Genoa as a home base
Aug 4th, 2007, 05:58 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Genoa as a home base
Does anyone know how long it takes to go by train from Genoa to Turin and from Genoa to Portofino? Staying in Genoa for 2 nights, 3 days and understand that there's not a whole lot to do in Genoa. Have already booked accommodations in Genoa. Would appreciate any suggestions for day trips.
Aug 4th, 2007, 09:09 PM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That would be wonderful hx88, but I should of mentioned that my son, whose studying abroad (college age) is asking me to find out some info regarding his stay in Genoa.
For some reason he decided to go to there and is having second doubts. He will be traveling solo on this leg of his journey.
For some reason he decided to go to there and is having second doubts. He will be traveling solo on this leg of his journey.
Aug 5th, 2007, 01:45 AM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,021
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Jam - Both Turin and Portofino are easy day-trips from Genoa.
For Portofino the nearest railway station is Santa Margherita Ligure - from where there are regular buses (- and boats) to Portofino.
You can find info regarding train times on:
http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html
The Portofino peninsular is one of the most beautiful parts of the Riviera IMO. Besides Santa Margherita you could also visit nearby Camogli and/or Rapallo - that would make a lovely day.
The Cinque Terre is a bit further but would make another nice day-trip from Genoa.
Alternatively head for Finale Ligure and Noli on the coast west of Genoa for a trip. Or you could go further west to Alassio.
Lots of nice options ...
Hope this helps ...
Steve
For Portofino the nearest railway station is Santa Margherita Ligure - from where there are regular buses (- and boats) to Portofino.
You can find info regarding train times on:
http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html
The Portofino peninsular is one of the most beautiful parts of the Riviera IMO. Besides Santa Margherita you could also visit nearby Camogli and/or Rapallo - that would make a lovely day.
The Cinque Terre is a bit further but would make another nice day-trip from Genoa.
Alternatively head for Finale Ligure and Noli on the coast west of Genoa for a trip. Or you could go further west to Alassio.
Lots of nice options ...
Hope this helps ...
Steve
Aug 5th, 2007, 05:56 AM
#6
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 478
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's hard to believe that you can't get out of the accommodations. Most places need only 24 hours notice.
What are you son's interests? Genova has an interesting history and a highly unusual layout for a city, some of it traversed by funiculars (think San Francisco with elevators), but it is definitely past much of its glory. The climate and its position on the Italian Riviera are great for day trips to the seaside, but if your son would like the seaside, he should just stay there and day trip in Genova if he feels like it.
Torino is a city overflowing with interesting and unusual museums -- cinema, Egyptian, auto, art, history (risgorgimento) -- plus it has a very lively student scene. Maybe he should just decamp for Torino.
But if he wants to stay in Genova, Camogli is a 30 minute train ride south of Genova and is a lovely seaside village. From there he can take a ferry to San Fruttuoso, and see the abbey there, or continue on to Portofino. Taking the ferry to Portofino is much nicer than taking the bus, and in the busy summer season, motor traffic into Portofino is horrible. However, if you are going past Sept 15 and not on a weekend, taking the train to Santa Margherita Ligure and then a bus to Portofino is okay. But personally, I would go for the ferry from Camogli -- and when you get to Camogli you might decide it's so nice that you don't feel a need to go to Portofino, which is terribly touristy.
In the opposite direction, he can take the train to beautiful Cervo, and eat at one of the best restaurants in the region, San Giorgio, if he has the dough, bu
What are you son's interests? Genova has an interesting history and a highly unusual layout for a city, some of it traversed by funiculars (think San Francisco with elevators), but it is definitely past much of its glory. The climate and its position on the Italian Riviera are great for day trips to the seaside, but if your son would like the seaside, he should just stay there and day trip in Genova if he feels like it.
Torino is a city overflowing with interesting and unusual museums -- cinema, Egyptian, auto, art, history (risgorgimento) -- plus it has a very lively student scene. Maybe he should just decamp for Torino.
But if he wants to stay in Genova, Camogli is a 30 minute train ride south of Genova and is a lovely seaside village. From there he can take a ferry to San Fruttuoso, and see the abbey there, or continue on to Portofino. Taking the ferry to Portofino is much nicer than taking the bus, and in the busy summer season, motor traffic into Portofino is horrible. However, if you are going past Sept 15 and not on a weekend, taking the train to Santa Margherita Ligure and then a bus to Portofino is okay. But personally, I would go for the ferry from Camogli -- and when you get to Camogli you might decide it's so nice that you don't feel a need to go to Portofino, which is terribly touristy.
In the opposite direction, he can take the train to beautiful Cervo, and eat at one of the best restaurants in the region, San Giorgio, if he has the dough, bu
Aug 5th, 2007, 06:02 AM
#7
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 478
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ooops! hit the wrong key
I was about to type that food throughout Liguria is excellent.
If your son hikes at all, there is a legendary hike that begins just above Camogli and goes along the peaks of the Portofino promontory, descending down into Portofino. It is considered to be among Italy's finest hikes, and get about 1/100th of the hikers that pack into Cinque Terre.
The train connection between Genova and Nice is extremely pokey, and if there are young people in Monaco, I've never seen them.
Your son might enjoy getting off the beaten track in Genova and seeing a working port town that once was one of the very richest towns in Italy. It certainly has its artistic and historic attractions -- and the food is cheap and fabulous. If he is at all interested in architecture, the school of architecture in Genova is one of Italy's liveliest, and its student population is quite prominent in town.
MIlano is only two hours away by train, Pisa is not all that much further. I'm not suggesting them as day trips but as alternate locations -- allthough Milano is quite expensive.
I was about to type that food throughout Liguria is excellent.
If your son hikes at all, there is a legendary hike that begins just above Camogli and goes along the peaks of the Portofino promontory, descending down into Portofino. It is considered to be among Italy's finest hikes, and get about 1/100th of the hikers that pack into Cinque Terre.
The train connection between Genova and Nice is extremely pokey, and if there are young people in Monaco, I've never seen them.
Your son might enjoy getting off the beaten track in Genova and seeing a working port town that once was one of the very richest towns in Italy. It certainly has its artistic and historic attractions -- and the food is cheap and fabulous. If he is at all interested in architecture, the school of architecture in Genova is one of Italy's liveliest, and its student population is quite prominent in town.
MIlano is only two hours away by train, Pisa is not all that much further. I'm not suggesting them as day trips but as alternate locations -- allthough Milano is quite expensive.
