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Where to stay in Cinque Terra if travelling from Varenna?

I will be visiting Cinque Terra this summer for 2 days. We will be traveling from Varenna via train. Which of the 5 towns in Cique Terra should I stay in? We have total 10 members travelling. From Cinque Terra, we will be going to Florence via train.
Thanks for all support.

Posted by
15043 posts

From where you come from (Milan > Genoa) the sequence of towns you will encounter coming from Genoa is: MONTEROSSO VERNAZZA CORNIGLIA MANAROLA
RIOMAGGIORE The first one, Monterosso, is also the largest and has more accommodations/restaurants/shops options. Some faster trains also stop there (only Regionals stop in the others). Most people in this forum like Vernazza, probably because it's the town that you see in the picture in this website when you click on "Travelers' Helpline" (in the background). I used to go to Monterosso the most because it's the only serious beach in the area. But all of them are pretty towns.

Posted by
32173 posts

Tom, With a group of 10, Monterosso is probably going to be the best bet as it has the largest number of hotels and other accommodations. Even so, you may have to split your group between two or more hotels. For travel this summer, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting accommodations booked SOON! Check the Guidebook for listings of reliable hotels and other lodgings in Monterosso. Summer is peak travel season, and it will be crowded throughout that area. You may have to adjust your budget as you'll have to take what you can get. Have a look at the hotels listed on the following website: http://www.rebuildmonterosso.com/p/visitors-information.html A good place to start would be Villa Adriana, as it's larger and offers a good variety of room types - single, double, family or mini-suites. If you have a "generous" budget and want to splurge, have a look at Hotel Porta Roca. Those two hotels are at opposite ends of town. The trip from Varenna will take 4 - 6 hours, so I'd suggest leaving Varenna as early as possible so that you'll have the most time possible in the C.T. When you arrive there, you may wish you had booked more time. Happy travels!

Posted by
16028 posts

Monterosso would be the easiest as you can get there with a single change of trains (at Milan). But that doesn't necessarily make it "best". We loved Manarola, and found Vernazza too crowded to enjoy. But as Roberto says, many people favor it. If you are interested in staying there, you might look into La Marina rooms: http://www.lamarinarooms.com/ They have room for all 10 of you, in an apartment (sleeps 5 or 6), 2 double rooms, and a single rooms, all built into the wall below the castle. The terrace is right over the water.

Posted by
3057 posts

Bob, you keep posting the link to Elisabetta Carro, but my computer says it is not a valid website. Cannot access it. Besides, do they have room to accommodate ten people?

Posted by
32173 posts

@Sasha, The link for Elisabetta Carro seems to work fine for me. However, your question about the number they can accommodate is certainly valid. They appear to offer a few rooms and apartments, but as Vernazza seems to be so popular with Rick's readers, I suspect they're already at least partially booked for this summer. Therefore, they may not be able to accommodate a group of 10. I still believe it would be better to start looking for something in Monterosso, and get a booking SOON! Cheers!