Hi there, I was curious if I could get some feedback on the Cinque Terre town of Levanto as a base for the Cinque Terre region. I was there in Vernazza and loved it and i have someone going and looking at Levanto.
Would love to get some feedback (pros/cons etc) on that town and using it as the base instead of Vernazza or Monterrosa.
Thanks.
PROS:
Easier to drive to, if you have a car.
More accommodations and amenities (probably at a better price too)
Also has a larger beach.
Easy train ride to the CT.
CONS:
It's not the Cinque Terre.
You won't be able to hear or see as many Americans around (for some that might be a pro).
If you can't find a hotel in one of the five Cinque Terre towns, then we would broaden the search to include Levanto.
stacey,
I agree with Roberto that staying in Levanto is certainly an option to consider, especially if you're not able to find a room in the Cinque Terre towns. While it's not "officially" part of the Cinque Terre, it's only about four minutes by train from Monterosso (I know, as I've timed it). Also as mentioned, it has a beautiful large beach which is larger than the one in Monterosso, and lots of hotels and other amenities. The station is a short distance from the main part of town, but it's not a difficult walk (about 10-15 minutes as I recall).
EDIT - If you'd prefer to stay "in" the Cinque Terre, you might check Monterosso before looking in Levanto. It's the largest of the five towns and therefore has the greatest number of hotels and other lodgings as well as lots of restaurants and other amenities, and of course some nice beaches. It's my favourite of the C.T. towns and the hotel I prefer to use in Monterosso was recently voted as tenth best in the world on Trip Advisor in terms of "exceptional service" (not surprising as the owners are wonderful people).
Thanks guys….I know people like it, I guess we just have to decide!
I still like vernazza and we stayed in Maria Campinelle place and loved it!
Hi Stacey, my friend and I stayed at the Stella Maris hotel in Levanto. We didn't stay at their main hotel as they were filled up but there was another building the annex, where we stayed right around the corner from them and it was across from a beach. Lots of people around and families. Our room was sweet but from what we were told the actual hotel was very nice with many antiques. The drawback was that the breakfast and dinner was in the hotel, not where we were. I think the annex was a little less expensive also. We didn't mind staying outside of CT but if I went back I would want to be where the action is in CT.
I stayed in Levanto a few years back and loved it. Same train line and only one stop away. I think it should be called Seis Terre region and include Levanto!
Lisaew.
Unless you have mobility issues there is no reason to spend money on a taxi from the station to your Villa Clelia hotel. It's a 15 min walk mostly downhill.
Safety is not an issue, whether you are a female or not. You are going to Levanto not Caracas.
I noted from other posts that you are kind of paranoid about safety.
Just for your information the entire province of La Spezia, where the Cinque Terre are, with a total population of 220,000 had zero murders in 2012 and only 1 in 2011. That means that your Albany, NY (4 murders in each of the same years for a pop of 100,000) has 8 times the murder rate.
Albany is even worse when we look at other crimes. Robberies are on average about 10 times worse in Albany than in La Spezia province. Unfortunately I don't have the stats for Levanto (Italy keeps crime stats by province) but I'm convinced that the worst case the Carabinieri in Levanto had to deal with is probably some rowdy drunk American college student visiting the Cinque Terre.
You may not know this,but going to Italy actually increases the chances of survival for someone coming from Albany.
@lisaew,
Villa Clelia looks like a very comfortable B&B, and it's great that they provide transport to and from the station on arrival and departure.
You shouldn't have any concerns walking from the B&B to the station during daylight hours, as there will be lots of people on the streets, including the last stretch from about Corso Roma to the station. Use Google Street View to have a look at the route, so that you have some idea what it looks like. You may also be fine returning to Levanto at 22:00 as there will likely be other passengers walking the same route. I'd have no hesitation at all in walking from the station at night. However if you're concerned about safety, a Taxi is certainly an option. I'd suggest asking the hosts at your B&B for suggestions on that.
I've never heard that Taxi fare in Levanto begins at €10, so will have to leave that question for one of the others. I always budget for a few Taxi rides during trips, as sometimes that's the best and easiest option.
