Getting Around Liguria — Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

🚂 TRAINS — The Backbone of the Riviera

The regional train network in Liguria is genuinely excellent and connects almost everything you want to see along the coast. Genoa sits at the center of it all, with two main stations — Principe and Brignole — both well connected to the rest of the network.

From Genoa you can reach:

• Camogli — 30 minutes

• Santa Margherita Ligure — 35 minutes

• Rapallo — 40 minutes

• La Spezia — 1 hour 20 minutes

• Manarola / Cinque Terre villages — 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45 minutes

• Sestri Levante — 1 hour

Tickets are cheap, trains run frequently, and the coastal route south of Genoa hugs the water for long stretches — stay by the window on the sea side.

Practical tips:

• Buy tickets at the station machines or through the Trenitalia app before boarding — ticket inspectors are frequent and fines for travelling without a valid ticket are significant and non-negotiable

• Validate your ticket at the yellow machines on the platform before boarding — this is a separate step from buying and easy to forget

• The Cinque Terre Card covers unlimited train travel between the five villages plus access to the hiking trails — buy it at La Spezia Centrale before heading into the villages, it saves money and time

• Trains on the coastal route get extremely crowded on summer weekends — travel mid-week if you have flexibility, and avoid the 10am-2pm window if you can

• The Intercity trains between major cities are faster but don't stop at the smaller Riviera stations — for Camogli, Santa Margherita, and the Cinque Terre villages, you always want the Regionale service

⛵ FERRIES — The Best Way to Experience the Coast

If the train is the backbone of Liguria, the ferry is the soul. The coastal boat services connect Genoa with the peninsula towns and the Cinque Terre, and the experience of approaching these villages from the water — watching the painted facades emerge from the hillside, the harbors opening up — is something the train simply cannot replicate.

Key ferry routes from Genoa:

• Genoa → Camogli → San Fruttuoso → Portofino → Santa Margherita — the main summer service, operated by Golfo Paradiso and Tigullio ferries

• Santa Margherita → Portofino — short hop, runs frequently in summer

• La Spezia / Lerici → Cinque Terre villages — seasonal service connecting the villages by sea

Practical tips:

• Ferry services are seasonal — most run from April through October, with reduced or suspended services in winter. Always check current schedules before planning your day around them

• Book popular routes in advance in summer — the Genoa to Portofino service fills up, particularly on weekends. Walk-up availability is not guaranteed

• The Golfo Paradiso company covers the routes between Genoa, Camogli, San Fruttuoso, and Portofino — their website and ticket offices at Porto Antico are the most reliable source of current schedules

• Ferries can be cancelled or delayed in rough weather — have a train backup plan if your day depends on a specific boat departure

• Stay on deck for the entire journey, always. Going inside on a Ligurian coastal ferry is a mistake you only make once

• The ferry from Porto Antico departs from the western end of the harbor near the Aquarium — allow 15 minutes to find the right pier, particularly on your first day

🚗 CAR — When It Makes Sense and When It Doesn't

Renting a car in Liguria is a genuinely useful decision for some parts of the trip and a genuinely bad one for others. The key is knowing which is which before you arrive.

When a car is the right call:

• Driving the coastal road between Genoa and Portofino — the SS1 Via Aurelia hugs the water and the views are extraordinary. This road alone justifies renting a car for a day

• Portofino to Faro di Portofino — the road through the Parco Regionale is scenic and gives you access to the park boundary before the trail begins

• Day trips inland — Plitvice from Zadar, the Ligurian hinterland villages above the coast, or exploring the area between Genoa and the French border

When a car is the wrong call:

• Portofino village itself — no parking inside the village, extremely limited and expensive parking outside, and the road into the peninsula is narrow and congested in summer. The ferry is always better

• Cinque Terre — cars are not permitted in the villages. Park in La Spezia and take the train

• Genoa city center — navigating and parking in the historic center is stressful and unnecessary when the city is completely walkable and well-connected by public transport

• Camogli — parking is minimal and the train and ferry both work better

Practical tips:

• Italian ZTL zones (Limited Traffic Zones) in historic centers are monitored by cameras — driving into one without a permit results in an automatic fine that arrives weeks later. When in doubt, park outside and walk

• Petrol stations on the Portofino peninsula road are almost nonexistent — fill up in Genoa or Santa Margherita before heading onto the peninsula

• The coastal roads are narrow and winding — if you're not comfortable with tight mountain-style driving, the train and ferry combination is genuinely better and less stressful

• Parking in Santa Margherita Ligure is the best base for a car on the peninsula — park there and take the ferry or bus to Portofino rather than driving all the way

🚌 LOCAL BUSES — The Underrated Option

The bus network in the Ligurian Riviera is more useful than most visitors realise, particularly for the shorter hops that the ferry doesn't cover and the train overshoot.

Useful routes:

• Santa Margherita Ligure → Portofino — bus runs regularly and is the most practical connection if the ferry isn't running or you've missed the last boat. About 20 minutes, cheap, scenic

• Genoa city buses — the AMT network covers the whole city. The 24-hour AMT card at around €10 covers buses, metro, funiculars, and the Castelletto elevator. Worth buying on arrival if you're spending a full day in the city

• Rapallo → Portofino — another useful bus connection for the peninsula

Practical tips:

• Bus tickets in Genoa must be bought before boarding — at tabacchi shops, newsstands, or from the AMT machines. You cannot buy on the bus

• Validate immediately when you board — inspectors operate on all routes and fines are issued on the spot

• Bus stops on the Portofino peninsula road are request stops — signal clearly to the driver when you want to get off and watch for your stop, as they are not always announced

🚡 GENOA'S FUNICULARS & LIFTS — The Secret Transport Network

Genoa has an extraordinary network of funiculars, lifts, and inclined railways that most visitors never discover — built because the city climbs steeply from the port into the hills above and walking between levels is impractical.

The ones worth knowing:

• Funicular to Castelletto — departs from Piazza della Nunziata, takes 2 minutes, arrives at the panoramic terrace above the old town. One of the best value things in the city

• Panoramic lift on Via Ettore Vernazza — alternative to the funicular, same destination area

• Funicular to Righi — goes higher into the hills above the city for broader views and access to the walking trails in the upper city park

• Elevator at Castelletto — connects different levels of the Castelletto neighbourhood

Practical tips:

• All funiculars and lifts are covered by the AMT 24-hour card — buy it once and use everything

• The funicular to Castelletto runs until late evening, making it viable for the sunset view and the nighttime cityscape

• Righi funicular is less touristed than Castelletto and the views from up there are broader and wilder — worth doing if you have half a morning free and want to see Genoa from above without the crowds