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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Genoa
Genova
Give Genoa 2 nights as a base for the Riviera: the old town and Porto Antico fill one full day, Portofino or Camogli the next.
Genoa is Italy's biggest historic centre, a working port with a maze of caruggi alleys, baroque palaces on Via Garibaldi and one of Europe's largest aquariums at the Porto Antico. It is also the cheapest big-city base on the Italian Riviera: regional trains run east to Camogli, Portofino and the Cinque Terre and west to Savona and Finale Ligure. Two nights covers the centre; add nights if you want the coast.
- Country
- Italy
- Local name
- Genova
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov (wettest), Aug (hot and crowded on the coast)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €100–160 excl. bed · High €180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Police 113 · Ambulance 118
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Espresso at the bar | €1.20–1.80 |
| Focaccia slice | €1.50–3 |
| Plate of trofie al pesto | €9–14 |
| Beer: draught / can from a shop | €4–6 / €1.50–2.50 |
| Single AMT ticket (110 min) | €2.00–2.20 |
| Aquarium of Genoa adult ticket | €25–30 |
| Lanterna lighthouse entry | €6 full, €4 reduced |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GOA · Genoa Cristoforo Colombo
- Volabus to Brignole and Principe stations, about 30 min; needs its own ticket, not the standard city fare
Typical fares
- Volabus GOA airport → Brignole or Principe
- €10, about 30 min (check)
- Taxi airport → centre
- fixed rate, plus night and luggage extras (check)
- Regional train Genoa → Camogli
- about €3–4, 30 min (check)
Get around
Walk the centre: the caruggi are too narrow for cars. AMT buses, the metro (Brignole–De Ferrari–Principe–Dinegro), funiculars and lifts cover the hills; buy tickets in the AMT app or at a tobacconist before boarding, then validate. Regional Trenitalia trains link the coastal suburbs and the Riviera.
See and do
Known for
- Caruggi alleys of the old town
- Via Garibaldi palaces (UNESCO)
- Aquarium of Genoa and Porto Antico
- Pesto, focaccia and seafood
- Lanterna lighthouse
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Camogli and San Fruttuoso | Regional train to Camogli, then boat or trail to San Fruttuoso | About 1 h to Camogli |
| Portofino | Train to Santa Margherita Ligure, then bus 782 or boat | 1.5–2 h |
| Cinque Terre | Regional train toward La Spezia, change at Sestri Levante or Levanto | 1.5–2 h to Monterosso |
| Savona and Finale Ligure | Regional train west along the coast | 40 min to Savona |
Sleep
- Old town (Maddalena, Molo, Prè)
- Cheapest beds and the atmosphere, but the caruggi are dark and noisy at night; pick a street you have seen on a map first.
- Porto Antico and Carignano
- Aquarium, waterfront and lifts to Castelletto on foot; quieter, higher prices.
- Brignole station area
- Best for early trains east to the Riviera and the Cinque Terre; plain hotels, few sights.
- Principe station area
- Long-distance trains and the ferry terminal; convenient for one night with bags, less pleasant streets.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Buongiornobwon-JOR-no |
| Thank you | GrazieGRAH-tsyeh |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favoreeel KON-to per fa-VO-reh |
| A single ticket, please | Un biglietto, per favoreoon bee-LYET-to per fa-VO-reh |
| Where is the station? | Dov'è la stazione?do-VEH la stat-TSYO-neh |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagare con la carta?POS-so pa-GA-reh kon la KAR-ta |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- Buy bus and metro tickets before boarding; on-board sales are limited and cost more.
- The caruggi around Prè and Via del Pré are intimidating after dark; use Via Balbi and Via delle Fontane instead.
- Driving into the centre means hunting for parking that does not exist; use the metro and trains.
- From 1 Nov to 31 Mar snow chains are required on the A12 between Carrodano and Sestri Levante.
Genoa is a normal big Italian city; the main issues are pickpocketing in the caruggi and around Brignole, and streets in Prè that feel unsafe after dark. Keep bags zipped, avoid empty alleys at night and use the metro or a taxi after 23:00.Genoa is a normal big Italian city; the main issues are pickpocketing in the caruggi and around Brignole, and streets in Prè that feel unsafe after dark. Keep bags zipped, avoid empty alleys at night and use the metro or a taxi after 11:00 PM.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Genoa yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Caruggi alleys of the old town
- Via Garibaldi palaces (UNESCO)
- Aquarium of Genoa and Porto Antico
- Pesto, focaccia and seafood
- Lanterna lighthouse
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Comune di Genova: www.comune.genova.it/
- Musei di Genova: www.museidigenova.it/en
- Wikivoyage: Genoa, revision 5329504 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5329504
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
GenoaGenova
A questo indirizzo, per favore
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries run embassies in Rome and consulates in Milan; check your own before you travel.
Coperto (cover charge) is normal on restaurant bills; tipping is not expected.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/genoa). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.