Where to stay in the Cinque Terre

When choosing where to stay in the Cinque Terre, the first decision is not the hotel but the village. Monterosso is the easiest, with the most accommodation, the big beach and a station on the flat. Vernazza and Manarola are the most photogenic but small and full of stairs. Riomaggiore is the most practical if you are getting around by train, Corniglia the quietest but the hardest with luggage.

If you want more choice, lower prices or somewhere to park, stay outside: Levanto to the west or La Spezia to the east, both on the railway line that stops in all five villages. For a two-to-four-night trip one base is enough: the villages are only minutes apart by train.

• First visit, families, beach: Monterosso
• Postcard atmosphere: Vernazza or Manarola
• Trains and getting around: Riomaggiore
• Peace and quiet: Corniglia
• Budget and car: La Spezia or Levanto
• When to book: months ahead for May–September

The villages at a glance

Where	Accommodation	Station	Sea	Car	Best for
Monterosso	The widest choice	In Fegina, on the flat	Big beach with beach clubs	Two pay car parks	First visit, families, beach
Vernazza	Rooms and apartments, no large hotels	In the village	Small beach in the harbour	Private car parks 1–1.5 km away, shuttle	Couples, atmosphere
Corniglia	Few beds, guest rooms	Below the village: 377 steps or shuttle	No beach, rocks at the Marina	A few spaces along the road	Quiet, slow stays
Manarola	Few beds, guest rooms	Pedestrian tunnel to the centre	No beach, rocks	One car park at the entrance	Couples, photographers
Riomaggiore	Good choice, mostly rooms	In the village, La Spezia 10 min	Small pebble beach	Car park with about 46 spaces	Train travellers
Levanto	Plenty of choice, campsites too	End of the Cinque Terre line	Long beach	More car parks, limited-traffic centre	Budget, beach, drivers
La Spezia	The widest choice of all	Rail hub, frequent trains	Boats from Passeggiata Morin	Car parks in town	Budget, longer stays

Monterosso: the easiest base

Monterosso is the largest of the Cinque Terre villages and has the most accommodation: hotels, B&Bs, guest rooms and apartments. It is the only one with a real long beach and beach clubs. It comes in two parts: Fegina, the newer area with the station and the seafront, flat and easy with luggage; and the old village, with lanes and small squares, about ten minutes’ walk from the station.

Pros: fewer stairs, more choice, a beach, and two pay car parks at Fegina and Loreto. Cons: it is the least vertical, least postcard-like village, and very crowded in summer. The right choice for a first visit, for families and for anyone mixing beach and day trips. More in where to stay in Monterosso and in our guide to Monterosso’s beaches.

Vernazza: the most scenic

Vernazza is the village of the little harbour, the Doria castle and the square on the sea, for many the most beautiful of the Cinque Terre. There are no large hotels: you stay in rooms, apartments and small B&Bs in the old houses, often without a lift and with lots of steps. The station is in the village, a short walk from the centre.

Pros: a unique atmosphere in the evening, once the day visitors have gone. Cons: few beds, high prices, noise near the square, and the centre is reserved for residents: drivers leave the car in private car parks on the road, 1–1.5 km from the village, with a shuttle. All the details in where to stay in Vernazza and how to get to Vernazza.

Corniglia: the quietest

Corniglia is the only one of the five villages that doesn’t touch the sea: it sits on a headland, and from the station you climb the Lardarina, a stairway of 377 steps, or take the ATC shuttle bus, whose tickets cannot be bought on board. It has fewer beds than the other villages, almost all in guest rooms and B&Bs, and no beach: to swim you go down to the rocks at the Marina.

Pros: silence, few crowds in the evening, the view from the belvedere. Cons: hard work with luggage, the shuttle stops early in the evening and boats don’t call here. The state of the paths matters too: the Corniglia–Vernazza–Monterosso section of the Sentiero Verde Azzurro has been closed since 10 September 2026, and the section to Manarola has been closed for years. See where to stay in Corniglia.

Manarola: small and romantic

Manarola is the village of colourful houses on the rock, of the classic photo from Punta Bonfiglio and, in December, of the illuminated nativity scene on the hillside. It is small with few beds, mostly guest rooms; there is no beach, you swim off the rocks by the harbour. From the station you reach the centre through a pedestrian tunnel, then everything is uphill or downhill.

Pros: romantic and quiet in the evening, three minutes by train from Riomaggiore. Cons: few rooms, lots of stairs, a single public car park at the entrance to the village. Drivers can look at Volastra and Groppo, up in the hills and linked by the National Park bus. Details in where to stay in Manarola.

Riomaggiore: the most practical by train

Riomaggiore is the first village coming from La Spezia, which is about ten minutes away by train. It has a good choice of guest rooms, B&Bs and apartments, a few hotels, the station in the village, a ferry landing and a little more evening life. The Via dell’Amore starts here, one way towards Manarola.

Pros: a handy location for getting around, including to La Spezia and Portovenere. Cons: the village is steep, the beach is small and the public car park has few spaces. One extra perk: guests staying in the municipality of Riomaggiore, which also includes Manarola, can get the Tourist Card, which lets them walk the Via dell’Amore in both directions and outside their booked slot for the whole stay. Read where to stay in Riomaggiore.

Outside the villages: Levanto and La Spezia

Staying outside the five villages is the most sensible choice if you are on a budget, travelling by car or staying a week. You miss the villages at dawn and late in the evening, but gain choice, space and lower prices.

Levanto

Levanto lies just west of Monterosso, a few minutes away by train, and is the end of the line for regional trains on the Cinque Terre fare. It has more accommodation and lower average prices: hotels, B&Bs, apartments, agriturismi and campsites. It is a proper seaside town with a long beach, Blue Flag in 2026, and the start of the path over Punta Mesco to Monterosso. The centre is a limited-traffic zone, but there is far more parking than in the villages. See our guide to Levanto’s beaches.

La Spezia

La Spezia is the eastern gateway to the Cinque Terre: from the central station the train reaches Riomaggiore in about ten minutes and Monterosso in about twenty. From 14 March to 1 November 2026 the Cinque Terre Express adds 46 extra trains a day between La Spezia and Levanto, roughly every half hour. It has the most hotels and the lowest prices in the area, and boats leave from Passeggiata Morin for Portovenere and the coast. Stay near the central station and leave the car parked. The full method is in the Cinque Terre from La Spezia.

Other possible bases on the Gulf of Poets are Portovenere and Lerici, better suited to travellers mixing the Cinque Terre with the gulf.

Booking tips

• Book early: beds in the villages are scarce; for May–September book months ahead, especially for weekends.
• Ask about stairs: almost all rooms are in old houses without lifts. Ask how many steps there are from the station and inside the house.
• Pack light: Monterosso, Vernazza and Riomaggiore have left-luggage services near the station, and Vernazza and Riomaggiore also have luggage transfer services. Useful, but a small suitcase is better.
• Car: the village centres are closed to visitors and parking is scarce and expensive. If you are driving, choose Levanto, La Spezia or a hillside place with parking.
• Trains and cards: in 2026 a single ticket between the villages costs €5, €8 or €10 depending on the day’s fare band; the Cinque Terre Train Card costs €22, €29.50 or €35 a day for an adult. Timetables and the maths are on our Cinque Terre train timetable page.
• Paths: if your trip is about walking, check which paths are open before choosing your base: see Cinque Terre hiking trails.
• Low season: from November to March prices drop and the villages are quiet, but many places close and paths shut during weather alerts.

For the big picture, read our guide to the Cinque Terre.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best village to stay in the Cinque Terre?

For a first visit, Monterosso: more choice, fewer stairs and a beach. For atmosphere, Vernazza or Manarola; for getting around by train, Riomaggiore; for quiet, Corniglia.

Is it better to stay in the villages or in La Spezia?

In the villages you get the Cinque Terre in the evening and early morning, but you pay more and have less choice. In La Spezia you spend less, have more hotels and frequent trains: Riomaggiore is about ten minutes away.

Where should I stay if I have a car?

In Levanto or La Spezia, where parking is easier, or at a hillside property with parking. In the villages the centres are closed to visitors and public car parks are few.

How many nights do I need?

Two or three nights are enough to see the five villages at a relaxed pace, from a single base. With four or more, add Portovenere, Levanto or a day of hiking.

Where should families with children stay?

Monterosso, for the beach and the flat walk between Fegina and the station, or Levanto, with a long beach, more space and more apartments.

How far ahead should I book?

For May–September, several months ahead, especially in the smaller villages. In low season a few weeks is enough, but some places are closed.

Is Corniglia a good base?

Yes, if you want quiet and travel light. It is awkward with luggage, because of the 377 steps of the Lardarina or the shuttle bus, and the coastal paths from Corniglia are currently closed.