We are seniors that have to keep our travels simple. We are thinking about flying into Milan from Kansas City then train to Monterosso al Mare. We would leave mid March staying 2 weeks in Monterosso. `We would leisurely take train to various villages, walk, eat and enjoy architecture.
thoughts? Advice?
We have been to Italy: Rome, Florence, Stressa, Padua and Venice.
But now go to one location to simplify.
My two cents:
March is generally rainy and kind of cold still, also daylight savings time kicks in on the last Sunday in March in Europe, therefore it gets dark early in the evenings. Frankly I would consider 2 weeks in Monterosso too long even in summer, let alone in March. Also it's not that easy to take day trips to other places from that area.
If you go in March, I'd stick to a city which has plenty of opportunities to do things indoor in case of bad weather, and that offers plenty of places nearby to take day trips. Florence and Tuscany would be one choice, Rome could be another. Since you've visited both before, maybe you could consider Naples area, or Sicily. Both are more to the south and have better weather in March.
Sandy, there are lots of easy day trips you can do by train from Monterosso - at least, if you like towns. There are a number of really lovely towns in the riviera (e.g. Camogli, Rapallo, Santa Margherita Ligure, Portofino, plus the other Cinque Terre owns of course), plus you can train up to Genoa too for the day, quite easily if you want some big city stuff
But as Roberto points out, the days will be short, so your day trips may not be long at least in daylight. Genoa is a little over an hour each way from Monterosso (at least there are some fast trains to save time, but they cost more). I've not been to the riviera in March - I would guess it won't exactly be bustling, but on the other hand there will be fewer tourists too. Maybe some stuff just won't be open off season.
Could be you maybe split it up to spend your two weeks in two different places?
My suggestions are along the same lines as the previous two replies.
As Roberto mentioned, the weather may not be ideal at that time of year so touring may not be too pleasant. On rainy days, here aren't many "indoor" activities in that area to keep busy with. The towns and the scenery are the main attraction, and the ferries between the towns may not be running at that time of year. Mid-March is a bit before the "official" start of tourist season, so not all businesses may be open, but you'll likely be able to find enough hotels and restaurants open.
Two weeks in the Cinque Terre is perhaps a bit too long, so I agree with Andrew that splitting your visit between two locations might be a good plan. There are lots of possibilities in Northern Italy.... have a look at the current RS Italy guidebook for some ideas. You could spend the first week in one location and the second week in Monterosso.
For your stay in Monterosso, I would highly recommend either Hotel Villa Steno or Hotel Pasquale (assuming they're open then). One restaurant that's a favourite with many here is Cantina di Miky which is near the train station on the main street in the new town (again, assuming they're open).
Buon viaggio!
Wrong month to be in the Cinque Terre; you have the whole country to investigate:
All your imput has been excellent. We could go early April. We just don't like crowds of tourist.
Thank you so much!
Sandy
I do think Monterrosso has the least hills/stairs of the five towns and the closest thing to a beach. That said, it's a place to visit ideally in summer when its sunny and warm. Northern Italy will likely be chilly and wet in March. I'd focus further south if you could. If not, Venice and Florence will have less crowds than normal. Tuscany might not be the best because of wet, steep walking in the smaller towns. Cities like Verona, Balogna, Parma, Assisi will still be operating and will have better sidewalks and shelter from the weather.
We enjoyed our time in the Cinque Terre and stayed in Monterosso at Hotel La Spiaggia, but we were there in May. If you are going to Italy in March you may enjoy going to the Amalfi Coast instead. Sorrento makes a great base and you can go to Pompeii, Capri, and Amalfi coast towns like Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello if you like. Sorrento has spectacular sunsets over the Bay of Naples and staying in a cliffside hotel is magical. Sorrento also has a lovely walkable Centro Storico area of shops and restaurants. If you choose to go to the Amalfi Coast area you can fly into Naples or Rome. Best wishes on your travel plans!
