What is so great about CT?

If this is your 1st trip to Italy, it will probably be all you hoped it would be. If you are a serial traveller with a somewhat jaded view, you won't get it. It's a little too Disneyland for me. I would definitely see it once though.

Much ado about nothing. The area was interesting fifteen years ago or so, before it became a national park. Then one travel writer started carrying on about it and his fans flocked to it, as they have to a few previously almost-nothing spots. It's a jam-packed, over-rated mess. I was there once a long time ago and liked it. I was there maybe three years ago and didn't. It sure doesn't need to be on anybody's list for things to do on a first trip to Italy. The walls will now fall in.

It's not only the beauty, the ambiance, but ALSO the intimacy of the Cinque Terre. If you haven't had a chance to look at photos of the area yet, Google it and you will find all sorts of photos. Several good YouTube videos, also. If it "calls" to you (after seeing what it is), then definitely go. If after looking at the photos, you still wonder "what the fuss is about," then you may be more pleased with other places in Italy. I personally love the Cinque Terre, and obviously many others do to. Views from your hotel balcony when waking up, views from the boat as you travel from village to village, views from the trails as you hike between villages, and the experience of walking up small passage ways in the villages themselves, experiencing great food at a family-owned restaurant, etc. are what make it great. There have been previous posts that asked which is better the Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast. Both are wonderful in different ways, but if forced to make a choice, I'd choose the CT. But, if you like lots of night life, fabulous shopping, etc......you may be bored in the CT.

Linda, you will probably get responses from both CT camps (love it & hate it) but I'm in the "love it" camp. I loved the CT so much that I'm planning to return for longer on our next trip. What I liked was the quaintness of the towns and the natural beauty. I also liked the fact that there wasn't any car traffic in each of the towns and I enjoyed just walking around & exploring the narrow little streets off the main drag and the views of the ocean, etc. To me the CT is magical. I also liked that the towns are very small and not commercialized with high-end shopping, etc. Many have commented on how touristy and crowded the CT is but I didn't experience this. Of course there were tourists but I didn't feel that the towns were overcrowded; we were there in mid-Sept so it could have been the time of year. If you go, be sure to take the boats from town to town (if the boats are running) because the views from the water are incredible.

Linda, I think it largely depends on your personality and travel objectives. I made my frst trip to Italy two years ago. I was 27 years old at the time, and i was with my 57 year old mother. We really just wanted to see the highlights of Italy and had read that the CT was great, so we worked in two days to go to Vernazza. If there was one thing i would have changed about our vacation, it would have been to NOT go to Vernazza and use those two nights elsewhere. First of all, it is VERY difficult to get to via train and seems to take forever from any of the major cities. Second, it rained the whole time we were there, so there wasn't much to do. And actually, unless you plan to hike, there isn't much to do to begin with. The 5 towns are each VERY small. If you're looking for just the highlights, and assuming that some day you'll go back again, I'd avoid this. Add the nights to Venice or Siena, which were my favorites. This having been said though, it was really beautiful. And if i ever convince my boyfriend to come with me to Italy we'll definitely go there...he really likes to hike, so we could easily spend a few days doing that. If i'm with someone who doesn't hike, I wouldn't go back though.

Lisa, since you are in landlocked Tulsa, you may enjoy the continual views of the Med around every bend of the trail. If you enjoy nature and hiking and can go other then the June-August timeframe ( packed ), it's a thrill to behold. It's not for everyone, but for some, it's a must see.

If you want to be "entertained" and have sightseeing tours, the CT is not for you. If your idea of happiness is to walk between villages, enjoy stunning views of a rough and rocky shoreline, or just sitting back in a piazza with a glass of wine, enjoying the ambience, the CT is a must do.

I liked the CT and I'm glad that I went once but would I return, I'm not sure. The towns are charming and to this American unique. I could probably just sit on a rock and watch the beautiful sea for hours. But the towns are small and there is not that much to do after you have taken a quick tour. I'm an avid hiker and have hiked in some amazing places, I found the CT hike to be nice and interesting with a few really spectacular views but I wasn't blown away by it. Most of the towns were not overly crowded 4 years ago with the exception of Vernazza which was mobbed. I'd say go but stay only for one full day and maybe two nights. But if you really have limited time in Italy spend the time elsewhere.

I love the CT, will definately go back. Spent a week there 2 years ago. My wife and I hiked the hills and drank wine and marvelled at the views. But we like to be active and immerse ourselves in the experience. Yes, there were people there, you can probably name 3 other places in Italy you want to see, and they'll all likely be packed with tourists. But the "what is so great" part is all up to you. Italy is fantastic, but expect crowds regardless. Keep an open mind. If you go to Rome, Venice or the Amalfi Coast, bring your tourist tolerance.

Thanks so much everyone for the replies. It has been very helpful and insightful.

I was there a couple years ago in May. The small towns were very crowded with tourists during the day. However, it was a beautiful area. If you are a hiker, I'd say go. I hiked 4 of the 5 villages and am glad I did. Would I return, no, but I'm glad I went to see why Rick Steves was so crazy about it.

Lisa, I'm part of the group that likes the Cinque Terre. I like both the natural beauty and the ambience, and of course the fantastic Pesto in the area where it was invented. While it can be busy and crowded at times, that can be moderated to some extent by not visiting during the more hectic periods (especially July and August), and choosing which of the five villages you stay in. I typically travel in "shoulder seasons" and find that it's "busy" but not overly crowded then, and the weather is usually favourable. I haven't been for a few years, but will be making a return visit this September. Hopefully I'll still have a favourable opinion of the C.T. after this visit. Rick stated recently in his Blog that "The Cinque Terre is still my favorite stretch of Mediterranean coastline" and that still seems to be true even though he stated that it's in "disarray". If you haven't been there yet, IMO it's definitely worth a visit. Happy travels!

For the first time visitor to Italy I would suggest going to Rome,Venice,and Florence or the Amalfi Coast area. We were in CT last oct with the RS village italy tour and really enjoyed the boat ride from Porto-Venere to Monterosso Al Mare were you could see all 5 cities. The charm is this region is each city if different and being oct most of the tourist were gone. The pesto was the best I have tasted and focaccia bread orginated in this area.
We were only able to do the easy hike from 1-2(Via dell'Amore) as the trail from 2-3 was closed. Due to lack of time could not do the 3-4,4-5 trails. I hope to get back to the CT and this is a place to get some R and R. CT to me is a lot like Carmel,California where you go to see the beauty and nature.

It always comes back to what is important to you. We thought the CT was gorgeous and had a great time when we were there, don't know if we would go back just because there is so much more to see and do in other locations that intrigues us more. A lot just depends on your interests and if the area suits you or not. We're very glad we've been there, but it doesn't draw us enough to want to return on our next trip. It doesn't fall in to the "been there, done that" category for us, more of the "been there and enjoyed that" category. For us there just isn't enough to draw us back but for others, it draws them back year after year. You really won't know if you hate it, love it or fall somewhere in the middle unless you go and if you have higher priorities, you'll have to decide how much you want to find out for yourself.

Lisa, I stated earlier that I'm in the "love" CT camp but after reading Jen's posting, I want to add that if you're going during the colder months, rain can definitely be a problem & spoil the CT experience. You didn't say what time of year you're planning to visit but I would definitely not go there from October through April. We were there mid-Sept & the rain did put a damper on half of our time there. There aren't any indoor activities in the CT so if it rains and you don't want to be out & about in the rain, there's really not much to do. But, I still contend that on a rain-free day, the CT is absolutely beautiful and magical.

Having been through there several times, if you have to share it with hoardes of other tourists (Not just RS Fans, but German groups, class trips, other organized groups, beyond just the usual tourists.) then you will hate it. If you catch it during a quiet time, you will love it.

I'm Italian, so maybe what I write here might "locally biased". Cinqueterre are a great place, but a bit overrated. Let me explain. Are they beautiful. Yes, definitively. Are they the only places in Italy with rugged coastline and picturesque villages hanging by a thread? Not at all. What is particularly unique there are the trails, though.

I just spent 3 nights in the CT out of 3 weeks in Italy. What I found really nice is it's sea air and open views. When most North Americans travel to Italy they do Rome, Florence and Venice. Of course many travel outside these areas too but after weeks of museums and churches and tourist sites it's really nice to get away to a place that doesn't really have many of these and just to be able to walk, explore and climb for a few days. I really enjoyed it.

Finally made to the CT a few years ago after having heard so much about it...It was nice to see once, but I'll definitely not be back. It's expensive and overrated and overrun by tourists. If you want some real peace, serenity and eye-popping scenery then try tiny Mürren high up in the Swiss Alps: http://www.muerren.ch/start-e.htm

My husband and I were just in Cinque Terre for three days a few weeks ago. We had been so very much looking forward to it after spending three days in Tuscany and five days in Umbria. We stayed in Riomaggoire in a lovely apartment with a wonderful terrace overlooking the sea. As it turned out, that was by far the best thing about Cinque Terre for us. As we tried to hike between the towns the first day, we found that only the trails between Riomaggoire and Manarola and then Vernazza to Monterosso were open. The park service told us that the trail between Corniglia and Vernazzo was only open in the am and would be closed at 1 pm. We hurried through the walk between Riomaggoire and Manarola only to find that we had to wait an hour for the train to take us to Corneglia, as that walk was of course closed too. On finally reaching Corneglia, we hurriedly climbed the 300+ stairs to reach the town and the beginning of the next trail, only to be turned away as the park service had closed the trail early due to a worker doing some maintenance on the trail. We were told to take the road. This we did, but did not find a steady uphill climb dodging cars very enjoyable. On finally reaching Vernazza, we were greeted with hoards of tourist groups, so heavy that you could barely walk.
We did like Riomaggoire though as we found it the least touristy of the towns and we thoroughly loved having tea on our terrace overlooking the sea. that was wonderful. The following day, we enjoyed taking the ferry between the towns and exploring them further that way. However, our excited anticipation of going to Cinque Terre was not rewarded with the actual reality that we found there as it was much too crowded even for the beginning of May and the trails were closed. In hind sight, I would still go there, but give it only one day and add more of our days to Tuscany.

My wife and I travel to Europe each fall and after a few weeks on the go, have used the CT as a place to stop and charge our batteries, taking a vacation from our vacation. There are small towns all over Europe that lend themselves to just sitting and watching people and and the beautiful surroundings. This area has become one of our favorites. After a couple days we are ready to hit the road again.

Hi Lisa, I'm so on Team CT. It's a great place to just chill out. The hike is amazing. Beautiful views and lots of nice people to meet along the way. The villages are gorgeous, the food is incredible (best foccacia I've ever had and the seafood is to die for) and hanging out with my vino and the sunset in Vernazza was one of my favourite nights ever. Definitely recommend recharging your batteries for a couple of days there. I say it's a must see. Not on my agenda for my trip this year, but now that I'm talking about it I may have to modify my plans.

OK, I will weigh in as well. I spent 10 days on Murano, outside of Venice...8 days in Tuscany in a villa - glorious stays where I could immerse myself in the more true Italy than shopping and sight-seeing. I then spent two nights in Vernazza. Gorgeous scenery, but my home state coastline is just as or even more magnificent. The dominant language is English, and CT was just over-done and over-run with tourists like me. The trains between the CT towns were like cattle cars throughout the day.

Nobody goes there any more. It's too crowded. :-)