Cinque Terre

Hi Tom & Jane. We stayed in an apartment in Rome with a small kitchen & only used the refrigerator; we purchased soft drinks or water bottles & kept them in the refrigerator but we didn't cook in the apartment at all. I personally would not enjoy cooking on vacation but that's just me. Some folks do enjoy cooking while in Italy and some do it to cut down on costs a bit. We enjoyed eating out & didn't eat at expensive restaurants so it wasn't an issue for us. For us, the availability of a kitchenette would not make or break a hotel. I always reserve lodging ahead of time. I don't find it enjoyable to arrive in town & wonder where I'm going to sleep that night or have to schlep luggage all over town looking for lodging; it's a waste of precious sight-seeing time & tiring. In early May you may not have a problem finding a room at the last minute but why risk it? In mid-September, we ran into a couple from our hometown & they didn't have reservations & after several hours of trying to find somewhere to stay, they had to settle on a town that wasn't part of the CT. It was a waste of an afternoon. Some people don't mind this way of traveling & perhaps view it as an adventure but I like to have as many arrangements as possible secured before I embark on the trip. My suggestion would be to reserve lodging after you purchase your airline tickets. I would stay in the same CT town for the whole time. Happy travels.

Tom and Jane, On the topic of a refrigerator and kitchenette, that's not something that would be at all useful for me. When I'm on holidays, there's no way I'm going to be doing any cooking or meal preparation! That's also one thing I'm taking a "holiday" from. I prefer to eat in local Cafés, sample the local food and visit with other travellers. If a refrigerator is provided, I will use that to keep my bottled water chilled. I'd suggest pre-booking accommodations for early to mid-May travel in the Cinque Terre. That's getting into the peak of the "spring shoulder season", and it could be busy in that area. While you could be fortunate and find something easily, you could also waste a lot of time looking for something in all of the five villages, and may have to accept something that's above your budget. Pre-booking provides the benefits of choice, both in cost and in the area that you stay. As someone else mentioned, the best method is to "base" in one of the villages, and then explore the others by hiking or on the local train (which runs frequently). Happy travels!

You want a great view while in Vernazza? www.elisabettacarro.it lots of steps, but a great view.

"Is it better to stay in one {Cinque Terre} town the entire time and go on day trips or move to different towns?" In the CT, it's better to sleep in one village instead of moving around--that's because the 5 CT villages are within minutes of each other on the local train.

As for reserving ahead or just showing up without reservations, the more specific your needs/desires, the farther ahead you should book. The CT just get more and more popular each year. You could probably get a room if you wait until you get there, but the chances of getting a nice one with a nice view and a refrigerator would be virtually zero.

kitchen/frig is not useful. you're likely hike the trail during the day and eat along the way or just hangout, and the benches along the coast line have excellent view. you probably just crash when you get back. these towns are pretty close so it's not worth the trouble to change places. i think early may is still ok, and when i was there i didn't make reservation. i walked into a gift shop just ask if they know of anybody and it turns out the owner's neighbor has a room to rent. she called him out and we found a really nice place in the ally. no view to the harbor but it's very big and comfy, not expensive.

I love having a refrigerator. I can do without a stove/oven/microwave because I'm not cooking either, but a frig is great for having nice cold water on hand. I keep a few reusable bottles in rotation and always have a full one chilling for each of us. Nice to come back to after hiking. Also nice to buy yogurt and fruit for breakfast if you are not in a B&B (there are few places that offer breakfast in the CT). It's worth 5 or 10 euros per day for us to have a frig.