Cinque Terre Lodging

Bob, It would help to have some idea on when you'll be travelling in the C.T.? I suspect you could have some difficulties in showing up on a Sunday morning. As you can appreciate, many places will be closed and at least some of the proprietors may be at Church. The accommodations in Riomaggiore consist mostly of small rooms and Pensiones, so they don't always have staff "on duty". Also, by showing up on short notice, you'll probably have to accept whatever "short notice" rate they want to charge. Pre-booking provides greater control over the prices. To provide an example, one afternoon in Riomaggiore I watched two couples spend about two hours trying to find a place to sleep. They eventually got the last room in town. That's one reason why I prefer to pre-book accommodations. Is there a particular reason you're limiting your choice to Riomaggiore? Good luck!

Ken, We will be arriving on June 26th. The other option is to arrive in the afternoon on Saturday around 5pm. I am not really sure which is best. Also, we are not set on Riomargiorre but we are coming from the south. Manarola would be ok but Corniglia I think is out because we have a 7 year old. I have not had very good luck finding a place on the internet so that is why I was wondering how realistic it would be to just show up.

I would hesitate to arrive during high season needing a room for 4 people. You certainly won't get the best price doing it that way, and you may spend the greater part of a day trying to locate a place. You might even have to travel from village to village in order to find something. Besides Monterosso there are no 'hotels', just people renting rooms. Have you checked in Monterosso? Another possibility is to stay somewhere a little larger, like La Spezia. You could still train in to CT during the day. Good luck!

Bob, At that time of year, the C.T. will probably be VERY busy! Pre-booking would be a really good idea. I assume you're using the RS Guidebook for checking accommodations? It's not surprising that it's a bit "challenging" to find accommodations for June. It took me several days to get something confirmed for September! What type of accommodations are you looking for, and which places have you tried? I agree that Corniglia is probably not the best choice under the circumstances. Have you considered Vernazza or Monterosso? You might try Pensione Sorriso in Vernazza or Hotel Villa Steno in Monterosso. Some offer extras cots in the rooms to accommodate children. Given the fact that you don't have much time, I'd probably concentrate on the places in Monterosso first (using the Guidebook listings or Trip Advisor). Good luck!

I have been trying to get a hold of any contact information for this lodging at Vernazza called 'Antonio and Ingrid Fenelli Camere'. But till date i failed miserably. anybody can help me with this? I've got till tomorrow to settle accomodation in cinque terre eBBe

Bob, Have you tried looking on airbnb.com?

In Vernazza, try: www.elisabettacarro.it

We were in Vernazza last year at exactly the same time. You can make reservations by emailing some of the contacts in Rick's book. Vernazza is by far the most beautiful. Monterosa is more touristy with a lots of beachfront so you may have more luck there. Don't waste valuable vacation time and stress yourself out by showing up without a reservation.
Keep looking online and read Tripadvisor too. You will find something. Good luck.

I would and have used tripadvisor and would want a res. even without having children

One other site to check is www.arbaspaa.com. Judging by the languages flagged on their web site, they really don't cater to U.S. tourists, but I was able to make my Manarola reservations there.

Did you try Locanda del Sole in Riomaggiore? We stayed there once as we had a car and needed a place with a parking area. It is a very plain BUT VERY LARGE room (good for kids I would think) with the most comfortable bed and a largish bathroom. Breakfast was very simple, no frills. Right on the main"street" in town.

Dont do it! Old information. Make a reservation before you go. You'll also get a better room. Call the Rick Steves recommended 'Edi's Rooms'. They have several rooms with terraces, which has really made our visits. Sitting out on the terrace in the morning looking out over the town and the sea...awesome. If you email them, you may have to wait several days for a reply from them. There are other places that rent rooms with terraces too. Riomaggiore is my favorite town in the CT.

I am going to the CT in late September, during the week, and I have had a bear of a time getting a reservation. We finally got in with our fifth choice, and are now on waiting lists for the others. I am quite sure that rooms would be available if we just showed up, I would rather have the certainty of having a reservation in hand, especially on our first visit.

Thanks all for the information. We were finally able to book ahead using Edi from RS which I think is going to be a very wise decision

Bob, It's great to hear that you've found something! Hope you have a fantastic time in the C.T.