Manarola or Levanto?

romapapas,

Both towns would be good, but of the two I'd lean towards Manarola. Is there a reason you're not considering Monterosso? What time of year will you be there?

Manarola is quite charming and there are a number of options for apartments that do not require hundreds of stairs to reach. We used this service for an apartment there last month. One of our favorite CT restaurants is in Manarola, Billy's. Do go! And you can easily hop the trains to dine and explore the other towns. We like to eat in a different town every night. Other fave restaurant is Il Pirata in Vernazza, and Marina Piccola in Manarola is also very good.

To me, Levanto is more of a "city". We hiked there (10km) and had a good lunch on the beach, but it felt too big for me to want to stay there.

Wow such prompt replies! We will be there the end of April, beginning of May then to Venice. Some concerns with Manarola are carrying suitcases, groceries and supplies up many steps! Good friends recommended Levanto but on checking google we also felt it looks too busy with vehicle traffic etc. Maybe the centre where they stayed would be more attractive but we are hoping to find somewhere with outside sitting space with a view. We have not come across anything suitable in Monterossa but we will try again as well as check the link suggested. Any accommodation tips gratefully accepted! Thank you.

the thing I like about Manarola is that there are not as many steps. there are some steep winding lanes, but not so many actual stairs. There is also a new service in the villages that will deliver your luggage. You might ask when you reserve a place about that service. Stairs are not bad without luggage, but can be awful with it. :-)

Laurel thank you for this invaluable information! This may well convince us that we should book the home in Manarola with spectacular views but high up! I was on the verge of switching completely to Portovenere instead and just boat to Cinque Terre villages . Any views on that idea? I found what looks like a suitable apartment in Portovenere. My thoughts were that then we could visit places near there and not be too far from La Spezia for our trip to Venice afterwards.

I stayed in Levanto and then bought a 1 day pass for the train and trails to the CT.

This was perfect for me. We were able to hike and much or little as we wanted and then hopped on the
train. The train rides are only a few minutes between town in the CT. (unlimited rides with the pass)
Levanto is a lovely town for strolling around, swimming in the sea, lots of good restaurants,
shops to look into. Nice homes to admire. I would definitely stay in Levanto on my next trip to
the CT.

Manarola is about a 10 minute train trip to La Spezia. Portovenere must be reached by bus or boat. Boats are limited and both boat and bus take longer than the train out of Manarola. Just sayin'. But if you like the apartment or home you found, you can make it work logistically. Just be aware of the situation.

I spent two nights in Monterosso in early October. I had been in Portovenere decades ago, and returning there for lunch was a sentimental priority for me. I really wanted to go by boat, especially to relax and see the coast and all the towns from the water. The sea was only a little rough, but the boats were not going in the morning, maybe in the afternoon, they said. So I went by bus, meaning train to La Spezia, walking a ways in La Spezia to find the bus stop, which was not particularly pleasant or interesting, waiting for the bus, then the 30 minute bus ride to Portovenere. Portovenere was very nice, but no more beautiful or interesting than the Cinque Terre towns, although it did have some interesting churches, and a high fort and cemetery. Turns out the boats did not go in the afternoon either, so I had to reverse the whole process. It all took most of the day and quite a bit of energy, and I spent a lot more time in La Spezia than I had ever really wanted or imagined that morning. You might find a similar situation some days in April. Given my experience, I would stay in one of the Cinque Terre towns and go to Portovenere for lunch on one clear day when the boats were going.

romapapas,

I would NOT suggest staying in Porto Venere, mostly for the reasons that Larry outlined. Travel there by Bus is a bit "awkward" and travel by boat even to Riomaggiore is going to take about an hour each way, which is going to add to your travel times to get anywhere. Finally, if the seas are rough, boat service is sometimes suspended, so you'd be stuck in Porto Venere. While Porto Venere is a scenic smaller town, I don't think I'd like to spend a lot of time there.

I'd suggest having a closer look at Monterosso, as it's mostly level and therefore fairly easy to get around. It also has the nicest beach of the five towns and the most restaurants and other facilities. I never rent apartments, but one of the others may have a good suggestion for you.

Cheers!

Thank you everyone. The Manarola property did not suit our needs after all - descriptions are not always fully complete! A place in Vernazza is a possibility but seems rather close to the railway line so now we are looking at Monterossa. Thank you Ken. Fingers crossed we can find something.

romapapas,

Monterosso is the largest of the five towns, so you should be able to find something there. Be sure to book early though!

You may find it helpful to have a look at THIS LIST. I'm not sure whether it's been updated recently, but it will give you an idea what's available. One point to mention is that many of the places will probably be closed for the season now, so you'll need to be patient if waiting for a reply.

Cheers!

I stayed in Levanto in 2008 on a RS tour and the CT was a quick train ride away. Levanto has a wonderful beach with the little beach houses like they have in UK. The town was also not as packed with tourists as the CT. I would recommend you consider Levanto.

As Ken suggested, you might consider staying in Monterosso. It's the largest of the 5 CT towns, is flat and has more restaurants, shops, etc. We stayed in Monterosso twice and loved it. I would suggest staying in the "old town" part of Monterosso as it's more quaint. Is there a reason you want to stay in an apartment or home and not a hotel? If you're open to a hotel, we stayed at Hotel Pasquale this past September and it was truly a highlight of our trip. All rooms have views onto the oceanfront and the staff are very helpful and kind. The rate includes an excellent breakfast and the rooms are very clean and comfortable.

Decision made! Monterossa it is, in what looks like a very nice villa in a quiet attractive area. Thanks for all the suggestions. Actually we were most impressed with the prompt responses from all the places we contacted. The trip will be a get together for myself and husband from Canada and my two sisters and husbands from the UK so we were keen to find a place where we could all spend time together. Now just a couple of days to book for ourselves between arriving in Bologna and arriving in Monterossa. Is Parma worth a visit? How easy is it from there by public transport to Monterosso ?

romapapas,

It's very easy to get from Parma to Monterosso by rail. The trips range from about 2H:45M to 4H:10M with one or two changes, depending on which train you choose. You can research the various options on the Trenitalia website. Note that schedules for next year won't be uploaded yet, so just research trips this week using the same day of the week that you plan on travelling.

Have you travelled by train in Italy before? There are some potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of. If you need further information, post another note.

Ken
Thanks for the train info, that was as I figured out too. Yes we have travelled in Italy before two years ago... You mean ensuring validating tickets?

romapapas,

Yes, that's part of it.

If you're travelling on Regionale trains (or Buses in Rome or other places), ticket MUST be validated when boarding on the day of travel. DON'T validate the previous day, as the tickets only have a "shelf life" of about six hours once validated.

Another situation arises when travelling on premium trains such as the Freccia high speed trains which travel at up to 300 kmH. You MUST have reservations for those, and those are specific to the train, date and departure time and CAN NOT be used on any other train. If you're caught on a different train than specified on your ticket, you'll be fined about €60 PP on the spot! That also applies to some InterCity and other trains. The fines will vary slightly depending on what type of train is involved.