Good Day All,
I will be visiting Cinque Terre October 21 - 25, 2025. I am 72 years old with arthritis in the knees, and looking for a hotel in any of the five towns that is on level ground from the train station to the hotel and has balconies. At the hotel, I am willing to walk up two flights of stairs to reach my room. My budget is $200 or less. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Ingrid
If hills are a problem then most of the CT will be a challenge. Monterosso is the only village with a relatively large, relatively flat area. Even there, there is a gradient. Look at booking.com for hotels in the old town that meet your needs. Cross check with Google Maps (including street view) for location.
I think you should reduce your time there as you won’t be able to take advantage of many of the hikes in the area with your arthritis. I was in good shape when I did the Cinque Terre over two days and I was exhausted at the end.
WE stayed at Ca D'Andrean in Manarola which would meet your criteria for both budget and balconies. We had a main floor room with a terrace but with a view. However it is about a 5 minute walk up hill to get to.
In terms of the villages so many of the accomodations are tucked up into the hills. As CJean said only Monterosso is flat and on lever with the train station. Vernazza and Manarola are both even hard to explore without a bit of a climb up a hill. Corniglia might be an option as the town itself is flat, and I believe there is a shuttle back and forth from the station.
You could also consider stepping outside the CT. Portovenere is just south and you can catch a boat to the CT from there. The Grand Hotel is in the flat part of town, but I'm not sure if it would meet your price point.
Hi Ingrid,
Consider an alternative. If you want a pretty little Ligurian seaside place with colorful buildings, take a look at Camogli. Easy to get there by train and there is an elevator from the train station down to the boardwalk where there are bakeries, restaurants, and shops. I do not know about hotels because we stay in apartments. Instead of walking on crowded trails, you can take a scenic boat ride to the nearby 10th century Abbazia di San Fruttuoso --- it's nice to explore.
I'm pretty sure there are beaches and for sure a little harbor full of boats. Easy to take a train into Genoa and to other places along the coast. There's a direct train to the Cinque Terre that takes an hour and a bit, so very doable as a day trip. Camogli will not be anywhere near as full of daytrippers as the Cinque Terre.
When we stayed in Camogli, I was hobbling around with a severe foot injury, and have a good memory of what it's like to walk around there!
We've stayed at La Spiaggia in Monterosso, as have friends of ours, and I can recommend for your situation. It is a short, level walk from the train station, most rooms have balconies (although not all face the water) and an elevator. Family-owned, rooms are on the small side (usual for Italy) and simply furnished but very popular and books up fast! I believe breakfast is still included - lots of mentions of that in booking.com reviews - but I'd confirm that at booking.
Echoing what others have suggested, to perhaps consider an alternative. I loved our daytrip to CT but I even recall thinking at the time “how do people live here with any mobility challenges?” In most cases it’s a steep climb to travel through the village, and not many transport options within town that I recall.
Ingrid,
I would also recommend staying in Monterosso and would suggest one of the hotels in the "new town" area as that's mostly flat ground, and is within easy walking distance to good restaurants, the rail station, the "old town" and other tourist amenities. I haven't checked prices there recently, but your budget of $200 or less might be "challenging" although prices might be "softer" at that time of year.
You could also have a look at Hotel Pasquale in the old town, as it's an easy walk and also close to everything.
Good luck!
Good Day All,
Thank you all for your helpful advice. I found Hotel La Colonnina in Monterosso, which is not too far from the train station. I know my limitations and will take advantage of the ferries and trains. I will be happy just being there.
Ingrid
Very glad that you found an accommodation that suits, Ingrid! Might be worth mention that it's in the old versus new town, and 1/2 mile walk from the train station. I just did a virtual walk on google maps and it shouldn't be too hard on your knees.
