Do we dare go to Cinque Terra without reservations?

In April you will be ok to wing it. If you don't feel comfortable doing that check out rooms on tripadvisor and call or email the owner. Rick Steves list a bunch of places in his book as well. We stayed at Manuel's Guesthouse which is listed in the book and loved it.

If you know the dates you will be in CT why not reserve? The time to wing it is when your don't know your itinerary. It sounds like your dates are set.

Agree with Sam, you never know what you will get if you wait...could be that you are stuck with an undesirable room at an undesirable rate :( Of course it could be the opposite, but I'd rather not take the chance.

In April, you will have no problem finding a place. People will approach you at the train station or you can walk into town and ask. Tell people what you are looking for and they will help you find it.

We went in the fall with three kids in tow and had no problem finding an apartment without reservations.

Becky,

I have to agree with one of the previous replies - as you know the dates you'll be there and prefer to stay in Manarola, why not reserve? That way you'll have a choice both in the type of lodgings you want as well as the price range.

There's a fairly good selection of lodgings listed in the Italy Guidebook. Although it's a bit above the budget you specified, have a look at This Hotel in Manarola. You could also have a look at These lodgings in Riomaggiore.

Happy travels!

Ditto.

It is possible to arrive without reservations in the CT in April -- but since you know when you plan to be there, and know where you prefer to stay, you may as well reserve now.

To get the best deal, you could e-mail places in other CT towns and get their best offers -- then use that as leverage against the places in Manarola.

We are also planning to go to Cinque terre in April but a bit earlier than you. 12-14. We also choose Manarola. I contacted pretty much most of the places in the book and online recommendation on tripadvisor.com. Most of them were booked out or beyond our price range.So we ended up choosing a place in Volastra, which is a small village above Manarola , which has a shuttle bus connecting it to Manarola.We did it through www.acasa5terre.com.
Last I checked they had availability in Manarola for 1 room. Only reason we booked in Volastra was because we got great views for better price-90 euro for 2 adults and a child.
Looks like high season is Cinque Terre starts March 31st, not after mid April like rest of Italy
So in my opinion better to check out some options before you get there.
Good luck and happy travels

On the other hand why book a hotel you can't see or walk into? I've never booked in advance and never slept in the street. If your very old or inept booking in advance is probably a good idea, otherwise get there and have a look. You won't need last minute luck.

I can't comment on availability in April-last year was our first visit to Cinque Terre.We visited late Sept 09-stayed in Manarola.Our accommodation was Locanda Giuliana, might suit your budget ,I think around 80E,bathroom, very clean and beautiful views!Watch out for the killer walk up the hill with suitcase in tow!Manarola was beautiful- postcard come to life-and we certainly dream of returning,Have fun.

I have just tried to obtain reservations at La Torretta in Manarola for July and they say they are already booked up...Make a reservation!

KPL

July is not April. If you had asked about July, I'd tell you that reservations were probably the better way to go. Shoulder season is a different animal.

I don't completely disagree with the posters who suggest reservations, however. For me, flexibility is valuable on a trip. I'm determined not to be a slave to my itinerary. I'm also less picky about lodging than most people. I don't care if the bathroom is down the hall or if I have a view (or even if the owners speak English). Not everyone feels that way. If you know where you will be and what you want, reserving now isn't a bad thing.

As far as money goes, I normally travel shoulder season and call for a room the morning before I arrive. I get great deals because I'm booking rooms that are going to be empty if I don't stay in them.

In CT, I didn't book at all - just arrived and got a place. I was happy about the price. I doubt I would have gotten a better price booking ahead.

I suspect (but haven't really researched it) places that book online months in advance cater to American tourists and charge higher prices because of it.

I was in Vernazza this past July (early). Here is what happened...I dropped by family off at the head of town and drove back up hill to the parking area. By the time I walked back down to town, they had already looked at two very good places to stay. We had an excellent room, more like an apartment.

The CT is a fabulous area. I tell people of our experiences in Vernazza. Sitting on the stoop below our room, of course, drinking wine. I could easily toss a baseball to: wine shop (they ask if you want the wine opened and with how many plastic glasses), meat and cheese shop, two foccacia bakeries, pizzeria, Inernet cafe, some shops, a bar...and probably some stuff I forgot. Going back this year.