Stay in Rapallo for CT visit?

I have not been to Rapallo but have stayed nearby. On one hand, you are away from the crowds in CT. On the other hand, you are day tripping in like all the others. The Rapallo area is a nice alternative to CT because you have Portofino park with less crowded trails, the small towns of Camogli and Santa Margherita Ligure are nice (I think Portofino itself is just an overrated luxury mall). But if you want the Cinque Terre experience, it is better to stay there so you can enjoy the morning and evenings without the day trippers/cruise crowds. If you need an escape, you go hiking, or perhaps take a day trip to somewhere like Rapallo. It's about 30 minutes by train.
I stayed up above Camogli in a place called San Rocco di Camogli and the view was stellar for such a low price. You have a few restaurants nearby and more if you walk (down a lit path of hundreds of steps) or bus down to Camogli. The owners were lovely so I always recommend it to anyone heading to the vicinity. It is mere steps to Portofino park:
https://la-rosa-bianca-di-portofino-guest-house-camogli.booked.net

Texas Girl, if the intent is to spend your time exploring the Cinque Terre, then I'd choose a location either IN the CT or much closer to it. Rapallo is at least 40 minutes away by train and would run you upwards of 14 euro pp, per day just to get to the CT and back again, not including transport $ around the CT itself. That's not terrible but I don't know as I'd want to be quite that far away every day.

If you should, for instance, choose Levanto for a wider range of accommodations than the CT villages, that one is only 5-6 minutes away from Monterosso. Unlimited 2nd-class rail between that one, the CT villages and La Spezia is also included on the Cinque Terre Treno card, which also includes your park pass - otherwise € 7,50 for 1 day or € 14,50 for 2 days - if intending to hike any of the popular Sentiero Azzurro. Oh, and it includes the little bus that zips up and down between Corniglia and its train station below as well.

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Ecinque-terre-card.php
http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/page.php?id=158

Individual train rides between villages/Levanto/La Spezia are running at least 4 euros a pop so can add up quickly if wanting to move around quite a bit. And as valadelphia said, the best hours in the CT are before the day trippers arrive and after they leave so it would be nice to be able to enjoy those.

Thank you for all the information! My intent is to "experience Cinque Terra" and ya'll are so right-that is where I need to be!
Now, to look for an Airbnb or hotel with a view, preferably, and walking distance to restaurants, etc...
Any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks so much...!

If your intent is to see Cinque Terre, I'd stay IN a CT town. I've been to CT area 3 times on various Rick Steves tours staying in Monterosso al Mare twice and Levanto once. I thought the Levanto stay was just so-so. The hotel was nice, food was nice but it was NOT CT. While there are beachfront restaurants in Levanto, it was just not the same feel as sitting in one of the beach-side sidewalk cafes in Monterosso al Mare.

I'd agree with Pam: stay IN the CT if you can. I do realize that time is short for finding an accommodation in a VERY popular region that books up fast and early so was just throwing out much-closer Levanto as a substitute for Rapallo if pickins were slim and finding something suitable was a challenge.

I would second the suggestion of Levanto, where I stayed both times I was visiting the Cinque Terre. It's one town north of Monterosso off the train and part of the national park, so the train pass you would probably buy includes Levanto. You can even hike back to Monterosso (I haven't).

Levanto is itself a nice town - not exactly the quaint "built into the side of the hill" impression like the five villages, but it's still got a nice vibe, restaurants to walk to, etc. If you can find a place you can afford in one of the five villages, maybe stay there, but if not, don't be afraid to stay in Levanto. (pay attention to where the train station is on a map; I'd stay closer to the center of town and the water, not on the OTHER side of the train station further from the water.. It's about a 10 min walk up a slight hill to the train station from the center of town.

I stayed in Camogli (close to Rapallo, which I did not visit) a few years ago - that's a really nice area in itself. I loved Camogli, and it is far less touristy (in May, anyway) than the CT (which I also briefly visited by train on that same visit, for a few hours, just to see it again). I feel that people who visit the beautiful Italian Riviera focus too much attention on the Cinque Terre, which is just a little part of it.

Thanks for all your great advice! I will start seeing what I can find at this late date!
I intended to research this earlier but life happened and I was involved in other stuff than fun.
You guys are the best! Now I know where to look! This is very exciting...can't wait to experience CT! Thanks so much!

Good luck! :O)
A gentle reminder, if using a booking site to search for properties, to be sure and check the locations of accommodations which appeal? They can be some distance from the actual CT villages, or high/remote enough above them to require some steep climbs and/or some form of transport every day.

Thanks for the reminder...I needed that since I know I am so late in finding us a place!

Le Cinque Terre has become very popular so book lodgings ASAP. The villages are each tiny so you will be walking everywhere including to restaurants.
If you have more time, a visit to lovely Santa Margherita Ligure and Camogli makes for a
relaxing few days. We much prefer them to Rapallo. We have returned to these towns but not to the CT as we did the hikes and did not need to go there again.

Success!!!!
I have reservations at an Airbnb in Monterosso al Mare in the old town center. Not a sea view but it does have 2 balconies-on first level-above the Main Street so we can experience CT with a glass of wine! Thanks so much for all your help!