cinque terre hiking

I don't know of any service that will forward your bags to another hotel. Actually, I have never stayed at a hotel in the Cinque Terre (I have always stayed in private rooms or apartments) However, I would probably choose to just stay in one town and visit the others for a couple of reasons. 1. It is so nice to settle into a place for a couple of nights and not worry about packing up and moving. 2. The towns are so close together, that I can see little benefit of moving. You can hike, take a train, or ride a boat to all the other towns very easily. I stayed in Vernazza, took a train to Monterosso for an afternoon, hiked to the other three towns in about 1/2 a day, and enjoyed dinner in Manarola one night. The only down moment was when I could not ride a boat back to Vernazza. (it was closed due to rough seas) Whatever you decide, I'm sure you will have a great trip.

Julie,

I'm also not aware of any service that will transport luggage from a Hotel in one of the CT villages to another. As the previous post mentioned, why not just use one of the villages as a "home base" and leave your luggage there? Hike the trails from one end to the other, and then take the local train back and enjoy a fine hot meal and a glass of Vino!

Cheers!

Thank you so much for your sound advice! Having never visited the area I didn't realize how convenient each town was to the others. Now, any recommendations on lodging? (Vernazzo sounds perfect!) We are a 50ish couple who have been saving to celebrate our 30 year wedding anniversary with a memorable trip. We'd like something nice but in the "two star" range as (go figure) it looks like money will be rather tight for the foreseeable future and we have very modest incomes to begin with! Again, thank you for your good advice. Julie

Like everyone else said, the towns are so close, if you go by train they are about 5 min apart. So, hike all you want, or don't want, and take the train back to where you stay. We stayed in Vernazza, at the top of the hill with Guiliano Basso. We had a wonderful terrace to overlook the ocean and a very quiet, away from the crowd, location. Guiliano is a kick and his family is wonderful. We were just there a few weeks ago, and would stay there again. Very nice!

We stayed at Giani Franzi (from the Rick Steve's book) and thought it was great. It had a beautiful view of the ocean from the little balcony. Only problems were that it was at the top of a lot of stairs and at least the rooms in the 41 building were kind of noisy because the doors were hollow and the halls not carpeted. In the mornings you could hear everyone moving around.

Julie, I am going to Cinque Terre this weekend for a few days - quite spontaneous. Traveling alone..and also not sure how to get from Pisa to Cinque Terre nor which village to stay in. Anyone have any ideas? Cheap/ with a view. Can you really just drop in and ask around for a room? Thanks.

Julie,

A lot of the accomodations in the CT are a bit "informal". Given the fact this is your 30 year anniversary (certainly something to celebrate!), you might want something uinque and memorable. Don't limit yourself to Vernazza when seeking lodgings for this occasion.

One location you might consider is La Torretta in Manarola, which is the second village from the south when travelling from La Spezia. I've never stayed there myself, but have heard good reports from friends.

If you're interested in a more "conventional" style Hotel and a really nice beach, you might consider staying in Monterosso al Mare (the most northerly village). Check Rick's Italy book for listings of various Hotels. This also has a greater variety of shops and restaurants than the other villages.

Cheers!

Carol,

The easiest way to get from Pisa to the Cinque Terre is most likely via train to La Spezia, where you will transfer to the local train. Travel times are fairly short, depending on which of the five villages you're going to. For example, from La Spezia to Riomaggiore is only about 8 - 10 minutes.

Regarding which village to stay in, check Rick's books for listings. At this time of year, you may have better luck in Monterosso as it has a greater selection of Hotels. The lodgings in some of the smaller villages often close in November and December (this varies by location). As you'll be travelling this weekend, there's not much time for reservations! Given the short time, you may have to compromise on the view?

One Hotel you might check is Hotel Ca d'Andrean in Manarola. It's a bit up the hill from the harbour, but not a difficult walk (in the same area as the CT Hostel). Manarola has lots of small shops and restaurants, but I've never been there at this time of the year so not sure which of them will be open.

Happy travels!

Carole, I've stayed at the Agave (in the ETBD books) in Monterosso many times. It is just across the street from the beach and has very reasonable rates. Most rooms have a sea view. It is close to the train station and a 5-min walk from the Old Town.

Wow! Thank you to all of you who gave such helpful suggestions! I'm more excited than ever to pull these plans together. Again, I'm deeply appreciative that you all took the time to reply! Julie

I can vouch for La Toretta--it's lovely. Julie, you don't say when you're going, but Vernazza is MOBBED in season. Lots of people packed into a little space. Manarola, Corniglia and Riomaggioro and a little quieter. I would still try to avoid weekends and summer in any of the towns, though. You'll notice Rick doesn't call the CT a hidden gem anymore--the secret's out.

It's so easy to hop a train from any of the towns along the hike - I wouldn't worry with changing hotels. You can hike the whole thing in a day, or you can pick & choose parts of the trail. I think there is also a train pass you can get if you're going to be using the train over more than a day; don't have details. I just returned to the CT after 10 years -- it's been discovered, but it's still gorgeous if crowded.