Cinque Terre or Amalfi in October?

It would help if you could tell us what the rest of your Italy itinerary looks like. Much might depend on how well one or the other would fit in, logistically.

I would agree that knowing the remainder of your itinerary would make a difference, but here is my 2 cents. Cinque Terre is much easier access, train connects towns as do walking trails and ferries (weather depending). I am headed to the Amalfi coast in 10 days for hiking. I chose hiking in place of my usual bike riding and I would not enjoy using a car, difficult parking, heavy traffic and driver must watch the road. Ferries and busses connect all the towns. Unless you have time to hike the Amalfi hills, I would opt walking from Manarola to Corniglia in Cinque Terre. We are not hikers and that was an enjoyable excursion....buon viaggio

I am well past hiking, but I would say that the Amalfi Coast is superior to CT. Also, you have wonderful places like Sorrento, Capri and more nearby.

Thanks for editing your post to include your itinerary. 2-3 nights in CT seems 1-2 days more than necessary, unless you plan on doing a lot of trail hiking. OTOH, you can easily fill your time in Sorrento. Pompeii, Capri, and the AC towns should keep you busy. But if you are flying out of Rome, you would want to be there the night before departure, unless your flight leaves late in the day.

Where do you fly home from?

Check the cruise ships that will dock near CT in October. I couldn't find exact information, but from what I remember from previous searches, there's still a lot of cruiser traffic then. I think CT has become over touristed, therefore I'd be much more likely to visit the Amalfi Coast. I think there's more to do in that area. This may help.

I will change my advise and agree that 2-3 days in CT is too much in less you are hiking.

With your itinerary, it sounds like you are flying out of Rome? If that is the case then if you do Amalfi, go straight to Naples from Florence and do Amalfi before you finish in Rome. That way you save a travel day.

I saw both on my first trip to Italy and preferred CT, but that was before cruise ships were there and I understand it has made for a very crowded region. We also are hikers. WE stayed in Vernazza and spent one day walking south to 4 villages and the next north to Monterosso. It was lovely.

The Amalfi coast at that time felt much " posher". However there is more to " do" if you get rain, such as Pompeii, Naples for a day trip etc.
If you are looking at this October, you may want to check out accomodations. We are going in October and looked at Amalfi coast and a lot was already gone.

We were in the Cinque Terre last October, having been there 20 years earlier. Twenty years ago, it was delightful. This past October, it was mobbed with people, both in the 5 towns, and on the few trails that hadn’t been closed off due to weather and rockslides/mudslides. The gelato throughout was really good, as were some (not all) the restaurants we tried. But the crowding made it far less enjoyable than our visit to the Cinque Terre in 2001, so last year’s probably our last time there.

Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, 10 years ago, were fantastic. I’d suggest that as your better option.