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Cinque Terre - best lodging mid July?

We plan to visit Cinque Terre early-mid July before heading to Florence. I have read that it is best to stay right in Cinque Terre, instead of needing to travel in via train, to access during less busy times of the day. We are traveling on a budget and looking for recommended lodging. We will enjoy hikes and relaxing. How many days should we plan? Any advice or leads appreciated!

Posted by
15678 posts

Hi there -
First off, it would help if you could give us some idea how much per night a 'budget' lodging is for you?

A couple of things to be aware of: You are looking at being in the CT during peak season, when it will be heaving with tourists and many hotels will already have booked up. I just did a random check on booking.com of some mid-July dates for our own modestly priced favorite - La Spiaggia in Monterosso - and couldn't find any openings, although contacting the hotel directly may turn some up. That one, even with its excellent location, is considered a 'budget' hotel, and I'm guessing rates may currently be running close to €170 or so during the summer, cash only.

You should try getting on booking.com and do a search per your dates and nightly budget just to see what comes up. Look at Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore. I like tiny Corniglia a lot but it takes a bit more work to reach as you need to take a little bus up the cliff from its train station or climb a VERY long stairway. It also has no ferry service.

Staying in the CT versus just outside the region is usually recommended to take advantage of the quieter early mornings and evening hours when the hordes of day-trippers have gone. That said, Levanto is only 4 minutes by train from Monterosso and has been a suggested backup for travelers unable to find accommodations to suit in the CT itself.

Hiking is another topic but you can get an idea of the trail system on the park's website:
http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Eindex.php
http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Esentieri-outdoor.php

Note that the entire length of the "Blue Trail" is temporarily closed for repair, and the sections between Corniglia>Manarola> Riomaggiore will most likely remain closed during 2019. You will need to purchase a park pass to hike the "Blue" between Monterosso>Vernazza>Corniglia, assuming those sections are open. They will be VERY busy! As you can see from the map, there are many other trails which can be explored and will be less crowded, although quite a number will be longer and more strenuous. That's not a problem if you're conditioned hikers. :O)

Posted by
11247 posts

Great -- and very complete -- info from Kathy. I would only add that hiking the blue trail (Sentiero Azzurro) is madness in July. Hot and crowded! Head for the higher, less frequented trails. There are (infrequent) buses that will take you up in Vernazza and Riomaggiore so you can minimize the initial climb, if you like. We liked the hike to the Santuario della Madonna di Montenero as well as the trail to Il Santuario di Nostra Signora di Reggio.

Posted by
1224 posts

We were in the CT in July two summer ago, didnt find lodging until Feb. We stayed in an Airbnb, which was ~120/nt (dollars not euros). That was for 5 of us (5 beds). In Monterosso. We stayed 3 nights/2 ½ days. Hiked from town to town. The first day from Monterosso to Vernazza for lunch then to Corniglia, where we caught the train back for a beach afternoon. The second day we trained to Riomagg., ate, then hiked north up over the mountain trail (water trail was closed) to Manarola, where we swim and cliff jumped for the afternoon, then trained back to Monterosso. It was very crowded and hot, but trails are less crowded by far than the towns, and we hiked in the morning so not too hot, and there's plenty of swimming. Favorite town for us was Manarola, least fave was Riomagg. Monterosso was a great base. We stayed in the old part of town

Posted by
15678 posts

Oops, forgot to answer your question regarding # of days...
I would stay at least 3 nights, and especially so if you're coming from some distance away.

Also, check the actual locations of the accommodations you're looking at carefully: you want to be IN a CT village and not so far away from the coast/up in the hills that accessing services/transport will be a challenge. Levanto, while outside of the CT boundary, is OK as it has good train service to/from the region, but again; check actual locations as some "Levanto" listings are in reality some miles from the coast. If you're going to be relying on public transit, you want to be reasonable walking distance from a train station.

Posted by
23177 posts

You do realize that CT is an area made up of five towns -- Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. So pick a town or two that you want to stay in. Obviously the middle town, Corniglia, has some advantages from being in the middle. You are traveling at peak time so prices will reflect that.

Posted by
32171 posts

The "best lodging" will be the one in your price range with the comfort level you like, and in the town you want to stay in. If you have access to a Library or larger bookstore, have a look at the Rick Steves Italy guidebook as there are listings for reliable lodgings there in each of the five towns. If you're planning to stay in Monterosso, you can have a look at this list - http://rebuildmonterosso.com/visitors-information/ . I'm not sure how current it is, but it will provide some idea of the choices. If you'd prefer to stay in Vernazza, have a look at this - https://visitvernazza.org/ .

Whichever town you decide to stay in, I'd suggest booking reservations as soon as possible. I'd start looking in about February, although you may not get an immediate reply as many of the places will still be closed for the season then.

Posted by
2097 posts

I’d love to go to CT - 40 years ago.

Before you lock in your plans, do some homework. The idyllic CT is long gone. It’s like seeing a commercial for Disney World where it is clean, bright and uncrowded. Go to Disney World mid July and you’ll find a different reality.

There’s still a lot of Italy that is off the beaten track that is still charming and much closer to what we envision when longing for a more authentic Italian experience. They may not be as picturesque, but they will be a lot less frustrating.

I agree that if you do go, you need to stay a few days so you can explore before the hoards arrive and after they leave. Also, pray you are there when the cruise ships aren’t docked nearby.