Levante Sestri or Santa Margherita Ligure...

I can say SM Ligure is wonderful. Views, beach, nightlife, gd selection of lodging and a great base for CT, Portofino or just enjoying the beauty of SM Ligure.
Train, Car in or cruise out your choice. Cannot comment on Levante as we did not stay there.

THANKS! if i am without a car, how hard will it be to get to CT etc from there with a train or bus? Best Western Regina Elena is the hotel that seems to have the price i can afford on the dates i want. any idea if that is in a friendly location for the carless? trying to figure out how long it will take me to get there from Florence too. Will be taking a train....

Michelle, I can't comment on Sestri Levante, but I was in Santa Margherita Ligure last year so can offer a few comments on that. Which town to choose will depend to some extent on what type of "experience" you're interested in. SM Ligure was a bit too large for my taste, so I preferred staying in the Cinque Terre (Monterosso). If you want a larger city with more nightlife, then it would probably be a good choice. Another town to consider in that area is Levanto. You might find it helpful to have a look at a copy of the Italy 2012 Guidebook, as there are descriptions of each of the towns in the book, along with lodging and restaurant suggestions. It's not difficult at all to get around that area by train. The trip from S. Margherita Ligure to Monterosso is only about 45-50 minutes. Of course, this is Italy so you'll need to be a bit "flexible" when travelling by train. It's also VERY easy to travel between the five villages of the C.T. using the local trains. If the weather is good, you could also travel by boat. If you haven't used trains in Italy before, be sure you're "up to speed" on the rules (ie: validating tickets for travel on Regionale trains). Happy travels!

thanks!!! ok now another friend is saying that since i love to swim in the ocean (!!!!!) and bike, i should base myself in forte dei marmi and do day trips inland and to cinque terra from there... i do want to swim in the ocean and bike... and i am a sandy beach person... spoiled feet.. but others said it was rich touristy snobby there. and i live in berkeley.. so more of a laid pack person than a show off my jewelry kind of person. levanto i did not find a hotel that lets me use my reward points.. which has been a tad of a constraint...but it sounded perfect in many ways. nothing in levanto... forte de marmi is available, but at a higher price. and then the other two towns i mentioned before. i do prefer smaller towns and i don't want to go clubbing. i just want to swim in the ocean, walk on the sand, and hike and explore villages during the day. : )

I am looking for the same thing - good beach, no crazy partying or anything. Prefer shops/restaurants to be more quaint than upscale and for as few crowds as possible. I'm considering Levante Sestri, Monterosso, Moneglia, and Camogli (I have a reservation in Camogli but now am uncertain about the beach experience). Any suggestions or main similarities/differences among them?