Cinque Terre on May 1. -- avoiding crowds

Both options include May 1st, so I would say the answer to your question is no.

I do not see how the crowds could be worse on May 1 than on any other day at this time. The hotels wil all be full and there will be cruise ships dumping dayrippers into the area. As for prices of rentals, you will just have to check.

Maybe the warning is about train travel on May !? Where exactly did you see this?

What do you wish to do there and which village do you intend to stay in?

We plan to hike, enjoy the beach, swim if warm enough, possibly kayak, and possibly hike on the much higher up trail. We are a very active, outdoorsy family. The rest of our trip is time in Florence (2-3 days) and yet to be planned time in the Tuscan countryside (2 days). I have been wondering if we should do 2 nights in Cinque Terre (planning on Monterosso) or 3 nights. If we do 2, we can leave on May 1 and avoid those holiday crowds.

The reference to avoiding May 1 is in the Italy book on p. 340 and When to Go on p. 338 -- "April weekends can be very busy: Easter and the public holidays of Liberation Day (April 25) and Labor Day (May 1) bring crowds of Italians, prices shoot up, and restaurants fill."

I'm afraid you're going to find a mob scene no matter which dates you choose. My sister-in-law encountered massive crowds in October this year. I hope the upper trails will be OK for you.

I don't think the water will be warm enough for swimming in early May. I suggest Googling for info on water temperature.

3 nights in Cinque Terre, either April 29-May 2 or May 1-4. Do you think one of these options is better than the other in terms of avoiding large crowds or expensive rentals?

One is like drowning in 200 ft of water and the other is like drowning in 180 ft. Not sure which is which.

Given those choices, I would pick whichever one is less, if there is any cost difference, otherwise I would be reduced to flipping a coin.

Good luck

Cinque terre are almost always crowded on their own. Too much advertising and too cramped space.
Also, the whole week between April 25th (Italy's Liberation) and May 1st (Labor day) has extra crowds as most Italians can have an 8 days rest actually skipping only 4 working days (in Italian it is called a "ponte", that is a "bridge" between festive days).
And on festive days (April 25th, Sunday 28th and May 1st) public transportation works on festive (mostly reduced) schedule. Add up everything on your own.

I feel like the feedback you are receiving is factual but a bit negative. It is a given that it will be crowded, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still be a good experience. You note that you will be hiking which will thin down the number of people you encounter. Only you know your personal tolerance for crowds, but I think you could still have a very positive time.

You have needlessly locked yourself into a destination that doesn't match your desires; time to change. Chose a less crowded place that meets your needs, and catch Cinque Terre on the next trip. Since you are interested in hiking, consider Santa Margherita Ligure or Camogli where you can experience wonderful Ligurian towns and also hike with less crowding in the Portofino Natural Park: https://portofinotrek.com/en/ That said, every resort-ish destination in Italy will be busy around May 1 unless the weather is awful.

Everywhere that tourists flock to will be exceptionally crowded on May 1.

Do you think one of these options is better than the other in terms of avoiding large crowds or expensive rentals?

It doesn't cost anything to go online and research rentals for your dates - what you find may help you to make a decision.

You are going to have crowds but you can still enjoy your time. As stated, many Italians take advantage of the holidays in April and May. I live in Italy during the first half of the year and it is common to travel within Italy. I went to Capri on May 1st this year and it was VERY crowded but we still had a good time. As someone said, what you need to watch is the transportation... regional buses and trains can have greatly reduced hours on Sundays an holidays.

Thank you all for your posts. Our son is studying in Florence and finishes his studies on April 25. We are meeting him that weekend to travel with him and then come home to Minnesota. I am a teacher and our other timing option was to visit Italy during my spring break which is March 11-15. We chose the late April/early May week because we think the weather will be better for the later time frame. I think that was a good decision.

We want to see Cinque Terre and it sounds like anytime during that week will be quite busy. We can handle crowds, but our limit would be trails so congested that one really cannot hike. I think we will end up staying in Monterosso two nights -- either April 29 and 30 (Monday, Tuesday) or May 2 and 3 (Thursday, Friday). Not sure if one of those is better. The rest of our week will be in Florence and Tuscany.

Again, thanks for all your help!

If hiking is your goal, keep checking the websites for updates on current closures. Right now, every section of the Sentiero Azzuro ((the famous coastal path) is closed, “for maintenance” according to one website. No projected opening date is mentioned.

https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-current-situation

https://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Esentieri-outdoor.php

The upper trails are open, but may face extra pressure (crowding) if the coastal path is not open at the time of your visit. You might want to maintain some flexibility in your plans (book lodging that can be canceled a week or two ahead) in case you decide to go elsewhere.

I’ve been in to get cinque terre a few times in April and May. Since you are hikers, just take the high trails and there will hardly be any tourists.
We get up early and get on the train before 10:00 AM when all the day trippers come. Take the train to the village where our high hike starts, and then don’t see the tourists until we get back down the mountain to the town where we are taking the train back to Monterosso.