There are five towns in the Cinque Terre region of Italy: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso al Mare. This region is often referred to as the Italian Riviera and is an alternative to the French Riviera.
All of the villages have restaurants and hotels near the beach or ocean. These villages are connected by rail service and the Cinque Terre National Marine Park hiking trails. The famous Cinque Terre hiking trail is just over 7 miles long and connects all the villages from Riomaggiore to Monterosso al Mare. The ocean views from the trail are spectacular, as you hike high above the cliffs connecting the small villages.
Making Hotel Reservations
Large Italian hotel groups are easy to communicate with, and have great online reservation systems. When you are working directly with smaller hotels, you need to make sure you send emails and faxes using very simple English words. This normally works better than telephone calling as many of the hotel staff do not speak good English.
Make sure you state in clear English, exactly what you are requesting: Type of room (double, two beds or queen) arrival and departure dates, rooms with toilet and bath, ocean view with balcony and any other requests. Good rooms are always limited in these smaller hotel units, so be very specific so you can get a good choice reserved for your arrival. You will receive a response from the hotel and be asked to furnish a credit card number to confirm the reservation.
You should send the credit card data via fax for security reasons. Most Italian hotels have email and fax numbers listed on travel guides and on their websites. When English is not well understood, this is a good way to make sure all your needs are understood. You also will have good written records for all your hotel communications.
List of recommended Cinque Terra Hotels
Riomaggiore - Hotel Locanda Del Sole
Manarola -Hotel La Torreta
Corniglia - Hotel Villa Cecio
Vernazza - Hotel Pension Sorriso
Monterosso al Mare - Hotel Hotel Villa Steno
Conclusion
You can save money when making hotel reservations when you use the following tips.
- Book direct with the hotel and eliminate the booking service.
- Pay in cash and you can ask for a 5-10% discount at check in.
- Stay at least three nights.
- Offer to skip free continental breakfast for a better rate.
- If you travel during off-season... show up without reservations for additional discounts.
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