Staying near Cinque Terre ?

Jennifer, I agree with others in that it's MUCH better to actually stay in one of the Cinque Terre towns! The parking facilities will depend to some extent on which town you decide to stay in.

As previously mentioned, Monterosso al Mare is the most "touristy" of the five villages and so parking shouldn't be a problem. From what I recall, there was parking available at the top of the hill in Riomaggiore (check Rick's Italy guide book to confirm). I don't remember what's available in the other towns (I was using train, so didn't really pay attention to parking).

If you plan on hiking the trails, be sure to obtain the C.T. card (available at train stations). There ARE people in small huts to check that visitors have the cards. The card also provides "free" transport on the local trains, so one can hike from one end to the other, and then use train back to home base.

Happy travels!!!

thank you for everyone's input.

Jennifer - you can drive into Monterosso - the westernmost town of the CT. The Hotel Villa Steno has a parking lot and great directions!

Have fun!

We haven't been yet...but I had a hard time finding a place that was reasonably priced for 4 people together in CT. We also wanted to be able to swim quite a bit and I have heard that the beaches are pebbly. We're staying in a town called Lerici which is just south. It's called the Hotel Florida & seems nice. We've been assured that we're close enough & have read that this is where the Italian's "holiday." I'll let you know how it is! :)

Melissa,
When are you going?
We (4) are going in August & also had a hard time finding a reasonably priced place but wanted to hike & swim.
Kelly

I'm seeing a lot of incorrect information above regarding parking at the CT. Below is a paragraph taken directly from www.cinqueterreonline.com about parking. I don't think that there is a parking lot in each town and I wouldn't count on parking places during the peak season. Read on.

Parking
In the Cinque Terre towns there are small pay parking lots in Monterosso and Riomaggiore. During the summer, from May to August, the car park is usually full and the roads to Monterosso and Riomaggiore are closed because there is no parking available. The other villages are always closed to cars, except for the residents. There is a Taxi service In Monterosso, Vernazza and Manarola.

Levanto has many parking areas. You can find two good parking lots in Levanto: one near the railway station and the other near the sea. However, in August, even Levanto is crowded and you will need good luck to find a parking spot.

accomodations are somewhat difficult in CT espec in summer, plan way ahead. If you have no luck ck Sta Margarita Ligure (more hotels and larger for bigger grps) and day trip to CT. none of it should be missed.