Vernazza or Riomagiorre

am,

Is there some reason you haven't looked at staying in Monterosso? It's the largest of the five towns and therefore has the best choice of hotels, restaurants and other tourist amenities. Many of the lodgings in both Riomaggiore and Vernazza are just private rooms (Affittacamere), and some won't have A/C or provide breakfast. Monterosso has more conventional hotels, with desk staff, A/C and in some cases elevators. Monterosso also has a "new town" and "old town" sections and it is possible to get good hotels with both A/C and quiet.

Vernazza tends to be the most popular of the towns, and seems to be a magnet for the cruise ship hordes. At this time of year, it may not be the most pleasant place to stay.

However if you don't have any accommodations booked now, you may have to take what you can get. Check the RS Italy guidebook for lodgings in all five towns, or I can suggest some in Monterosso.

Good luck!

Hi Ken,
Thanks for your reply. We are coming from Florence and have a train to Pisa from 5terre so Rio suite our requirements for both our inbound and outbound trains. With respect to Vernazza, I have read quite positive living experiences of travellers so was little inclined. Montresse is the northern most so was not too inclined unless there is something real reason to get a place there over other villages. But its quite flat and have a beach so that's a good thing. will explore there as well.. thanks.

am,

The travel time between each of the towns is very short, so getting to Monterosso is not a huge problem. For example, the trip from La Spezia Centrale to Riomaggiore is only about nine minutes, and the trip from Monterosso to Vernazza about the same. The trip from La Spezia Centrale to Monterosso is 22 minutes. The local Cinque Terre Express runs about every half hour, so transportation is not a problem.

I can tell you from personal experience that Vernazza can become extremely crowded during the day, especially if there are cruise ships in the area.

As Ken said, you may have to take what you can get. Cinque Terre gets booked months in advance. You may want to try Manarola, it is a little less popular, but smaller, so it might be easier to find a place. Remember, all towns are within a few minutes train ride, so you can have your night life in one, and return to another to sleep.

As Ken said, you may have to take what you can get. Cinque Terre gets
booked months in advance.

Just putting a 2nd exclamation point on Ken's comment. Yes, accommodations in the region book up months in advance (we booked in early January for May a number of years ago, and barely got our choice) so you may not be able to afford to be very picky at this point. If you can't find anything still open to suit your preferences in any of the 5 villages, then try Levanto.

Be cautious to read reviews regarding number of steps required to reach available properties.

Riomaggiore! Its only one of two of the villages where you can rent an apartamento with a terrace, and to us that makes a big difference. We love sitting in our terrace gazing at the sea & the sunset. After the daytrippers leave Riomaggiore becomes a locals town. We're not big fans of the touristy Vernazza & Monterosso.

Riomaggiore! Its only one of two of the villages where you can rent an
apartamento with a terrace, and to us that makes a big difference

Ray, maybe you missed them but there are apartments with terraces to be found in all 5 villages and rooms with good-sized balconies as well. But I will agree that either are very nice to have in the CT!

Riomaggiore is great - was just there (again) last week. To escape the tourists, head up to the little town square just above the exit of the train tunnel. It's next to the school. I like to go sit in the square and just people watch. Sometimes during school hours you can hear music from inside the school; when I was there last week in the early evening, some young kids were kicking a soccer ball around. Because you don't pass through the square on the way to anywhere, tourists seem not to go through it or spend any time there.

I slept in Levanto (again) just because it's a lot cheaper up there; I stayed at the same cheap B&B there I stayed at a few years back for 50 euros/night (very no-frills but great location in town). Levanto is actually a pleasant town (even if it looks nothing like the five villages, especially from the sea). If I weren't so frugal, I'd stay in Riomaggiore or Corniglia, I think. The thing about Corniglia is that it's a tad inconvenient, because it's a walk (up) to town from train station (there is a shuttle bus). And the ferry boats don't stop there. But as a result, it seems quieter than the other towns. It has a great feel to it - high walls, pretty small and intimate. Amazing views from the terrace down on the other towns in both directions.

I've never warmed to Monterosso for some reason - too big, too "resorty" for me or something. Vernazza is great, just way too busy.

Hi am5,
I've stayed in both Riomaggiore and Monterosso, never Vernazza. In my opinion, Rio is the least charming of all the towns and, for me, is a town I will never stay in again because the others are so much better. With that said, this last time we stayed in Monterosso mainly because of its size and variety of offerings. There is a charming old town, there is the new side, there were more options for rooms with A/C (super important if you are there during the summer months as it is HUMID!) and a great beach where we could relax and swim for an afternoon. We were there in the height of summer and I did not find Monterosso to be overrun with tourists but perhaps that's because there is a bit more elbow room as it's a larger town. And the trains shouldn't be a worry for you. There are always trains you can catch and the time it takes to go between each town via the train is minimal no matter where you decide to stay. Vernazza is a charming town to be sure but it also 'closes' in the evening so should you find you want to go out one evening there isn't much choice.
I hope you enjoy your visit to CT!

Thank you travellers for great responses... so I have zeroed down on Vernazza.. I am getting both ac/non ac accommodation. Based on weather in mid june, would an air conditioner be a great relief considering humidity and temp levels or I can go with an non ac one.. l can save a bit if its a non requirement.

I would definitely recommend getting A/C! It can be very hot in that area even in June. I've found that especially for sleeping, having A/C is a really good idea.