Genoa and the Italian Riviera: By Car

• Sights
• Restaurants
• Hotels
• Entertainment
• Shopping
• Travel Tips
• Features

By Car

Autostrada A12 southeast from Genoa links up with the autostrada network for all northern and southern destinations; Rome is a six-hour drive from Genoa. The 150-km (93-mi) trip north to Milan on A7 takes two hours. Nice is 2 1/2 hours of tunnels west on A10.

Two good roads run parallel to each other along the coast of Liguria. Closer to shore and passing through all the towns and villages is S1, the Via Aurelia, which has excellent views at almost every turn but gets crowded in July and August. More direct and higher up than S1 is the autostrada, A10 west of Genoa and A12 to the south. These routes save time on weekends, in summer, and on days when festivals slow traffic in some resorts to a standstill.

Car Emergencies

If you break down on the highway, walk along the side of the road until you come to an emergency telephone. Call and the emergency highway road service comes to tow you to the nearest service station -- for a hefty fee. On a smaller road, unless you have a cell phone you'd be better off walking to the nearest town or gas station (usually not too far) and calling ACI Emergency Service (a free call) from any pay phone. In order to describe where you are, be prepared to seek out the help of locals (Dove siamo? -- Where are we?).

Emergencies

ACI (803/116).