Cinque Terre rooms

I stayed in Levanto - just north of the 5 towns and it was only a 10 or 15 minute train ride to the southern most town. Levanto is great little town and has a great beach for swimming, nice restaruants, lovely place to wander around. I bought an all day train ticket and Cinque Terre pass (needed for hiking on the trails) and had a wonderful day.
With the train pass you can go back and forth between all the towns as much as you want until midnight.

Christy, I suppose it's possible to just "show up" and find a room, but you may spend a lot of time looking or may have to settle for something that's not quite at the comfort level you prefer or the price you wanted to pay. Time spent looking for lodgings is wasted touring time (IMO) so I always pre-book my accommodations there WELL in advance. The Cinque Terre seems to be getting busier every year, so I don't rely on the "just show up" advice. Which places have you contacted and which town would you prefer to stay? Good luck!

I did as Frances did and would stay there again. I do believe that Ken has also stayed there as an alternative to the CT scramble.

Did you try La Torretta in Manarola? Perfection, then a short walk, Trattoria Billy, absolutely not to be missed, freshest of seafood....calamari will never taste the same.

Not sure if you've tried...arbaspaa.com...we used them for both our stays in CT, they have lots of B&B/rooms listed for all 5 villages plus other spots...not sure at this late a date, but if you haven't tried, give it a go...

Just for interest sake, I went on the site, not sure which days you are going to be there so I plugged in Sept 25-27, 2 people, 8 options came up, varying from 140euro to 220 euro total...looked at B&B, apts, rooms, plus if you contact them ,there may be others avail that they can look into.

In Vernazza, try her: http://www.elisabettacarro.it/ lots of steps, but a wonderful view!

I stayed in Levento also and loved it. Nice size town with great beach and lots of restaurants. It is one train stop away from the 5 towns, really just minutes. We stayed at an apartment we heard of through VRBO and it was great. Can't hurt to plan ahead and get the reservation

Christy did you try Francamaria Rooms? www.francamaria.com We stayed here 4 nights in July 2009 and loved it. Rooms 1 and 2 have a view of the Piazza which we loved.

This summer we stayed at Alle 5 Terre in Monterossa - http://www.alle5terre.com/ An awesome breakfast is available and Cherry is a great host. She has five rooms, the three on the new side of town have lots of stairs but an amazing view. The other two are on the old side at the breakfast room and have no stairs and no view. Clean and affordable. You could try to book via email or phone.
Have you tried this site: http://www.cinqueterrehotels.com/en/ ? Getting rooms when you arrive can be stressful and takes time from hiking, viewing, swimming, etc. Good luck!

Thanks everyone! I manage to find a room in Monterosso and look forward to our stay!!