The Best Time To Visit Italy's Cinque Terre For The Fewest Crowds, Per Rick Steves

Cinque Terre is made up of five pastel Italian villages clinging to the cliffs overlooking the sea. There was a time when these remote fishing villages were relatively unknown and primarily visited by locals. However, the tourist industry has boomed in these towns, with literally millions of people seeking them out every year from Italy and around the world. Today, if you're looking to explore the villages and enjoy the relatively crowd-free activities travel expert Rick Steves suggests in Cinque Terre, you're going to want to avoid peak tourist times. According to Steves, your best bet for a quiet trip is during select weeks in April.

As beautiful as celebrating a special occasion in Cinque Terre might sound, you'll want to steer clear of holidays in April, like the Italian Liberation Day on April 25 and Holy Week. In Vernazza, which Steves calls the jewel of Cinque Terre, he recalls one Easter when over 95,000 tourists crowded the small village. To avoid waiting in line and walking through hoards of people, it's definitely a good idea to plan your visit for a less popular time. Steves says that early risers will experience the best of Europe, and Cinque Terre is no different.

On his website, Steves says, "April can be ideal, with fewer crowds and cooler temperatures." There is nice, mild weather, and it is still not as packed as it is in summer. The crowds thin during July and August, but the sweltering months aren't comfortable. Similarly, if you're visiting during the winter, Cinque Terre's coastal location brings unexpected chilly, rainy weather. Be aware that some of the trails may be closed because of mud. However, if you're truly looking for the quietest experience possible, you might want to plan your trip during the off-season.

Experienced travelers know that the best time of day to visit tourist hot spots is first thing in the morning, and that holds true in Cinque Terre. Steves notes that the majority of visitors are day-trippers rather than people staying in the village itself, and they generally don't arrive until 10 a.m. Many tourists also leave by 5 p.m., so if you can stay for an evening stroll, you're likely to have a little more privacy, too.

If you want to ensure that you'll have space to move around, explore, and enjoy the views without having to battle too many other tourists to see the best sights, you're going to have to plan ahead. Steves suggests booking a place to stay within one of the Cinque Terre villages rather than taking a train in from one of the other nearby towns to ensure that you get to enjoy the relaxed mornings and evenings before the crowds hit. If you're interested in the beachy Monterosso al Mare, consider booking a room at the locally-owned Hotel Pasquale, which has a view of the water and is often a home base for those on Rick Steves tours.

If you're planning to access the different villages by boat and don't mind spending a little extra money, you may want to take another of Steves' tips and hire your own boat instead of getting on one of the pre-scheduled ones. Not only will you avoid the crowds on the boats themselves, but you'll be able to avoid arriving at your destination with a surge of other tourists.