Vernazza Travel Forum

Hello,

My friend and I will be visiting Cinque Terre for a couple days just before Easter Weekend 2007. Normally I wouldn't worry about crowds and making reservations, but since it is so close to the holidays I think we should start thinking about this now.

Ideally we would like to stay in Vernazza. Any advice on reasonable (not too expensive) guesthouses to stay at? We will be driving from Genoa, so we will need to deal with parking. I have seen that there is a parking lot in Vernazza. How much does it cost? Is it safe? Is there a chance the lot will be full on the weekdays before Easter? We will likely arrive fairly early in the morning -- certainly before noon.

If the lot in Vernazza is full, I guess the option is then to backtrack and park in Monterosso and then take a train to Vernazza.

I guess I'm wondering if it is just easier to look for a place to stay in Monterosso as there is a better chance of avaiable parking. From there we can hike the 5 cities. But part of me really wants to stay in a quiet, rustic place...so I'm really leaning toward Vernazza.

Any advice/suggestion would be appreciated!
Craig

gday there...
I would strongly recommend pre booking any of the main places in the CT. We stayed in Manarola and thought it was the best...but its all about taste/choice and expectations. You wont be disappointed no matter where you end up. Vernazza is a good choice. My only suggestion would be to hike heading from Riomaggiore to Monterrosso, rather than the opposite direction. I'm pretty sure no matter where you stay there is parking at the top of each of the 5 villages. Have a look at www.cinqueterr.it for some really helpful information. Hike early to avoid crowds! Enjoy it!

If the parking lots are full at the Cinque Terre;then you can always park at the lot at the train station in the town of Levanto which is the first town which you will see off the autostrada from Genoa as you approach the CT.
The lots in CT fill up quickly;they are very safe.
If you don't stay in Vernazza then consider staying in Levanto. It's a wonderful small town and a 5min trainride to the CT. You can,also hike from there to CT. I like staying in Levanto for the same reasons which you are worried about:the parking and the crowds in CT. The town has some excellent restaurants and the beach is the best for the area.
A good choice of accomodations is Villa Margherita. This is a B&B and the owner has a number of apartments in the town which he rents out,also. In addition, there is free parking at Villa Margherita.
Cheers!!

Ricardo's right- the parking situation in the 5 terre is a little tricky and the lots that are available can fill up by mid-day. Levanto is a good option.

This tip here (2nd tip down on the page) gives you the parking situation at each town so you can be prepared and know your options.

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/b214e/38/9/

hope that helps. (I'd lean towards a place to stay in Vernazza, this one has a little of everything.)

Thank you all for your advice!

Right now we are narrowing down a few choices in Manarola or Corniglia.

I haven't heard too many people mention staying in Corniglia, so I'd be curious to know if anyone has an opinion. Regarding parking...the towns seem to all have lots that are 10 min or so walk from the residence.

Staying in Levanto is also an attractive option, but I'd like to actually stay in the Cinque Terre towns if at all possible.

Thanks,
Craig

Hi Craig,
Corniglia itself sits higher up than the other towns...and for that reason I dont think it has quite the CT charm that the other towns have. Again - only my oppinion. Dont stay in Levanto. Anywhere in the CT that you can stay with a balcony/terrace and view of the town/sea is the way to go. Its great to sit and watch the sun set, then head out and sample the great Italian food. The train runs quite frequently between all towns and gives easy access to the trails. Also the CT pass includes this. There is a great boat service linking all 5 too that runs about every half hour. So no matter which town you end up in you can easily access the others.

See my VT page
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/97fd7/22620/3/