Genoa to Santa Margherita and Portofino without the Ferry?

[dizzneebabe]

Our ship docks in Genoa in November. In doing some research, I believe the closest station to the pier is the Genova Piazza Principe. There is a train that goes to SML directly, so that's not a problem. But, we'd like to go to Portofino or possibly other nearby towns, however the ferry is not running that time of year. 

Walking is not an option, so are there taxis around or what would be our best option to get from place to place?

 

 

[edinburgher]

1 hour ago, dizzneebabe said:

Walking is not an option, so are there taxis around or what would be our best option to get from place to place?

If you cannot walk and the ferry does not run in winter, my understanding is that there should be taxis in Santa Margherita to take you to Portofino, but also a public bus route which I know nothing about, apart from seeing it mentioned in a thread earlier this year.

 

Perhaps you could search for it using the SEARCH tool  under your username, or try googling?.

 

Or by "place to place" do you mean you would want to visit some of the CinqueTerre vilages in winter?

[dizzneebabe]

6 minutes ago, edinburgher said:

If you cannot walk and the ferry does not run in winter, my understanding is that there should be taxis in Santa Margherita to take you to Portofino, but also a public bus route which I know nothing about, apart from seeing it mentioned in a thread earlier this year.

 

Perhaps you could search for it using the SEARCH tool  under your username, or try googling?.

 

Or by "place to place" do you mean you would want to visit some of the CinqueTerre vilages in winter?

I have googled and searched the ports forum,  but everything I find says 'take the ferry.' 
No, I ruled out Cinque Terre that time of year, because I read that several shops/restaurants are closed. That's going to have to be another trip.

[edinburgher]

10 hours ago, dizzneebabe said:

I have googled and searched the ports forum,  but everything I find says 'take the ferry.' 

How strange because I definitely remember seeing that post about public buses earlier this year. Because of that, I just now googled "public bus from Santa Margherita to Portofino" and several results with info appeared so you might want to try again with similar wording.. You could also contact the official Tourist Information Office of either of the two towns and ask them.

Edited October 18, 2023 by edinburgher

[Girr]

Google maps provides breakdown details on train and bus. 

[Justprettynpink]

We took the train from Genoa to Santa Margherita then took the public bus to Portofino. It was easy, the bus stop is near the train station. We beat the ships excursions to Portofino so it was nice to be there before the crowds. On the train ride back we stopped at some of the other cities. It was a great day!

[edinburgher]

On 10/17/2023 at 11:08 PM, dizzneebabe said:

everything I find says 'take the ferry.' 

The reason for that is that the ferry ride is only 15/20 minutes each way but super scenic, and the views from the bus are unlikely to compare. Both SM and P are pretty when seen from the water, but the approach into Portofino is particularly lovely. Of course the view is the same when leaving, but IMHO the arrival, when you get your first views of the town and its setting, is especially lovely. If Cinque Terre were to become Sei Terre, Portofino would surely be #sei.

[Hlitner]

Our solution would be to simply rent a car and drive :).  There are several rental car agency location in Genoa and a car gives you maxmium flexibility.  That being said, November is outside of the normal tourist season, and I have never seen the big attraction of Portofino.  Yes, if we had a yacht we might stop there for lunch (in season) but would not go there in November.

 

Hank