Favorite lodging for Cinque Terre

I know Rick likes Vernazza and many others on the helpline seem to like Monterosso, but my husband and I are partial to Riomaggiore. Twice we have rented an apartemento with a great terazza from Edi's Rooms. They no longer rent that apartmento, so this time we splurged and are trying the Giulia Suite listed on Airb&b # 916368

We stayed (last April) in a wonderful apartment I found on TripAdvisor, in Manarola -- with a great terrace overlooking the town in one direction and the sea in the other. (And Trattoria Billy was about two minutes away, for our blow-out dinner.) Shopping for breakfast food was easy. But really, the trains are so easy and cheap that it doesn't matter much which town you stay in, so you may want to make your choice depending on which of the hiking paths have been washed out and are unusable. If you have even half as wonderful a time as we did, you'll be ecstatic.

I always recommend Riomaggiore over Vernazza. Vernazza is the most picturesque, and is more lively in the evening. Riomaggiore is more of a real town, and quieter in the evening. Plus, and this is a huge plus...There are lots of terrace apartments & B&B in Riomaggiore, and very few in Vernazza. To us this makes a big difference.

I personally like to rent apts. We rented through Arabasspa last Sept. We stayed in Manarola. Loved it! Had an apt. with a lovely terrace to enjoy the sea view. It was so nice to sit and enjoy our wine while watching the sunset. It was just two of us so we rented a one bedrm apt. This particular rental had two apts to accommodate 4 or 5 ppl. Three balconies with this property. Simply furnished, very clean. Our hostess was so very sweet and accommodating. Even had a Rick Steves guide book available for us to use during our stay. Also wi-fi available and it was very good. Good luck! Enjoy your stay!

Oh, btw, it was mid Sept and the apt. was €135 per night.

Christy,

I'd suggest staying in Monterosso, as it's the largest of the five towns and therefore has the greatest selection of accommodations in various price ranges, as well as lots of restaurants and other facilities. My preferred hotel there is Hotel Villa Steno, but you'll have to check their website for current rates. Their sister property (run by the same family) is Hotel Pasquale, which is also excellent. Villa Steno is a bit of a hike to reach initially, but being higher up the hill, the views are great. Pasquale is close to the entrance of the tunnel that separates the new and old towns, and therefore an easy walk from the station (mostly level).

I agree with Ken. I favor Monterosso for the reasons that Ken cited. And, I loved staying at Hotel Pasquale last September. All rooms have an ocean view and the hotel is close to the train station. The family that runs the hotel are very friendly and helpful. They serve a nice breakfast each morning complete with home-made croissants filled with jam, still warm from the oven! Have a great trip!

Mid September I rented from Christian. He is listed in Ricks books. His rooms are La Marina Rooms. Great view of either the town or sea. It was 75 Euro when I stayed. It's on the sane level as the tower above the harbor and you need to climb about 70 steps if you don't mind that. On arrival Christian meet us at the train station and carried our bag up the stairs.