Genova Italy Cruise Port Guide

Location:

How to arrive:

From Malpensa Airport:

Take the airport shuttle every 20 minutes to Milan central station, which takes about 50 minutes.

Train schedule from Milan to Genova

From Genova Principe station catch a taxi to the Cruise Terminal.

From Linate Airport it is best to take the shuttle to Milan central station and take the train to Genoa.

Note: During the colder months foggy conditions prevail in the area between Milan and Genova: resulting in airport delays/cancellations and road traffic delays.

From Genova Airport As it is close by: just take a taxi.

From Nice Airport: You can take a taxi or a bus to the station (Gare SNCF) in Nice center.

In distance the Genova cruise terminal is close to everything,
however it is located in an industrial area off a highway.
If you have to carry luggage than a taxi is a better choice.
Without luggage it's only a 5 to 10 minute walk to town,
although some steps you will have to negotiate, depending on where you are docked.

The old very elegant terminal has just been renovated.

Hotels near the Cruise Terminal

Printable map to take along.

Cruise calendar for this port.

Watch a destination video.

Live Nautical Chart with Wikipedia Markers

Port Location on Google Maps

Monthly Climate Averages for Genoa Italy

Sightseeing:

Genoa typically serves as a port of embarkation or disembarkation so it isn't often given high priority as a shore excursion. Our best advice? Enjoy a day here before or after your cruise. It's worth it.
From a distance, the Genoa cityscape -- climbing up a steep, green hillside from the Ligurian sea -- is awash in color associated with all things Mediterranean : ochre, pink and red. It's a big town with more than 600,000 people, but it has a small town feel and layout that make it imminently walkable.

Genoa in north-west Italy was one of the European Capitals of Culture in 2004 (along with Lille ). One of five Italian maritime republics in the 13th century, it has a center of beautiful late-renaissance palaces and churches, with winding alleyways in the old town around the port.

The historic center starts at Lanterna, encircled by the gradual development of the city that has spread into the surrounding areas. In front of the Stazione Marittima, is the sumptuous Palazzo Doria Pamphily del Principe, which was once the residence of the great Admiral Andrea Doria. Continuing from here, you will reach the Principe Railway Station where the route into the largest historic center in Europe begins.

Visit the Old Port, close to the cruise terminal where many of today's cruise ships now dock. In what once was a seedy waterfront in Northern Italy is now a charming blend of old and new structures featuring restaurants, shops, a movie complex, a maritime museum, a spectacular play and cultural center for kids, and, most importantly, an aquarium that is the largest in Europe .

The Acquario di Genova (Genoa Aquarium) is the biggest in Europe and second in the world, after Osaka , Japan . This is one of the most visited museums in all Italy . Its huge tanks reproduce the environment of the Mediterranean Sea and the oceans and contain over six hundred species.

The Galata Museo di Genova ( Galata Sea Museum ) shows the evolution of the port and the city starting from the late Medieval period to the present. In its Sala della Tempesta (Tempest Room) a ship simulator lets visitors experience the thrill of navigating a small boat through a heavy storm. Only a 5 minute walk from dock.

From the Old Port, go east into The Historic center : It's the best example of entirely preserved Medieval town in Europe and in The Mediterranean area. A large part has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO and go towards piazza San Lorenzo, the only wide surface among the thick network of the carruggi, Genoa's alleys. Here stands the Cathedral dedicated to San Lorenzo, whose Gothic style dates back to the 13th century. A curiosity: the cathedral contains the model of a huge bomb which fell into the church without exploding during the 1942 bombings.

The Palazzo Ducale
Since 1339 the Doges' residence, it is a venue of excellence for major events and prestigious activities. The Palazzo Ducale of Genoa is one of the city's most admired symbols.

The Palazzo Reale
Lavish rococo rooms provide sumptuous display space for paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and Asian ceramics. The 17th-century palace -- also known as Palazzo Balbi Durazzo -- was built by the Balbi family, enormously wealthy Genovese merchants.

The La Lanterna (The Lighthouse)
The Lanterna, symbol of Genoa and most important lighthouse of the city, is a 77-metre-high tower, made of two blocks, square in section, roughly of the same height, and both with a projecting terrace.
Built on a rock of 40 meters of height, the top of the Lanterna stands therefore at 117 meters above the sea level. Its light is visible from more than 50 kilometers away. The Lanterna has welcomed vessels and boats and guided them into the harbor for centuries.

T he Genova Tourist Office

Tours Excursions Transportation:

Hop on/off tour. Stops right at the cruise terminal, one level up.

Genoa 's three different funicular (cable car) systems each offer great views of the hills that surround the city. A city bus pass for the entire day is only 4,50 Euros.

It pays to compare your cruise line shore excursions here

Nearby Places:

Shopping and Food

Shopping:
The main shopping corridors of Genoa are the streets that radiate out from Piazza De Ferrari. The best boutiques and fashionable shops are found on via XX Settembre, via Roma, and in the elegant Galleria Mazzini. Those looking for style, but a less shocking price tag usually head to the Via San Luca for younger, trendy italian label clothing and accessory boutiques.

Genoa Food Specialties:
Genoa is famous for pesto (basil, pine nuts, garlic, and parmigiano cheese) usually served over trenette or trofia pasta cooked with potatoes and green beans. Being a port city, Genoa also has some good seafood dishes such as the fish stew buridda. Cima alla Genovese is veal breast stuffed with organ meats, herbs, vegetables, and pine nuts, served cold.

Evening life:
The nights in Genoa are lively and cheerful: lots of people literally "invade" the old town streets, where all kinds of places have opened over the last few years: American bars, pubs, blues clubs, piano bars, cabarets, and places featuring all sorts of live music, from jazz to rap, from fusion to singer-songwriters music.

Also the promenade of Corso Italia is lined with charming night clubs overlooking the sea. In summer, private beaches host shows or turn into music clubs. There are also, obviously, disco clubs, often featuring wonderful outdoor terraces. And then "trendy" clubs with music and "off" theatre performances, for anyone looking for some unusual nights out.

Currency:

Euro

Currency Converter

Communication:

Language Italian.

There are many cafes which offer free WiFi for customers.

Emergency number: 112

Opening Hours and Holidays:

Most shops and businesses in Italy open from Monday to Saturday from around 8am until 1pm, and from about 4pm until 7pm, though many shops close on Saturday afternoons and Monday mornings, and in the south the day can begin and end an hour later. In the north some businesses work to a 9am-5pm day to facilitate international dealings. Traditionally, everything except bars and restaurants closes on Sunday, though most towns have a pasticceria open in the mornings, while in large cities and tourist areas, Sunday opening is becoming more common

Holidays in Italy

Help us to keep this page up to date: Mail us your suggestions

Thank you for printing this article! Please don’t forget to come back to whatsinport.com for new and updated port guides.

Home