Cinque Terre- Vernazza vs Monterosso

Monterosso is bigger has a beach more space for the human traffic jams than Vernazza; also all long distance trains stop at Monterosso and not at the other towns. Vernazza is more romantic at night.

Yes, Monterosso is bigger. I would prefer Vernazza except that it's also Rick Steves's favorite town, so it seems very crowded especially during the days. Manarola and Riomaggiore will be too in September. Corniglia should be the least crowded since it is above the water and the train station is below the town, requiring steps up to it or a shuttle bus. If you don't mind that, Corniglia is a really lovely town too.

If you want a much less crowded town up north, consider Camogli, a charming little Italian vacation town that shouldn't be nearly as busy as any of the Cinque Terre towns in September. Your train from Milan via Genoa will pass right through Camogli on the way south to the Cinque Terre.

We stayed in old town monterosso, not far from the tunnel. It was very crowded, especially on the trail. But, conveniently located for food and walking around. Little bit of beach too.

We were last in Le Cique Terre in June of 2021. We always stay in Riomaggiore (we have an awsome place we always rent). If it were between just Vernazza & Monterosso, I would definitely choose Monterosso. When we were in Vernazza it was jam packed! And I don't say that lightly! There were garbage cans overflowing all along the main drag. We did not notice this in any of the other four villages.

We went to Cinque Terre for 5 nights last year. Even though bigger we loved Monterosso. We stayed at a lovely hotel with a fabulous breakfast to order everyday. We had a spectacular view. The staff was most accommodating. Monterrey was our base and we hiked between towns, took the train or the fairy. I would stay at Hotel Villa Steno again anytime. This was our last stop after 2 weeks in Ireland and 1 week in Scotland. We loved Cinque Terra. Suggest you make dinner reservations as soon as possible. Our hotel desk did that for us. Enjoy!

Both are great. Pick the one where you can get the accommodation that best works for you.

Leaving Cinque Terre today—stayed in La Spezia, but if I were choosing between the two you mention, I would pick Monterosso—I loved their promenade. And the train trip north of CQ to Genoa is beautiful! Go to Ricks recommended restaurant in Riomaggiore Bar e Vin Pie a Ma —it has a fantastic view! I wanted to go to Nessun Dorma in Manarola but the queue was 201 at 3:30 and they shut the queue at 4:30—almost a better view in Ricks recommended place! Don’t miss it—much less crowded than most places.

We have stayed in Monterosso and Santa Margherita Ligure to the north, on the Portofino Peninsula. Monterosso is good as a base to the Cinque Terre but it is much nicer to spend time in Santa Margherita Ligure.

Vernazza! We loved our stay there. The town is so unique and picturesque. There is immediate access to the trails. The water is literally at your feet. The food we had there was excellent. Without a doubt, that is where I would stay again.
Having said that, depending upon the season, it can become flooded with tourists. Since it is such a small town, it can be more noticeable than Monterosso which by design is a larger town and more spread out and more able to absorb the influx of people. Monterosso is a nice enough place, but it lacks the off the charts visual charm that is Vernazza.
Monterosso offers a good selection of very good places to eat as well as that great beach so it is a good place to visit.
Back and forth between both towns takes literally minutes by train. Standing by the water you can see one town from the other they are so close.

My suggestion would most definitely be Monterosso. It's a much larger town and has a greater number of hotels, restaurants and other tourist facilities. It has an "old town" and a "new town", which disperses crowds better so it doesn't seem as crowded even during the daytime. Monterosso has more in the way of conventional hotels, with elevators, good breakfasts, desk staff, etc., and also the best beaches of any of the towns. My favourite hotel in all of Europe is in Monterosso (Hotel Villa Steno).

Vernazza has a much smaller area so especially during the daytime, the restaurants and stores are packed with day trippers. If you're staying there, you'll have to tolerate that. Vernazza tends to have more private rooms rather than conventional hotels, and some of them are accessed by long stairways.

You might find it helpful to have a look at the RS Italy guidebook, to see descriptions of the towns, the facilities and hotel choices before you make a decision.

Monterosso has more in the way of conventional hotels, with elevators,
good breakfasts, desk staff, etc., and also the best beaches of any of
the towns.

Vernazza tends to have more private rooms rather than
conventional hotels, and some of them are accessed by long stairways.

Exactly. That is entirely the point and the reason to stay in Vernazza. If you want to enjoy the charm of a Cinque Terre experience, rent one of those rooms, climb those stairs, enjoy the absolutely magnificent views from your window or balcony.
If your destination is a hotel, sure, Monterosso.

"If your destination is a hotel, sure, Monterosso."

I tend to prefer hotels for a number of reasons, and the hotel I use in Monterosso is one of my favourites in all of Europe. One of the main benefits is that most of them provide a good breakfast. When I'm on holidays, I'm not cooking or doing dishes..... getting away from chores like that is one of the main benefits of holidays. I also have knee issues and I'm not doing stairs if I can possibly avoid them.

We stayed at Camere Fontanavecchia in Vernazza in September 2019 and loved it. The owner was very pleasant. We arrived late in the evening. She met us at the train station to walk us to the guesthouse. We felt that Vernazza was more cozy and picturesque. It is a great place from where to visit the other towns in CT.