Cinque Terre in Sept 2012

Are you thining of riding bikes there? That would be really cool but it's very hilly. You can reach the upper end of most of the villages by car (but not drive in) so those roads could be used by bikes too. Otherwise you can reach all of the villages by train from La Spezia or from the north. I don't know about bike transpport on the regional (local) trains so you'd need to look into that. Our favorite village is Manarola, 2d from the south end. It was much less crowded than Vernazza. The hike to Corniglia is fantastic, and you can continu on to Vernazza and Monterosso if you like, and return by train. Manarola offers nice deep-water swimming off rocks. There is no beach.

I seem to recall (but my memory is sometimes faulty so if anyone else could confirm this) that cycling is not permitted on the trails between the villages, due to safety (these trails are predominantly narrow and often full of those on foot including children).

all of the towns are "touristy" where will you be before CT? in general taking the train is the way to get there the villages are connected by local trains and ferry service hiking trails should be open but if there is bad weather sections could close
checkout www.rebuildmonterosso.com

thanks everyone. We are planning to hike the CT, as we are only hiring bikes for that one week.
Keen to explore CT on foot, have not planned international flights yet, so any suggestions on which airport is best to fly into, to go straight to CT would be great. Then it's a matter of deciding where is best to base ourselves from in CT.

Cycling may not be the best way to see Cinque Terre, but it is certainly permissible. I remember signs for guided bike tours in area restaurants. Rick has a list of which hotels are now open and the schedule for future openings in his March online newsletter which I cannot find just now but must be on this site.

Pisa is the closest major airport. After that, Florence or Genoa, and then Milan. It's only a few hours by train from Milan to Monterossoal mare, the northernmost village, so if that is the cheapest and most convenient option, it's fine. The "blue" trail along the coast connects the villages, but there is great hiking up inth ehills above the towns too.

We stayed in Manarola in 1994 and LOVED it. We are going back in May with another couple. We had some difficulty arranging a place to stay, but not because hotels were closed. Rather, hotels were full (probably due to closures in other towns in the CT). We did eventually find an apartment with a view. I thought Manarola was less touristy than the other towns in 1994 but things may have changed. In any case, my favorite restaurant in the whole world, RS recommended Trattoria dal Billy, is still open. I can't wait to eat there again.

Erika, Regarding the best flight options, for an international flight from New Zealand your best option will probably be Milano Malpensa (MXP). Pisa or Genova are closer, but you'll probably have to connect in Frankfurt or another hub to get flights there. MXP is a good choice. Regarding the trails on the Sentiero Azzuro, local authorities have announced that they plan to have them all open by Easter, but it remains to be seen whether they can accomplish that. By September I'm sure some (if not all) of them will be repaired. I'd suggest "basing yourselves" in Monterosso. It's the largest of the five towns, so has the best choice of Hotels and restaurants, and of course the nicest beaches. Book your Hotel early! To confirm the point that Kent mentioned - it's NOT possible to ride bikes on the trails, except for the Via dell'Amore (but I don't believe bikes are permitted anyway). When you hike them, you'll see the reason for that. On the section from Monterosso to Vernazza, it would be almost impossible to haul a bike uphill to the "flat" part of the trail! Also, there are some VERY narrow parts. I don't know if it's possible in New Zealand, but you may find it very helpful to have a look at the Italy 2012 Guidebook. This is also available in E-book format, so downloading it might be a quicker solution for you. I hope to be back in the Cinque Terre in September also. Good luck with your planning!

HUbby and I stayed in Corniglia in 2008 - I think the quietest of the 5 - and we hope to stay in the same place again when we return this year...used arbaspaa.com to book a place. We got off at the train stn and took a shuttle bus up - otherwise it is a very steep climb up the road/stairs - and with luggage, not really an option...but it was a lovely spot and we have very fond memories of our stay...

Check the CT website! The trail along the coastline is not the only trail. The CT website said the upper trails are open and several have unique little sanctuaries. With your lifestyle, you may find these more challenging. I visited the CT first week in Oct. two years ago. Good time to go!!