Cinque Terre in November

Not Rick or staff, but I understand that many things in Cinque Terre close by November. If you want a staff member to reply, click the "chime in" button where you originally posted.

I have visited the CT in November(s) before and found everything open - except for the
trails that are still closed for repairs/landslides etc.
I stay in Levanto just to the north of the CT and use a daily train/hiking pass to get around.
I do walk on the trails that are open to me.
I will admit it has always been early Nov. - so I can't comment on later in Nov.

PS: I'll admit that I don't eat in the nicer restaurants that are down near the
water in the actual CT. But found my dining in the evening in Levanto was fine.

Consider that early November is the rainiest time of the year in Italy and sometimes is even cold. November 1st is when most people start turning their heating on. So not a beach weather by any stretch of the imagination. Also Standard Time returns in Europe on the last Sunday of October, therefore it is dark by 5:30pm. I couldn't imagine of a worst time to be at the Cinque Terre than a rainy November day.
I suggest that you visit Tuscany instead (Florence, Lucca, Siena etc.) then if the weather during that time happens to be amenable, just take a day trip to the Cinque Terre by train (about 2.5hrs from Florence or 1.5hrs from Pisa). But I wouldn't make any advance plans. I would go only on the spur of the moment if the weather permits. Just leave as early as possible, spend a few hours in a village or two, and be done with it. No hiking trails are likely open that time of the year either.

Dave,

Many of the tourist businesses in the Cinque Terre close for the season, usually towards the end of November. At that time of year weather could be an issue too, and if it's raining there's really not a lot to do there. Touring the towns won't be too pleasant. Visiting the area early in November would be better than mid-month or later.

If you decide to give it a try, I'd suggest staying in Monterosso. It's the largest of the five towns and therefore has the greatet number of hotels, restaurants and other amenities.

As noted by others, there are drawbacks, but there are several pluses. Far less crowded & much better bargains for lodging & flights. We find the merchants & general townspeople to be more appreciative & more open to social interaction once the summer glut is over.

Each season has its pros and cons. November is the peak of off-season, so be prepared for any kind of weather. The off-season is nice in that prices are at their lowest and travelers enjoy step-right-up service. However, park closures in the Cinque Terre could happen; though not routine for this time of year, closures for the parks and transportation may become dependent on weather. If November is the only time you can go, than you can make a trip work, but if you can manage to go in the shoulder season (April through mid-June and September through October) that is preferable since the days are long, you still have nice weather, and there are less crowds. I was in Cinque Terre last October, mid-month, and I still enjoyed sunny weather and even went for a swim. Rick notes, "Shoulder-season travel combines the advantages of both peak-season and off-season travel." Find more on hours in our Italy guidebook (http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=155&id=51), as well as TI offices' contact info, or visit the Cinque Terre's park site http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/ for more. Read more about off-season Europe at http://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/offseason-europe.