Genoa

Arrival directions:

Arriving from Malpensa Airport:

Use the airport shuttle, which runs every 20 minutes, to Milan central station; the journey takes about 50 minutes.

Milan-to-Genova train schedule.

At Genova Principe station, take a taxi to the Cruise Terminal.

From Linate Airport, the preferred route is the shuttle to Milan central station, followed by the train to Genoa.

Note: fog is common between Milan and Genova in the colder months, causing airport delays/cancellations as well as road traffic delays.

Genova Airport is close by, so simply take a taxi.

From Nice Airport, take either a taxi or bus to Nice centre’s Gare SNCF station.

The old and very elegant terminal has recently been renovated.

Carry a printable map with you.

Genoa is usually used for embarkation or disembarkation and is therefore not always treated as a priority shore excursion. The best approach is to spend a day here before or after the cruise. From afar, its cityscape rises from the Ligurian sea up a steep, green hillside in Mediterranean ochre, pink and red. Although north-west Italy’s Genoa has more than 600,000 residents, its layout and small-town feel make it very walkable. It was one of the European Capitals of Culture in 2004, alongside Lille, and one of five Italian maritime republics in…

Near the cruise terminal, visit the Old Port, where many current cruise ships dock. This former seedy Northern Italy waterfront has become an appealing mix of old and new, with restaurants, shops, a movie complex, a maritime museum, a spectacular play and cultural centre for children, and above all Europe’s largest aquarium.

Acquario di Genova, or Genoa Aquarium, ranks as Europe’s biggest and the world’s second largest after Osaka, Japan. It is among Italy’s most visited museums, with huge tanks recreating the Mediterranean Sea and ocean environments and holding over six hundred species.

The hop-on/hop-off tour stops one level up from, and right by, the cruise terminal.

Each of Genoa’s three funicular, or cable car, systems provides excellent views over the surrounding hills. A full-day city bus pass costs only 4,50 Euros.

For shopping, Genoa’s principal corridors radiate from Piazza De Ferrari. Via XX Settembre, via Roma and the elegant Galleria Mazzini have the best boutiques and fashionable shops. Shoppers seeking style at a less shocking price usually choose Via San Luca for younger, trendy italian-label clothing and accessory boutiques.

Genoa is known for pesto made with basil, pine nuts, garlic and parmigiano cheese, normally served on trenette or trofia pasta with potatoes and green beans. As a port city it also offers seafood, including fish stew buridda. Cima alla Genovese is cold veal breast filled with organ meats, herbs, vegetables and pine nuts. Evenings are lively and cheerful, with people literally “invading” old-town streets lined in recent years with American bars, pubs, blues clubs, piano bars, cabarets and places offering every kind of…

Corso Italia’s promenade is also lined with charming seafront night clubs. During summer, private beaches stage shows or become music clubs, while disco clubs often have wonderful outdoor terraces. There are also “trendy” clubs combining music with “off” theatre performances for anyone seeking an unusual night out.

Currency: Euro.

Italian is the language.

Many cafes provide customers with free WiFi.

For emergencies, dial 112.

Italian shops and businesses generally trade Monday to Saturday from about 8am to 1pm and again from about 4pm to 7pm. Many close on Saturday afternoons and Monday mornings; in the south, opening and closing can be an hour later. Some northern businesses follow a 9am-5pm day for international dealings. Traditionally, everything other than bars and restaurants shuts on Sunday, though most towns have a morning pasticceria and Sunday opening is increasingly common in large cities and tourist areas.