Golfo Paradiso

kwarner,

Three or four days in the area would be good, but I'd suggest staying anywhere but La Spezia. Although it could be challenging to find accommodations at this late date, I'd suggest staying in one of the five Cinque Terre towns or perhaps Levanto. Start with Monterosso as it's the largest of the towns, has the most hotels, restaurants and other amenities and also a nice beach.

I can't offer any comments on apartments, as I usually travel solo so always use hotels or whatever.

As to accommodations, we have used ArbaSpaa as well as VRBO to find apartments. ArbaSpaa is more localized to Liguria. I notice they include Camogli, which I have long read about but not yet visited.

I agree with Ken: Stay in one of the 5 CT villages if at all possible! If not, try Levanto, not La Spezia.

Public transportation is excellent. We stayed in the CT and took a train to Santa Margherita Ligure and then bus to Portofino. You can take a train right to Camogli, though. SML is nice to stroll through, too. Portofino is insanely expensive.

thanks for your replies. Why not La Spezia for accom? is this based on crowds, or not easy to get to, or price? Also Should we stay the whole 6 nights in CT region Vernazza or Monterosso... and do day trips around to Genoa, Liguria etc ( Camogli and Santa Margerhitta, Portofino....any other suggestions for places worth a look within reasonable distance for day trips?) or should we spend 3 days CT and 3 days Liguria (thinking of basing in Santa Margharitta) so we are close to Genoa for departure.

If I cant find accom in Vernazza or Monterosso is Levanto ok to base ourselves instead (as least preferred choice) ie can we get to places easily by train or bus?

thanks

Why not La Spezia for accom?

It's not the most "scenic" town compared to the ambience of the C.T. towns, and not somewhere that I'd choose to stay.

Should we stay the whole 6 nights in CT region Vernazza or Monterosso... and do day trips

That's the method I prefer, since I can use one town for a home base and then explore other places by train or boat.

to Genoa, Liguria etc ( Camogli and Santa Margerhitta, Portofino....any other suggestions for places worth a look within reasonable distance for day trips?

• Genova - I'm not sure that's worth a day trip, but your choice.
• Santa Margherita Ligure - it's a beautiful city and certainly worth a look.
• Portofino - very expensive as Laurel mentioned, but nice to visit a place that was a frequent destination for the rich and famous. You can get some idea of the ritzy atmosphere by having a look at the well-heeled crowd in THIS video that was filmed in Portofino (including Sir Michael Caine and Paul Anka). Aside from visiting Castello Brown, browsing the posh shops and admiring the yachts that will probably be docked, there's not much to do.
• Porto Venere - a trip by boat from the C.T. (weather permitting) is a nice way to spend a day. Again, a bit on the posh side but a very pleasant trip and there are a few sights to see there.

or should we spend 3 days CT and 3 days Liguria

The C.T. is in the region of Liguria. My preference would be to spend all the time in one hotel, especially since it might take a bit of effort to find two hotel openings at this late date. I normally start booking in the C.T. in February for travel in September and even then it's sometimes challenging.

If I cant find accom in Vernazza or Monterosso is Levanto ok to base ourselves instead

Yes, Levanto would be also be a good choice as it's only about four minutes by train from Monterosso, has a good range of hotels and restaurants and also a really nice beach. The station is about a 10 minute walk from the main part of town, but the walk is not a huge effort.

can we get to places easily by train or bus?

Train is the quickest and most efficient transportation method. The trains run frequently and in some cases the cost is very cheap. Note that many of the trains you'll be using in that area will be Regionale, so you MUST validate tickets prior to boarding the train on the day of travel, or risk a hefty fine which will be collected on the spot! If you'll be using any of the "premium" trains such as Freccia or InterCity, you MUST have valid reservations specific to that train, date and departure time or again, hefty fines. If you buy P-P tickets, reservations will be included.

I second the vote for staying in Levanto. There is also a very nice beach there and lovely town to walk around, dining, etc.

Looks like you're on the right track with the advice above. I have not visited the Golfo Paradiso area but would not expect it to be different/far enough to warrant picking up and moving, versus taking a train one hour each way between Monterosso and Camogli.