Hi, arriving Genoa by train from Florence. What is the best way to CT from there? Best town to stay in without a car? Thanks much.

Just keep on training. Take a train from Genoa to La Spezia and from there get the local that stops at all the 5 CT town. A car is of no use at any of the villages and the trains stop at all of them so one is no more convenient than the others. Try to avoid the weekends as the crowds are enormous.

Larry J

LarryJ is almost right. Take the local train south from Genoa. CT is north of La Spazia however. You don't go that far. The trip from Genoa to any of the CT towns is about 30 minutes. A car is a liability.

Thank you. Last night we decided that we were going to change everything around. We are flying into Milan. Is there a train from Milan to Genoa? Then we need to get to our hotel in Camogli. That is our base to see Portofino and CT. Does it sound reasonable?

Yes. Much better.
Trains from Milan to Genoa run hourly.
You need an InterCity train from Milan to Genova and then a local service until Camogli.
Fare is 18.74€ first class and 13.99€ second class. (IC surcharge included).
There is a taxi rank outside the station in Camogli.
Local buses to Santa Margherita and Portofino and a good train service will allow you to move along the riviera.
As posted elsewhere the website of the italian railway company is
www.trenitalia.com

Just got back from Camogli! It is reasonable to see Portofino and CT. Just be aware that Camogli to CT towns takes about 45 minutes to an hour by the local train. Portofino/SML is the next stop after Camogli. Enjoy!

There is a bus directly from Malpensa to Genoa train station. They run relatively infrequently however. Don't know if Malpensa website will have any info. We took that bus a few years ago. The hour or so sleep was welcome after the transatlantic hop.

Hello, Mrs. Bugs - have you made your hotel reservation for Camogli? Which one?

You can also get a boat from Camogli to the Cinque Terre. It runs on Wednesdays and Saturdays this month, then on Saturdays till 13 September (see www.golfoparadiso.it). There are other boat companies from Rapallo, La Spezia, Portovenere, etc.

To DRJ

I realize that La Spezia is south of CT but the point is that trains from Genoa do not stop at all CT villages whereas the local from La Spezia does so it really depends on which village is your destination.

Larry J

Its been a few years, but we trained from Genoa to Vernazza. Don't recall if it stopped in Monterosso or not.

have no reservation yet, but looking at Cenobio dei doge. So now, I have to take a bus from airport to train in milan, another train to genoa, and then another train to Camogli? Yikes. There has to be an easier way, say from the airport to genoa. Any idea what a cab would run?

Hi bugswife
I posted earlier in this thread.

The easiest way is to rent a car! Cenobio is a very nice hotel with free parking in their own lot. I know you really don't need a car in the Riviera but, for ease of getting to the hotel a car might be the solution. You can return the car in Genova and take the train back to Camogli and the CT.

The boats from Camogli to CT towns were not running when we were there in early July, the water was too rough. I wish they were though It all depends on the weather. If I were going to do it again, I'd stay closer to CT.

Holly, no hotel yet???

Training from Genoa to the closest CT town is a 1-2 hour trip, depending on the class of train.
The Malpesa website shows busses departing for Genoa at 1130 & 2000.
www.malpensa-airport.com

Hello, Lewis - I've bookmarked 2 hotels that were mentioned recently and both look great. Just fishing to see what else might be out there. Trip's not till next spring, so plenty of time.

As to the train situation, about 6 years ago I took a train from Milan Centrale through Genoa to SML. I'm pretty sure it stopped in Camogli before SML. Now I can't bring a Milan/Camogli route up on Trenitalia. Does anyone know if there's a train from Centrale to Camogli where you don't have to change in Genoa?

Hi Holly

There's only ONE train per day (07.15) direct to Camogli.

Most others require a change at Genova Principe.

Steve

I have lived in Sori near Genoa for some years and I experienced that direct trains from Milan tends to call at more station than IC trains and are often crowded with day-travellers to the beaches.
This may not happen after schools start. (from 2nd week of September)

Thanks, Steve.

Okay. So I got a flight that goes from JFK to Rome, and then Rome directly to Genoa. From Genoa, how far is it to Camogli, either by train or cab? Thank you so much everyone for the info so far. This has gotten so complicated you'd think we were going to the moon or something. I can't believe that the area is so crowded with tourists when it is such a pain in the b*tt to get there! : - )

Hi bw1

It only takes 20 mins to 1/2 an hour to get from Genoa to Camogli by train.

When are you going?