the train stations are elevated and I can remember walking down stairs. I don't know if there are elevators there.

Just a side note that you will struggle a bit with a lot of luggage on the trains as well. Stairs onto and off of the carriages are narrow.

We stayed at a small B&B in Levanto. It was called La Dolce Vita. Very nice with a good breakfast and friendly owner. Sally

Here's another alternative. We stayed at Hotel Firenze in La Spezia. It's a nice, modern 3-star hotel with elevators, air conditioning, high speed Interent in the room (for a fee), some English channels on TV, and the best breakfast we found in 3 weeks in Italy.

The hotel is right beside the main La Spezia train station and just an 8-minute train ride from Riomaggiore. You can get a pass that lets you take trains all day between the five CT towns, see all you want, eat dinner in CT, then a few minutes later be back at the hotel in La Spezia. It's easier than hiking up a hill in a CT town to get to your hotel!

We were in CT two weeks ago and also stayed at Albergo (hotel) Pasquale. Very nice accomodations-the elevator was a plus.

We were in CT two weeks ago and also stayed at Albergo (hotel) Pasquale. Very nice accomodations-the elevator was a plus.

Suzanne,

Is there someplace you can check and store some of that luggage? If you have more than what you can handle with 2 hands you will have difficulty on the trains. Or, consider taking less luggage. We have cruised many times in the past and years ago we would take soooo much luggage. Now we have learned to plan carefully and pack light. We are always so much happier when we do this. Besides, we never wore half of what we packed, anyway!

CT is quite rustic. When you say you are seeking a NICE accommodation please keep in mind you will not find something like an American style hotel. Yes, Monterosso is the flatest village and the most like a resort town. Vernazza may also have something that will work for you if it is located on the main street or the hotel by the harbor piazza, (not sure of the name)

We stayed at La Mala in Vernazza. It is quite high up, but the person who met us to take us to the room insisted on carrying all of the bags himself, so it was really a non-issue. Not cheap - but well worth the price, and Vernazza is a fabulous town.

Here's another vote for La Mala! It's absolutely incredible. As Scott said, it's definitely a splurge. But, if you can do it, it's well worth it.

We just returned from 3 nights in the Cinque Terre while staying at Albergo Marina in Monterosso. We did the hike from Corniglia to Vernazza on our 2nd day. It was a little overcast and quite cool in the area which turned out to be good hiking weather. It had been raining so there were some muddy spots all along the trail.

The hike was nice and the scenery spectacular. Upon arriving in Vernazza I couldn't help but wonder what this little village used to be like before Rick Steves single-handedly catapulted it into stardom...I'm thinking it was probably much more peaceful for both locals and the occasional visitors.

Somehow all of those beautiful pictures I had seen of Vernazza didn't quite look the same when you added all of the throngs of tourists. The train station platform to Monterosso was absolutely PACKED! People pushing and shoving to squeeze more and more and more onto the tiny train. I had to stand during the trip from Vernazza to Monterosso which isn't a big deal. But I was literally planted into my position because we were all sqeezed in like sardines.

Anyway, back to Vernazza. We stopped for lunch at a little cafe that is mentioned in Rick's book. We stood and stood at the entrance to the outdoor tables. There were several big tables with no one sitting so we just eventually sat ourselves down. The waiter/owner (?) eventually came and told us we couldn't sit there because he had too many people waiting...there was no one else waiting anywhere. Then he told us we couldn't sit there because the tables were not completely covered by umbrellas in case of rain. We scooted our chairs closer to the vacant umbrella in case of rain which never came. He reluctanly gave us menus all the while talking about how many people were waiting to be seated...there was no one. When he came out to take our order he said they were too busy so we would just all have to order either pizza or pasta...continued.

Tim: Thanks to you for your trip report, on actual conditions and the impact of big-time tourism on small places, in the CT.

This is a breath of fresh air here. After awhile, the insipid "it was all great" reports get a bit boring.

Please continue with part 2.

We finally got our food and ate and paid the bill...with no extra tip for sure!

The place was just packed with people. I think the point of my story is to not expect too much from the Cinque Terre nor of Vernazza. Try to imagine the way it must have been.

We enjoyed Monterosso more because it was larger with a few more shops and restaurants and paddleboats to rent at the beach. There's not a whole lot for teenagers to do in ANY of the villages so I think Monterosso is the best choice for families.

My son and I rented a paddleboat from the old town Monterosso marina. I tried on our first day but was told I was too late. Ok. I tried on the 2nd day to be told NO because the wind was blowing too hard...there was not a STITCH of wind. I laughed when he told me that. Then he said the weather was too bad. Then he said I couldn't rent because I didn't have my passport with me. These guys were just lazy. Finally they relented and begrudgingly put one of the boats into the water. After we rented there were probably 5 or 6 other families that rented. Now I see they didn't want us to rent and cause OTHERS to want one also. These 2 guys were quite happy just sitting on the beach pretending to work.

I just had several instances of this anti-work ethic in Vernazza and Monterosso. So just be forwarned not to expect too much, and you will probably be happy. Yes, I know Europe is much more laid-back, but there IS a difference between being laid-back and being downright lazy.

BTW, I highly recommend the Albergo Marina in Monterosso. Located in the old town, decent rooms, great included breakfast in addition to afternoon snacks and wine (included). Their air-conditioned rooms were clean but not fancy, and the workers were all exceptionally friendly.

We stayed at Albergo Marina in Monterosso for two nights about two weeks ago. The hotel is lovely and you needn't walk up any stairs to get there. They have a 'happy hour' with complimentary food and wine that could definitely take the place of a late lunch. They serve 'American' style breakfast on their roof garden (which basically means you can get eggs in addition to the usual bread/pastries/jams). The staff is also very friendly. I highly recommend.

Have fun!

Thanks again (see my post in between yours), Tim, for a candid and non-boring trip report.

Your report may be useful for people thinking about going out of their way to give the Cinque Terre the same # of days as locations such as Rome or the Amalfi, based on the CT hype in Rick's books.

There are those who think Rick has over-hyped the Cinque Terre, since it's been his life long pet project. I guess he's succeeded.

Yikes. Thank you so much for your report, Tim. I've seen your posts here for a long time, and know that we have similar likes and dislikes. So your comments about Vernazza are particularly eye-opening.

I am currently planning a trip to Italy with our daughters for late June/early July next year---a change from our usual Switzerland. And I was thinking of 3 nights in Vernazza. Maybe I'll cut it down to 2, or change to Monterosso al Mare, or maybe Riomaggiore. We are hikers so that would be the focus of our visit. But I was looking forward to the gorgeous ocean views. . .

I would definitely not choose to stay in Vernazza simply because of the crowds of tourists and the experience of the train platform being jam packed like sardines. I can't imagine attempting to get luggage on/off the train in such conditions.

I'm still a 100% Swiss Fan and have yet to find any place that rivals the magnificent scenery, cleanliness, and wonderful public transport found in Switzerland...