theplayer

I like to use Chase points for hotels, but doesn't seem possible for Cinque Terra towns. Will be traveling off season, next Feb. Any advice?

JMN57

February is off season so many places may/can be closed. That said, I logged into the Chase Rewards site to see and I found hotels available in both Amalfi and Positano.

theplayer

yes, but that is not Cinque Terra. It doesn't appear the hotels there use 3rd party

tom tulpe

Cinque Terre is small and very popular - few hotels, and they don't need to make too much of an effort to be booked out at high prices. Have a look at this recent trip report:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/35183465-post44.html

You could stay in La Spezia and take the train in. At least the NH Hotel (short trolleybus ride from the station, or 20 mins or so walk) should be bookable on Chase rewards, and while La Spezia isn't the most picturesque of places, it's also not the worst place to stay.

JMN57

Sorry - I had a brain freeze. Actually have a house 40 minutes from 5Terre! It tends to be pretty closed in February.

theplayer

thanks, not a bad option.

JMN57

The good with 5Terre in February - it won't be crowded. The bad - lots (restaurants, hotels...) will be closed.

La Spezia (just south of Cinqueterre) and Chiavari (just north) fly a little under the radar.

La Spezia very quick and easy train to 5 Terre. Historically a big Italian naval base so there is a Naval Museum. Sitting on the Bay of Poets there is a rich literary history (Byron, Shelley, DH Lawrence...). Porto Venere is nearby and has similar DNA as 5Terre and a church at the end of a point next to the sea.

If you get to Chiavari, try the farinata - a chickpea flatbread that is a Ligurian specialty and the Chiavari version is quite good.

13901

I'd very much stay in Chiavari than Spezia. Food's better, the town is quaint, they're close enough to Recco to make their Focaccia di Recco very good... Spezia's good if you're catching a ferry or want to see a shipyard IMHO.

Finkface

I used to live in Chiavari. We just sold our apartment there last year. A lovely town and would be especially good in February as there are covered porticos all through town so one can walk everywhere without getting wet. I would also look at Sestri Levante which is also very pretty and quaint. Having said that, Porto Venere is not to be missed in my opinion, so I would definitely build that in and La Spezia makes that easy.

theplayer

just checked, no hotels through Chase there.

tom tulpe

Chiavari or La Spezia?

theplayer

Chiavari

theplayer

Let me open it up a bit. We are flying into Milan for 2 nights and ending in Nice for 5 nights. We have 8-9 more nights.
Been to Florence, Venice, Bologna, Rome. Main goal was 5terra and we have a ton of Chase points we want to use for hotels.
Any suggestions on a itinerary for those 8-9 nights would be great.

tom tulpe

You could do Lake Como from Milano, or even stay in Como for a night or two.
If you like trains, the Bernina Railway from Tirano (Train from Milan) is spectacular, especially in Winter, and you could stay in Switzerland for a night, basically a self-built Glacier Express trip Milan - Tirano - Bernina Pass - Chur - Oberalp Pass and Gotthard tunnel - Como - Milan.
If you're into sledging, the Albula pass road is closed in Winter. You can rent sledges and helmets and have a go, even after dark with the road and the railway lit by floodlights: https://www.engadin.ch/en/activities...-toboggan-run/

Train from Milan to La Spezia is hourly and takes about 3:10 hrs. Cheap if you buy in advance. Several good hotels in La Spezia shold be available on points.
Do not buy the Cinque Terre card if you visit in February. Hiking trails are free from November to march, and the trains are cheaper, too (€ 2.50 instead of € 5 single).
If you want to visit Portovenere and Isola Palmaria: Mosst of the regular boat lines don't operate in winter, so you't have to take the bus to Portovenere and the ferry to Palmaria (limited service: https://www.halleyweb.com/c011022/zf...dex/idtesto/92).

JMN57

I would guess 8-9 nights in Cinque Terre in February would be quite boring. Yes, it is beautiful and worth visiting (particularly as it will not be overrun with tourists as is the case in summer) but that is a lot of days to spend there and there won't be that much to do. If you want to use Chase points, La Spezia is probably the place to stay for a couple of those days to explore Cinque Terre (you can easily & quickly train in/out). You could stay in Rapallo/Santa Marguerite Ligure/Portofino and use points but those places are more summer type resorts - worth a visit perhaps but not an extended stay in February and are further from Cinque Terre.

As you've been to bigger Italian cities I'd recommend something smaller and more intimate if that fits your interests. In addition to 5Terre/La Spezia, you could go to Lucca - there are a number of hotels that do Chase Points there - just make sure you book in the centro. There is a monthly antiques market in the streets on the 3rd weekend of every month, the Puccini Museum and some good restaurants.

Honestly, I don't think there's one place in that area that can fill 8-9 days unless you're looking to relax and live like a local (we often spend February at our place in Pontremoli but we're enjoying living like a local and we have a well set up house to relax in). One thing interesting about the area is that three regions (Liguria, Tuscany & Emilia Romagna) come together so the language, customs and food vary accordingly. One idea would be do split the time across the three. Maybe Parma (Emilia Romagna), La Spezia/Cinque Terre (Liguria) and Lucca (Tuscany).

In my opinion, Italy is more a mosaic of 100s of pieces cast when most people didn't go more than 50 km from where they were born than one, singular Italy formed in the late 1800s. It is amazing how much can vary in terms of language (dialect) and cuisine in relatively small distances. Many tourists concentrate on the big cities (Rome, Firenze, Venice...) but it is a different perspective as you get away from that.

ADDED: One other thing - I understand you want to use Chase points but I would recommend comparing the Chase redemption vs. booking the hotel with cash. It is very off season and regular reservations are often pretty well-priced. On a lark, I compared a hotel in Santa Margherita Ligure on Chase vs. on Best Western. It's a nice resort hotel (have stayed there for an overnight). Chase quotes Total (2 nights) $ 328 or 26,313 points while direct booking via Best Western is for €78.50 per night.