Interesting place to stay between Pisa and Cinque Terre

Hi LB. Can you clarify your question? How many days do you have? Is there some reason you don't want to stay in CT? etc...

Why not CT itself?

I also have the same question as the previous reply. Why are you not staying in one of the Cinque Terre towns?

Given that you want to an efficient train connection, staying in La Spezia or the CT are the only realistic choices.

I'd go there directly, unless you land late at night.
If you stay closer to Pisa, let's say Pisa itself or in a seaside resort town in Versilia (e.g. Viareggio) you will still have to travel over one hour and a half the day you visit the Cinque Terre. You might as well bite the bullet and go there directly the day you land.

Another vote for just staying in the CT if you intend to hike there.

Hi, thanks for all the feedback. We are travelling in July and would like to stay somewhere that is less crowded than CT might be during the summer. Any suggestions on where to stay in CT perhaps on the outskirts of one of the towns?
thanks!

LB,

There are parts of the five C.T. towns that are away from the crowds, so you could still stay in one of the towns and not have to be bothered too much by crowds. I normally stay in Hotel Villa Steno in Monterosso, which is up the hill from the "old town", and it's perfectly tranquil and quiet in the hotel. There are other places in that part of town that are also quiet. On the other side in the "new town", the area near Villa Adriana is also quiet. The biggest problem with crowds will be in the train stations.

You could also stay in Levanto, which is just north of Monterosso.

The CT is crowded mainly with daytrippers from nearby places and especially from cruise ship passengers. If you want to avoid crowds, don't plan to be a daytripper! Stay in the CT, spend the early morning and late afternoons and evenings enjoying them and when the flocks come, head for the less-frequented parts.

I was in Manarola in the height of summer once and it was calm and peaceful.

Great info, thanks. We will look into staying at one of CT towns.
Thanks, very much.

LB,

You're very welcome! If you prefer more conventional hotels rather than just small rooms, Monterosso is the best choice. It also has the greatest number of restaurants and other tourist amenities, and the best beaches of the five towns. There are also some smaller lodgings in Monterosso that also provide breakfasts.