Hi,
May is getting close to high season in the villages. It might be a good idea to book in advance. Do you want to say in one of the villages? There are advantages to staying, and advantages to staying in a nearby town such as Santa Margherita. Or you may want to stay in Monterroso, the northern most village, which to me doesn't have the same rustic feel as the other villages. It seems more modern, and doesn't really feel like it belongs (in my opinion). But it might not be a bad idea if you want something a bit more "modern".
If you want the rustic authentic feel, a local in Vernazza told me that Corniglia is really special for capturing that feel. They told me that when I told them that that is where I was staying. They seemed to approve of my choice. Corniglia also has the advantage of being the middle village. So if you plan to hike to the other villages, you can hike south to get to Manarola and Riomaggiore, or hike north to reach Vernazza and Monterroso.
BUT Corniglia also has another distinction: the village isn't directly on the rail line, like the other villages are, so if you are staying there, you can take a shuttle up to the village if it is day time. In the evening, you would have to walk up to the village. It is a pretty good distance, so if you don't want to walk that much, you might try another of the villages instead. It was fine for me. I loved it.
Now if you stay in Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, or Riomaggiore, they are rather small. (Corniglia being the smallest). Many tourists get restless staying. But if you DO stay, that's when it gets really nice, because the locals come out to socialize, have coffee, the kids come out to play, and if you stay for a few days, you kinda get "adopted" for a little while. I thought that was pretty cool. When I stayed, I even pitched in helping to set up for Holy Week, helping with decorations, and trying to make myself useful, if at least only in a small way.
That is what makes the villages really nice...trying to fit in, even if you are only there a short time.
Since the villages have many tourists, don't expect to find any terrific bargains as far as lodging. But check the internet! You may come across a good price, I don't know. As for me, I just showed up and looked for lodging once I arrived. That was a couple of years ago, and it was in the first part of April, if I remember right.
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