One night in Cinque Terra

I stayed at Hotel Mary in La Spezia this April. It is a decent place across the street from the train station and includes a decent breakfast. For access to the train station and easy entrance/exit to the CT it worked for me. Exit the station opposite the tracks and look for the elevator that takes you to street level. I was there two nights and spent an entire day in the CT towns. Then I took a train to Pisa so I could fly out from there. By staying in La Spezia you eliminate the need for the local train connection from one of the other towns when you leave. In Monterosso I have stayed at Mueble Agavi several times. It is a short walk from the train station and across the street from the sea. Some of the rooms have sea views. The Agavi is basic, clean, and relatively inexpensive. No breakfast, but there is a restaurant across the street and it is just a few minutes walk to the old town and several bars, restaurants, etc.

Here,in Vernazza: http://www.elisabettacarro.it/

Ellen, When is your trip taking place? It's a really good idea to get something booked well in advance, especially at this time of the year. I'm currently in Monterosso enjoying my morning coffee in the sunshine at Hotel Villa Steno, and would highly recommend staying here. It's the largest of the five Cinque Terre towns and has the greatest number of hotels, restaurants, etc. as well as the best beach. If your plans will allow, at least two nights would be preferable. A one night stay will only allow a few hours of touring (depending on what time you arrive). If you'd prefer to stay in one of the other towns, there are lots of suggestions for lodgings in the Italy Guidebook. Happy travels!

I'll recommend Hotel La Torretta in the town of Manarola. Not the cheapest place in the CT, but it's also not the most expensive. Situated at the top of town, balconies overlooking the sea, mini bar, flat screen, excellent shower with multiple jets, and a great outdoor breakfast patio. The town itself is very quiet, and it has a small handful of very good restaurants and a gelato/ice cream place. Swimming right off of the small cliffs. Short train ride to Monterosso for beaches. There's not a lot happening in Manarola, but if you want peace and quiet with an unbelievable view, it's hard to beat.

I just want to warn you, because there aren't many details here about your itinerary - one night in CT might not be worth it depending on where you are coming from and going to. I spent one night in Vernazza between Florence and Rome and i regretted it. CT is not terribly close to any cities, so the train journeys were long, and on top of that fall is the rainy season and it rained the whole time we were there. I now try to stay away from one-night stays unless i know they are directly on the way from the locations i am going before and after. For example, i did one night last year in Dresden between Prague and Berlin. CT isn't "on the way" to or from very many places. CT is really very pretty, but unless you want to spend an aful lot of time in train stations, your time might be better spent elsewhere. I would have traded the night in Vernazza for another night in Siena, Venice, or Rome in a heartbeat.

We are goping the first week of April. What I was planning on doing was either taking the train from Siena to La Spezia to Cinque Terre...we will keep our hotel room in Siena so we only have to take a backpack and stay in Cinque Terra one night and go back to Siena the next day. Any advice?