Cinque Terre Italy in early April 2016

I don't know about the crowds in June. We were just there for our first time last week. For a hotel, we chose Hotel Marina. It was listed in the RS guide and it was great! Twenty or so rooms, very nice included breakfast (ah, the crepes), and was on a quiet street. I would stay there again.

Yes, the Cinque Terre will be very busy in June.

La Spiaggia, Monterosso: nice little family-run property, and practically right on the beach. Ask for a sea-view room.

Yes, will be crowded. Book your rooms as soon as the hotel allows you!

Without hesitation, Il Giardino Incantato (the enchanted garden) Fausto and Mariapia will treat you like family. I have been trying to return. WWW.ilgiardinoincantato.net Hope you can get a room. Tell them Joseph and Antoinette from Philadelphia sent you.

It's October 1st. 55 degrees and raining...and still crowded! I suspect it probably always is. We are staying in Levanto (next town north) at Park Hotel Argento. Great hotel and we've made good use of the local trains and boat. While I think staying in the midst of 5Terre could be charming, I like the slower pace of Levanto too

Tar,

Could you clarify if you're travelling in April (as your title indicates) or in June (as your content indicates)? Whether it will be crowded in Monterosso will depend to some extent on which month you'll be there.

APRIL. tried to edit but could only do it in title. thinking about Monterossa but open to suggestions about which town. want to relax from jet lag and train from Rome then spend day hiking little towns. would like suggestions on which town easiest and most scenic and what b&b or small hotel.

APRIL. tried to edit but could only do it in title. thinking about Monterossa but open to suggestions about which town. want to relax from jet lag and train from Rome then spend day hiking little towns. would like suggestions on which town easiest and most scenic and what b&b or small hotel.

I would be concerned about the weather in early April, since there's not a lot to do there in really rainy weather. I've not been there at that time of the year, but in other small towns in Italy, much of the tourist infrastructure is still closed in early spring. I suggest checking carefully to determine whether the things that interest you are accessible that early in the season.

We returned from CT last week. Even in midweek late September, towns were packed from noon to 5 pm. That being said - my wife and I agree it was the best vacation we ever had. As for the best town, I couldn't say. I'd probably rate Manarola, Corniglia and Vernazza as my top three. Didn't go to Riomaggiore - and Monterossa had a bit more of a resort feeling than we wanted, although it was extremely beautiful and I can see why so many people like it. Monterossa has the nicest beach. We chose Manarola
because we found an apartment right over the sea with a stunning view. I'd be happy in any town and base my choice on lodging options rather than the town.

Some of us like Monterosso because it has more services (restaurants, shops, hotels, etc) and because there is more frequent train service to/from that one. It also has the largest amount of relatively level ground, which can be nice when hauling luggage around.

Tar,

The Cinque Terre will still be a bit quieter in April, as that's the usual beginning of the tourist season there. There's no way to predict what the weather will be like at that time next year so the best you can do is check the past trends to get some "estimates". There's also no way to predict which of the popular Sentiero Azzurro trails will be open then.

Regarding which of the five towns to stay in, my preference is also Monterosso. It's the largest of the five, has the most restaurants and other tourist amenities and also the best beaches of the five. Its larger size and the fact that it consists of two separate sections also helps it to "absorb" the crowds better than some of the other towns during the daytime. Vernazza can get dreadfully crowded during the day especially if there are tour or cruise ship groups in the area, and I generally try to avoid it if that's the case. I've never heard of anyone refer to Corniglia as being in the "top three". It's located on top of a rocky bluff and requires some effort to get back and forth to the station (either by using a Shuttle each time which has a small cost, or climbing about 300 stairs). Manarola and Riomaggiore are both smaller but have their devoted fans as well.

I stay in Vernazza the first week or two of May every year. The weather can be a little rainy, but it is generally sunny and I don't need a jacket. In April there is more chance of storms but you could possibly luck out. Trails will be closed if there is rain. Everything will be up and running in April. The tourists from COSMOS, with their headsets on, will arrive every 3 days or more. Their tour brochure reads that they are visiting Cinque Terre, but all they get to do is take the train from Spezia, get off for a little bit in one 5Terre town, and go on to Genoa.

As for the crowds in May, I get up early and hang out for coffee at The Blue Marlin. Last May I sat with Rick Steves there! He stayed in V. For a couple of nights. after coffee, I prepare for my day.
To avoid the huge crowds, I plan a hike or a day trip and leave about 10:30 and return at 3:00 to rest and enjoy the relatively quiet evening in my village. It works! www.imagineitaly.net