BootsnAll Travel Community

I am planning on spending 4 nights in Cinque Terre in July and know I have to make reservations soon. Does anyone have any suggestions of places they've stayed or heard of that are great?
Thanks.

The vast majority of the accommodations in the Cinque Terre is rooms to rent rather than traditional hotels. I've been to the area twice, once staying in Riomaggiore (here) and once in Vernazza (here). The place in Riomaggiore was more like a hotel, and quite an uphill hike from the train station. Great area, though, and I really liked that village. In Vernazza, it was a woman who owned random apartments around the village - it's not a hotel, your room won't be cleaned during your stay, your towels and sheets won't be changed. The view from our room (over the piazza and sea) was spectacular, though, so we were really happy with it. Most people I know who have gone to the area haven't actually made reservations in advance, however, as it's apparently really easy to find a place to stay upon arrival. I've never tried that, but I'm sure there will be others who will chime in here who can tell you how to do it!

I have also beem to cinque terre twice and both timed stayed doing the same as Jessica - renting a room in an apartment. Both times I used 'La Dolce Vita' owned by two brothers. There stuff gets mixed reviews though. I had two great places but others havent been so lucky.

You can book through Hostelworld and I would say definatelt reserve in advance if you are going in July - the villages get packed.

I know there is a hostel in Manarola which is supposed to be excellent - I could never get in though!

check out - www.cinqueterre.it

Michelle

I think I'm gonna make this one of my many stops in Europe!
I will be swinging by 1st or 2nd week of April...

I've heard Cinque Terra used to be an amazing secret and "backdoor" of Europe...Now its quite popular!

This of course has both positive and negative effects.

It certainly isn't a "secret" anymore, that's for sure... There are hundreds of backpackers carrying Rick Steves and Lonely Planet books marching through each of the five little villages... And, as has been mentioned, that has both positive and negative connotations.

The negative is that the area could get overrun. They made the hike between the five villages a national park within the last few years, meaning that hikers have to buy a pass in order to hike, which is great - it'll help raise money for the upkeep of the trails, as well as help keep interlopers out (thus lessening the chances people will do stupid things like litter or destroy things). Still, the villages are tiny, and there's only so many people any given area can hold.

The positive is that the locals are making money hand over fist from the tourists traipsing through their towns! And it's not just the postcard shops and restaurants - I think every village has a very popular Internet cafe now, and even the pharmacy is a popular place to spend money (I was thankful for them when the mosquitos were eating me alive!).

And still, even with all the people in the villages and on the trails, it's a beautiful corner of the world. Even after two visits, I'd still go back...

what are my odds of finding a decent place to stay (i'm travelling alone) if I book maybe 1-3 days in advance for somewhere in the cinque terre?

im going to be there around late July...

any ideas are appreciated.

Maybe I'm the odd one here, cause so many people rave about the towns, but I just want to throw out there that I didn't think Cinque Terre was all that. It was beautiful, but the whole coast is- and most of it the tourist to native ratio doesn't feel like 5:1. I'd recommend any place along the Amalfi coast or Lake Como instead. Of course, if you can hit all of them go for it.

We were in Manarola about 4 years ago. Loved it..especially after the last train left along with most of the tourists, since it's a small village and can only house so many. Then, the locals came out.
We stayed here looked down the main street to the ocean and watched a lady we called "Mama Manarola" hang out on her porch waiting for her pasta to cook...

We had a wonderful 4 nights at Monterosso. It is the first village you come to from the north. While it is not the most spectacular, it is the only one with a beach which is easy to access, and it does not feel as tourism focussed as several of the others. We stayed at this place
http://www.corrado5terre.com/Apartment01.htm
Which was a nice apartment once you climbed up the long staircase.

We loved it there. I can't even remember which town we stayed in--3rd or 4th from the north maybe. Anyway, there are trails all over the place, and the highlight for me was when I got up early one morning and took a walk on a trail leading up from the village (not THE trail that goes from village to village). There were all these little walled gardens with lemon trees and vegetables and such, and I couldn't actually see into any of them at first, but as the trail climbed I could look down into the gardens and out over the Mediterranean. It was beautiful, and one of my best memories. We have magnificent photos from there too, because while we walked along the coast, there was a storm rolling in on one side and a sunny day on the other.

We went in March and had no reservations, nor did we need any.

am i dreaming that i'll be able to hit the Cinque Terre this summer (late July) and find a hostel or budget accom to stay in with only 1 days notice?

Last Summer I went to Cinque Terre on the spur of the moment. I was nervous about accomodations, so I ended booking a tent at a campsite. It was two stops or so up from Monterroso, I think the train stop was Deiva Marina. There were several campsites there. Actually, this turned out to be awesome. Every night we all chipped in and had little feasts with pleny of the vino, while the days were spent hiking or lounging around the beach. I noticed that there were rooms available posted all over the towns though and this was in the middle of June.

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Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is a beautiful place and well worth spending a day or two and the walk between the five towns is fantastic and you can always get a train back again for a few euros.
My advice is to arrive early, between 8 and 9 in the morning, and go into any likely looking guest house and ask if there are any rooms for a night. (or two)
The owners are normally up and about even if the guests are not.
The majority of people only stay for a few nights and there are always rooms becoming available daily.
Failing this then there are a few accomodation agencies in the small shopping/eating areas.
I stayed in Riomaggiore in summer 2006, didn't book, just turned up and got a twin room for 50 Euros with free parking! Anyone who has been there will know that parking is a serious problem due to lack of space.
Enjoy your trip.