Rome and Cinque Terre (CT)

It is a tough choice. On my last trip, I chose 2 nights (one full day) in the Cinque Terre and 3 nights (2 full days) in Rome. I left Rome feeling like I had done everything I wanted to do. I left the Cinque Terre wishing I had another day. (however, I would not have wanted to give up a day in Rome) It really comes down to whether you want to spend more time "relaxing" and being in a laid back area, or more time in a big city seeing the sights. I would lay out everything I felt I "had" to see in Rome, and then see how much time you think you need for it. Getting in at 7:40, you should be able to figure you have another 1/2 day right there. (it will take time to get to where you are staying, and you will want to go to bed early if you flew from Oregon)

Rome and the Cinque Terre offer very different experiences--see Connie's post on that. One thing to consider is that no matter how excited you're going to be arriving in Rome, you'll have missed a night's sleep and will be jet-lagged, despite your excitement, and will probably not be anything close to 100% by the afternoon of your arrival day. If it's any help, travelers posting here in the last couple of years have spent an average of at least 3 to 4 full days in Rome on a first visit, there's that much to see and do. Travelers to the CT, who post here, probably spend an average or 2 full days in the CT.Travelers into art, history, architecture find that Rome is a feast, 5 days on my first trip was not enough for me. The Vatican takes one day, the various Forums take another day, but there's so much more that you don't see in two days. And then CT offers an opposite experience, no museums or things to do indoor (except eat and drink), it's splendors are best appreciated hiking. Some of us here feel that Rick has over-promoted the CT and given short shrift to other coastal villages. Others disagree with that.

we did 2 at ct and 3.5 in rome and it worked great for us. yes i would have enjoyed another day in the ct, but we did get to do and see what we wanted. i remember arriving to the ct very tired from all of the traveling so remember when you arrive in rome your probably going to hit the pillow early that night so you will enjoy your extra day in rome. good luck :):)

Lisa,

I normally recommend 4-5 days for a first visit to Rome, so I'd suggest going with your original plan and spend 3 nights there at the beginning. Plan your touring very carefully so you don't waste any time! I'm assuming you're aware of the travel method from Fiumicino airport to Rome using the Leonardo Express?

With regard to your comment about spending "a lot of time waiting in line at attractions in Rome", that's true for the most part. You didn't say what time of year you'd be travelling, so that will have a bearing on the wait times. I'd highly recommend that you pack along a copy of Rick's Italy Guidebook, as there are great tips in there for minimizing the queues. I've used the suggested method of buying a combo ticket on Palatine Hill to visit the Colosseum and it works well! There's also good info on getting around Rome and more importantly opening and closing times of various sights.

You'll probably find (as I usually do) that you'll be very much in need of a rest after touring Rome, and there's no better place to recover from the rigours of travel than the Cinque Terre. Sitting on a restaurant patio admiring the ocean view while sampling the local wine and Pesto is a very nice way to recover!

You'll need to plan for travel time from Roma Termini to the Cinque Terre (via La Spezia). There are direct trains on that route with a travel time of about 4-hours and no changes (reservations compulsory). You might arrange your tickets for the trip to the C.T. when you arrive in Rome, as you'll be at the station anyway. Which area of Rome is your Hotel in?

Hope this helps? Happy travels!

More than three days worth of must sees in Rome. CT is a great place for a relaxing break from the otherwise hectic pace of your trip. I think two days is plenty in CT and would probably skip it on a shorter trip.

Thank you all so much. I am grateful for all of the insight!

Lisa,

A couple of other suggestions, if you're planning to visit the Colosseum....

First of all, don't bother with the "photo with the Gladiator" scam. Those photos are vastly overpriced IMHO.

I'd also highly recommend taking the "official" tour inside the Colosseum from a "live" Guide (rather than using an Audioguide). They provide a small Headset & Receiver so that those at the back of the group can hear the Guide clearly and the tour was really interesting! Look for the glass booth with all the "blinking lights" just after you get through security. From what I remember you can either rent an Audioguide there or book a tour.

The "official" Guides indicated that the Guides outside offering "english language tours" were scammers and charged exorbitant fees, recommending that we stay away from them.

Happy travels!

Cinque Terre as a third priority set of places to see in Italy is IMHO somewhat overstated by Mr. Steves. I think CT is one of Rick's favorite places. Its very pretty, but so also is the Amalfi Coast. Its way too far away to make sense in an itinerary for six days especially if you need to return to Rome to fly out. Where are you flying out? "Quaint," permeates all of Italy outside the big cities. And quiescent quaintness can be found in any of the hill towns surrounding Rome. Even in Venice, you can feel like you are the only tourists in the entire town if you walk the Ghetto. And Florence's South of the Arno, will give you the same feeling.

Lines in Rome are mostly imaginary, or meant for people that like standing in lines anyway: Except for the Vatican, the Colosseum and the airport - those lines are very real and frustrating. We've been to Rome twice, and there were no lines at all for 95% of the stuff to see, even during the peak season.

For those of you who think CT is overrated... where would you suggest for lovely scenery and a quiet coastal landscape?

My wife and I were in Italy last fall (October) and after spending 3 days in Venice we went to Santa Margherita Ligure for 5 days and really enjoyed it. We were able to go to Portofino (not necessary but touristy) and to CT (which we did on 2 different days). When we go back I will probably do the same thing. The only thing I would want to do is take the ferry to CT (not running in October). I much preferred staying away from the CT.

The Cinque Terre is quite beautiful but there is nothing quiet about it during the summer months. The trains are packed between the towns. It's all OK but in Disneyland parlance, it's Cinque Terre Land. You almost need and "E" ticket.

I agree with Larry. We were on a RS tour April/2008 and CT was so crowded we couldn't wait to get out.
I'm sure it was quiet & quaint when Rick first started talking about it, but it didn't look like that anymore. I wouldn't go back. Take more time in Rome & find a village that's closer for your extra day or 2. Keep your travel time as short as possible, especially if you will have to get back to Rome to fly out.

Actually, I don't think Rick is totally responsible for the popularity of the Cinque Terre.

One of my relatives used to live in the U.K. back in the late 1990's or so, and the area seemed to be a well known holiday spot for Europeans even then (most of whom had never heard of RS).

I am surprised at Mimi's comments above. We spent a week in an apartment in Vernazza one April and were impressed with the lack of tourists. We saw no lines anywhere. The CT National Park has gained popularity since then!

You could live in Rome, go see something every day and still not see everything that there is to see. There is so much to see beyond the Forum, the Coliseum, and St. Peter's. So I would try and spend as much time in Rome as possible, believe me, while there are many tourists in Rome, it is very Italian so much so that you don't even notice the tourists much. If it is an "authentic" small Italian town by the sea that you are looking for CT certainly doesn't have the monopoly on that. You can find beautiful small towns up and down Italy and many without the crowds that CT has.

I'd love to hear a couple "favorite" coastal towns from people that are great places to stay, but without the crowds. For those of us looking at the CT, where would you suggest we check out instead?