Cinque Terre in July Weekend vs Weekday

I was there on a Friday and Saturday in July 2016. I would go earlier in a the week on a Monday Tuesday. I don't see spending more than 2 or 3 nights there in July. However it seems better when it clears out after 6 pm

Yes, we've been on weekend and weekdays. Not a significant difference; it will be crowded. But don't let that deter you; still a fun and very scenic place to visit. The crowds can be part of the fun, and also easy to get away from the crowds in five minutes if desired. For instance, take the path up to the hilltop cemetery in Manarola or the town top lookout in Rio or many other places - you will be by yourself with beautiful views no matter how busy it is in town. Enjoy!

Have been in the C.T. on weekdays and weekends--in the month of June, several times in July and also in October. There has always been lots of people but still enjoyed our visits. We have always stayed in Vernazza and the evenings are lovely after the daytrippers are gone. Portovenere makes a nice daytrip by boat and the boats will run unless the water is too rough. If you haven't seen the pictures and videos of the deadly flood in the C.T. from Oct. 2011, google it. They received around 20 inches of rain in 4 hours with devastating consequences--Vernazza and Monterosso being the hardest hit and losing several residents. When we were last here in Oct. 2014 there was a wall with pictures of the devastation located after exiting the Vernazza train station on the left.

I see you are traveling with your adult children and your mother. I have not been to CT, so I hope others will share their experiences.

How spry is your mother? I'm guessing she's 70+. From what I've seen of CT, navigating can be strenuous.

We were in CT Monday thru Wednesday in Sept 2017. I can't say that any 1 day was busier than the rest, but the train was packed everyday. Early morning and late evening were the best times. Tuesday is Market Day in Vernazza. That was kinda cute for a few minutes. My wife got spoken to about touching the tomatoes.. We bought some fresh mozz and tomatoes and olive oil for an afternoon snack. I would not plan my trip around it, but it was cute.

Just a thought though, I would think there will be more things to do on a Sunday in Florence, than in CT..

Usually we try schedule so that we are not in a city on Monday because many museums are closed. Not a big factor in Florence as there's lots to see. While Liguria is popular with Europeans, Cinque Terre has disproportional popularity with American tourists. Northern European tourists in particular are under-represented in the CT according to press reports I've seen in La Spezia news stories.

From what I have read, the tourist population varies based on when there there are cruise ships in the nearby ports bringing their guests. That could occur on any day of the week and you would need to check the port schedules.

If you are in the C.T. on July 20 it is Vernazza's feast day of their patron saint, St. Margaret. We were here during this celebration in 2009 and it was so fun! They had a stage set up in the tiny piazza with entertainment one night, a processional from the church up to the cemetery and fireworks.

Thank you ALL for your feedback and suggestions. After reading all of this and discussing it with family, we think that doing the weekend in Florence will give us opportunities to do more things. Spending 4 days in CT is supposed to be our "relaxing" part of the trip. So even though the "travel" itinerary would be better to go to CT first (weekend + weekdays) first, then Florence (mid-week), then off to Munich, we are going to do the weekend in Florence and capture the city full force, then relax in CT for 4 days, then head off to Munich.