Cinque Terre limit on tourists-Question on this

They haven't started this yet so there's nothing to worry about. I think it may be a long time before they can work out the logistics of how to implement this and still take into account the locals and those who come in for work.

Donna

Oh ok so you don't think it will be in effect this year? Just want to be sure so we can plan appropriately, i'd be so bummed if we got there and could not get in!

Absolutely not happening, it was total sensationalism. The President of the Liguria Region issued a statement as did the area's mayors and business people.
What is happening is better train service, starting tomorrow: http://www.apathtolunch.com/2016/03/the-cinque-terre-express-train-service.html

Just so you know, the Daily Mail is not a particularly trustworthy news source.
And no, nothing is happening with the rumored restrictions.

It won't happen this summer, but the President of Liguria Region has no power on the decisions taken by the boss of a national park like the one in the Cinque Terre.

On the other hand, the boss of the national park can only limit the number of tourists walking along the trails inside the park, but he has no power to limit the number of those who visit the villages or use the local trains.

Packed trains were the worst part of the CT experience a few years ago. I mean so packed it was difficult to get on, and difficult to get off. Once In the towns, tourists tend to disperse so they aren't such a mob. Last year I dealt with those problems by using trains and visiting towns early in the morning. I was there April-May; that was not high tourist season but still nice weather. If you hike the trails, I recommend doing so as early In the day as possible.

Hi Christina,

I am visiting in June and was worried about this too. I originally read about the tourist limit on The Guardian and was very worried. I did some internet searching and found what everyone here is saying. I think we'll be OK. Lucky we're going now and not a few years from now!

Ok thank you everyone, Like I said just taking precaution as to not travel all the way there and then find out we cannot get in. Also there are several articles out there not just on the Daily Mail site. Several travel sites are reporting this.
Thank you again for the advise! :)

On another note, does anyone have any recommendations on places to stay? looking for under $125 a night if possible. Thank you! :)

Christina, now that the cruise ships all descend on the place, be forewarned that the experience can be quite different to what you experienced many years ago.

Christina,

As the others have mentioned, this is a lot of rubbish which seems to have been created by a local official "thinking out loud", and then having the story picked up by media as being "fact". While I'm sure local officials are looking at ways to alleviate the overcrowding problems, I don't believe any solutions have been decided yet. This will involve a number of different agencies, and given the labyrinthine nature of Italian bureaucracy it could take awhile before anything is finalized.

Which of the five towns are you planning to stay in? I've found that it's possible to minimize the effect of the cruise ship hordes with some creative planning.

Try to stay West of the Cinque Terre (Levanto, Bonassola, Deiva, Moneglia, etc.) or Monterosso (the largest and westernmost village of the Cinque Terre).

Most cruise ship tourists come from the opposite direction (from La Spezia), therefore trains going East (to La Spezia) will be less crowded, provided that you leave after 8:30am. There are numerous locals headed East toward La Spezia in the morning (going to school or work), however local commuters will be on the train before 8:30am.

Vernazza is the star attraction and it will be most crowded, especially because it's very small. Between 10 and 4pm is the busiest time. If you can, avoid Vernazza in those mid day hours. Walk the trails during that time, or go to other villages (like Manarola or Riomaggiore or Monterosso). Visit Vernazza in the late afternoon when the large cruise crowds are gone, or early morning before 10am.
Trains between 10am and 4 or 5pm will be crowded too, but you can hike between villages during that time. Haven't done the trails for years, but maybe they aren't as crowded as inside the village of Vernazza.

c.loves.s2015, you must state what time of year you're going. It can make a very big difference with what may or may not even be available; accommodations in the CT book up months in advance of high season.

Wow lots more good info thank you everyone! Good point on the towns and which ones are busier. We will be there Oct 1-5 this year. We had wanted to stay in Vernazza since its central and close to the trails that are still open (so I have read so far, not sure if that is still true) , Would stay in Riomaggiore or Monterosso too, prefer not to stay in any of the other towns.
Are any of the towns better for night life? I know not to expect anything wild but a nice wine bar or something to do in the later evenings would be nice. We don't want to go to bed at 9m pm.

Also how late do the trains usually run any should we be in another town having dinner, how late can we expect a train to get back to where we are staying?

Monterosso is the largest village, and has the most of amount of room to accommodate crowds. It also has the largest amount of services (hotels, restaurants) so for nightlife, you might look at that one. Cantina di Miky has really good food and good wine/craft beer selection.

https://www.facebook.com/La-Cantina-di-Miky-135177229885708/

There are MANY trails throughout the park; not just the "Blue Trail" that everyone wants to hike. There are 4 sections to that one, and the two between Corniglia and Riomaggiore are closed. The two between Monterosso and Corniglia are currently open and we'll cross fingers that they stay that way: heavy rain or rockfall can close them at any time.

You can check out more about the the Parco Cinque Terre trail system here; look under the "Visit the Park" dropdown for "Paths and Outdoor":

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Eindex.php

You will need to purchase a Cinque Terre Card to hike the park:

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Ecinque-terre-card.php

This card, BTW, has nothing at all to do with rumored "tickets" to limit the amount of visitors to the region. It's more of a permit to use the trails, and the proceeds go towards their maintenance.

Vernazza is fun for nightlife. Start at Blue Marlin Bar, near the train station. When they close, walk down to the harbor, 5 minutes at most, to the "Bar". They stay open, with the locals pretty late. Very friendly!

Try http://www.elisabettacarro.it / for lodging in Vernazza.

I had the same question-- thank you so much!!