Passports:

Please check your passport and make sure it expires at least six months AFTER the wedding. Just to be safe let's say the expiration date should be February 2018. If it expires before then you run the risk of not being allowed into the country, which would be a real bummer to say the least!

It is also recommended that you have a photocopy of your passport as well in case you lose yours, and it shouldn't be kept with your real one, it should be elsewhere in your luggage.

Flights:

Finding good flights is going to be key for your journey to the Lovefest, and in order to help you find the best ones here are a couple of suggestions. When looking for an airport to fly into, the closest to Monterosso is going to be either Florence or Milan. Both are about three hours away by train.

The first site for flights is called Airfordable and it allows you to pay for your flights in increments rather than all at once. Pure genius! Essentially it as a layaway plan for plane tickets.

The next site is called Skiplagged which we were introduced to from our friend Chad, so if you end up using it make sure you give him some props at the wedding! It allows you to get great prices on one way tickets and allows for some incredible stop overs.

If you want more options, you can always look at your favorite airline's site, or go to Kayak.com.

Another great option for looking for flights is Google Flights which allows you to set up a flight tracker which alerts you via email on price changes.

Trains:

Trains are the best way to get around the country. They are clean, safe and relatively easy to navigate. If you do run into trouble figuring out which train to take while you're at a station, most tellers speak enough english to get you on the right track (pun intended).

To have a look at the schedule and book tickets from Florence go here.

If you are traveling from Milan go here.

The official train site of Italy is here and will get you to Monterosso from wherever you may be roaming in Italy prior.

And, if you would like to watch a video on how the trains work in Italy we recommend this one.

One more note on train tickets is whether or not you need to validate your ticket via a stamp machine in the station prior to boarding. Please read this article as we don’t want to see anyone getting fined for not validating a ticket. To validate or not to validate, that is the question...

*** Please note this is Italy and the country appreciates the slow life and trains often can be delayed. Take a deep breath and enjoy the scene around you if delays do indeed effect you.

If you'd like to get a sense of the train times / distance between the five villages you can view the 2016 schedule here. (we will update with 2017 schedule once available) Cinque Terre Train Schedule .

Lodging:

Although the wedding will be held in Monterosso, you may want to explore and stay a night or two in one of the other villages in Cinque Terre. To help with finding your lodging while you're here we've included a few sites below.

Also, please reserve your lodging sooner than later. The villages are very small and there aren't a lot of lodging options. And, the options the towns do have book up quickly for the Summer months. Many places allow cancellations up to 30 days out, so better to have something held and cancel it if plans change versus waiting until the last minute and begging someone to share a bed with you.

If you are staying in another village the night of the wedding keep in mind the trains stop running at midnight. To give you an idea of timing for the trains, if you are staying in Vernazza, the next village over from Monterosso, it will be a 5 min train ride back. And the furthest village down, Riomaggiore, would be about a 20 minute train ride back from Monterosso. We have our venue until 2am so if you feel like dancing into the morning with us we recommend staying in Monterosso the night of July 1st.

Monterosso Lodging:

We have two hotels on hold for our wedding guests if you are so inclined to stay in one of them. The rooms are currently reserved for the following dates: Checking-in Thursday June 29th and Checking-out Monday July 3, 2017. You can adjust dates as needed for your travel plans when you book your room.

The first is Hotel Margherita which is located in the heart of old town Monterosso and comes highly recommended from our wedding planner.

If you choose to stay here please make sure you mention that you are a guest at our wedding as they have given us the discounted rate below. You will need to contact them by April 1, 2017 to reserve one of their rooms. And, you can cancel your reservation 30 days out with no penalty. If you cancel after that you are subject to paying the full room fees.

To contact Hotel Margherita please email them at margherita@hotelmonterosso.it. We have been speaking to Francesca and Camilla. If you want to reserve by phone the hotel’s number is +011 39 0187 81 76 99. You will need a credit card to hold your chosen room.

Rooms available / price per night:
2 x Triple Standard Room (ground floor) - Rate for 3 people 170 Euro and Rate for 2 people - 130 Euros
2 x Single Room - 90 Euros
2 x Double / Twin standard room - 160 Euro
2 x Junior Suite (2 people) with a balcony - 190 Euro or 220 Euros for 3 people
1 x Suite Deluxe (2 people) with large terrace - 220 Euro

The above rates are net hotel and include current VAT (tax). Price also includes buffet breakfast, wi-fi, satellite TV, onsite concierge, and use of beach towels. There may be a city tax introduced to Monterosso in 2017, which is not included in the current price. Please note this possible increase for all lodging taxes in Monterosso.

The second hotel we have rooms holding at is the charming boutique hotel La Casa di Andrea.

Rooms available / price per night:
3 x Large Double Rooms (queen size bed or two singles) at 170 Euros a night
1 x Large Double Room for Dates June 30th - July 3rd at 170 Euros a night

All rooms listed above are for double occupancy and each room has a large private bathroom and opens up onto the garden. The rooms are equipped with wifi, TV, air condition, safe, and a mini bar. Also includes breakfast for two in the room rate.

If you would like to book one of these rooms please contact Carola to give her your credit card to hold the room. Nothing will be charged to it this is just a guarantee payment is due at check-out. We request you cancel 30 days out if you choose not to stay here.

La Casa di Andrea
Via Milite Ignoto 42
19016 Monterosso al Mare (SP) Italia
+011 39 335 64 56 288 (mobile)
+011 39 0187 818 050
email: info@lacasadiandrea.net

One more spot we would like to share with you on possible lodging is Uliveto nel Parco, which is on the other side of town from the Buranco vineyard, our wedding location. And, although it's a bit of a trek, for those who seek solitude this could be a lovely option for you.

We reached out to the family who owns the farm about cooking classes, but they will not be hosting any next summer as the owner's wife is pregnant. However, Tommy (owner) did let me know they will be open for lodging and that he will cook some nights for their guests.

The hotel is also in the range of 130/150 euros a night and includes breakfast from the farm.

If you are interested in investigating more on this special property please email Tommy at: info@ulivetonelparco.it

A couple of other quaint B&Bs we have not reached out to directly but look glorious to us are:
Antica Ancora
Stella Della Marina *Not recommended for those not into climbing stairs*
Hotel Pasquale
Hotel La Colonnina

Vernazza Lodging:

Vernazza holds a piece of our hearts and happens to be the village we called home our first trip to Cinque Terre.

We stayed at a lovely quaint no frills hotel called La Marina. The owner Christian is a true Italian gem and we absolutely adored him. He is very happy to guide you on restaurants and travels while in the area and throughout Italy. If you stay in one of the double rooms you have truly breathtaking sea views from your room. Ask for this!

Another boutique spot we have been eyeing for years is La Mala. As you will see from the photos it lets the pure serene natural beauty of the area do all the talking.

Last but not least, we found this eclectic hotel in our research which gets great reviews. Who wouldn’t love to have breakfast on their ‘guests only’ deck? Part restaurant, part hotel, the good news is that you won’t go hungry here. Check out the Gianni Franzi here.

Another fun way to find lodging in the area, or wherever your travels take you, is through airbnb, which allows you to rent out private homes or apartments rather than a typical hotel room. If you've never used airbnb before, use the link above and we both get a $35 travel credit. It’s a win win!

There is a wide price range available and so many options to check-out. We use this site quite a bit on our travels and really dig the experiences we have with locals through it. It’s nice to have your private space and make meals and such if you so desire. Also, it's awesome for bigger groups traveling together and it looks like there are several places in Monterosso that can accommodate up to 6 people, which makes it pretty economical for all.

Similar to airbnb is vrbo.com which is also worth checking out. Once in awhile people will post their pads on both, but often they have different lodging options. If you do choose to go this route for accommodations please check each individual listing as everyone makes their own preferences on check-in/check-out times, cancellation penalties, and have different house rules.

Security:

Although violent crimes are practically unheard of, petty theft can be somewhat common place, especially in heavy tourist areas. There are usually police at very busy attractions, but please remember that while in crowds be aware of your surroundings and belongings at all times. Use common sense and your wits and you should be just fine.