Riomaggiore. Manarola. Corniglia. Vernazza. Monterosso. Five villages. Five choices. Let me help you decide which village in the Cinque Terre would be best for you. Take my quiz to find out.
Keep in mind that the villages of the Cinque Terre are VERY close to one another (from the 1st to 5th village it’s just 15 minutes by train!), so the best bet is to pick one as your home base and then visit the others throughout the day. I don’t recommend changing villages mid-stay *unless* you are staying for a good chunk of time in the Cinque Terre (otherwise, you waste lots of precious time packing up, switching villages, checking in, unpacking and getting settled, etc.).
***Disclaimer: I’m obviously biased because my heart… and work… are here in Riomaggiore. However, I promise, promise, promise that I’ve been as objective with the quiz as humanly possible and I haven’t swayed anything in Riomaggiore’s favor. Cross my heart.
Cinque Terre Insider 
Thank you for spending the time and energy to write such a thorough and resourceful blog on visiting Cinque Terre. I would be traveling with a then 2.5 yr old, for a month throughout Italy, Greece, France and Lebanon (possibly one less location). Could you recommend the duration of time you think is adequate to spend in CT? Is 7-10 days too long? It doesn’t seem like theres tons to do but I’d prefer not to be on the move from location to location too often. Is 3-5 days more reasonable?
Thank you!
Jessica
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Ciao Jessica!
Thanks for your compliments! I’m pleased to hear you’ve found the blog helpful. 🙂
In order to answer your question I first need to know what time of year you plan to visit. Please let me know!
Amy
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Of course, sorry I didn’t include that. My original plan was late Aug/Sept but we have commitments starting in Sept I’m not sure we can get out of, so the other option would be late May into June.
Thank you.
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Ok, so peak-season. For me, the Cinque Terre merits *at least* three nights (so two full days). If you come in August or September you could easily stay a few days longer as you could spend those extra days at the beach (you could do the same in late May/June, it just won’t be as warm). The longer you stay the more you can relax and just savor the villages and area. I suppose it really just depends on your travel style? If you like to go-go-go then a week might be too long for you. If you prefer to relax and take it easy you could most definitely stay a week. Does that help or just confuse you further? 😉
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P.S. If you’d like to stay for a week (or longer) there are lots of other great places nearby to discover as well!
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