Manarola or Monterroso

If you are looking for Miami Beach at the Cinque Terre, you may not have booked the proper destination. But yes, Monterosso has a wider choice of restaurants and shops. Also it has the only decent beach of the five towns. Bars in Italy are not exactly American style bars, but they do stay open late.

Not needing a crazy nightlife, just want a choice of a few places to sit and have a drink or two after dinner.

Manarola is a very small town, no night life. Monterroso have more restaurants and bars. Also the old town.

It is not like Manarola rolls up the sidewalks after six. We went to dinner around 8, stayed until 10 (they poured free grappa after dinner), and we didn't close the place down. We passed the owner of our hotel sitting on the steps with the waitstaff on our way out, and it looked like their evening was just getting started. We had our after-dinner drinks on our own balcony at our hotel, with a veiw over the sea and a cascade of bouganvilla pouring over the divider from the house next door. It doesn't get much better than that. If your Manarola hotel is by any chance La Torretta, and you have a room with a balcony, you could do the same. It is one of the nicest places we have ever stayed (and we stay a lot of nice places).

Thanks Rick and Lola. Lola, I really want to stay at la torette. Are even thier standadrd rooms nice? Would be staying for four nights..not sure if we would get bored there.

We had a "classic" roomthe lowest price. I think that is the same as "standard." It was up some steep steps and had a nice balcony, which was heaven on earth, especially for breakfast (they bring it to you on a tray) nd late at night. Our daughters had another classic room lower down, with more sea view but no balcony. We stayed two nights and I would have loved another. But four nights might have been a bit muchby then we would be ready for a change. Or at least would have explored restaurant options in Riomaggiore. We never made it to Monterosso, so unfortunately I can't compare the two in terms of facilities of the towns. We thought Manrola was perfect for us, and we did not miss having a beach, as the deep-water swimming off the rocks was really nice. (Not in town; we took the trail a short distance toward Corniglia and there are several access points).

Thanks lola.

Erin, Four nights is a great stay! Our last time there we stayed 5 in Manarola and it was perfect. Plan a hike every morning and relax/tour the towns in the afternoon. Be sure to eat at Trattoria da Billy in Manarola and Il Pirata in Vernazza. Marina Picola in Manarola is also very good. And you will find plenty of places to have that nightcap! For hiking, in Manarola you can take a little bus up to access the higher trails, which are magnificent. I think it leaves Manarola at 09:00 or 09:30. We also liked the Sanctuary Trail out of Riomaggiore. If you get bored with the CT, take a daytrip to Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligura. I have posted some trip reports here.

We stayed in Monterosso recently. My impression is you'll have more choices in Monterosso, as Robert notes. It was a good base. There were plenty of restaurants that were open later than their stated "hours" where you could hang out and drink/eat until it was pretty late. (I recall walking into one restaurant for dinner after 10 pm, no problem). We stayed at Porto Roca, but, there were plenty of other nice places to stay in Monterosso.

Thanks Alan. It seems like trains stop running around 10 p.m. right? And there aren't any cabs that can take you late night back to your place I am assuming...

Thanks Laurel!

Not sure which town you're thinking of leaving from, etc., but, I just went to Trenitalia and checked for a late train from Monterosso to Manarola and I think they had one that left around 11:30 pm, and another after midnightand there appeared to be similar trains going the other way. edit: As far as a cab back to your hotel, if you're asking about a cab from a restaurant and hotel in the same town, well, wouldn't you like to just walk home?

Alan, I was thinking a cab for late at night when going to another town. I will check the train website out, thanks.

well, that would be a long walk, indeed. :-)