How to Get to Portofino from Genoa

QUICK ANSWER

The quickest way to get to Portofino from Genoa in 2025 is the combo of a regional train from Genova Brignole to Santa Margherita Ligure‑Portofino (18 min) followed by AMT bus 782 (17 min). Total travel time is about 45 minutes and the combined cost starts at €7.50 when both tickets are bought online in advance.

Ciao, travellers! I’m Bogdan, one half of VayCay Couple and your trusty Italian Riviera reporter. Portofino’s colourful harbour looks like it belongs on a postcard, yet getting there is wonderfully straightforward. Whether you crave the romance of a ferry, the speed of the train or the freedom of a rental car, this transport blueprint unpacks every 2025 option with prices, timetables and personal hacks. Read on and start turning that Portofino daydream into an effortless reality.

Train – Fastest & Most Scenic

Regional and InterCity services leave Genova Brignole (GE‑BR) and Genova Piazza Principe (GE‑PP) up to forty‑four times a day, reaching Santa Margherita Ligure‑Portofino (SML‑P) in as little as eighteen minutes. Fares start at €4.05 on the Trenitalia or Trainline app; expect roughly €6 at the station window (source: Trenitalia 2025 tariff). First departure 00 :02, last 23 :21. A new “Liguria Link” regional fleet offers free Wi‑Fi, USB power and step‑free carriages. Sit on the left‑hand seats when leaving Genoa for unbeatable cliff‑edge panoramas; on the return journey sit right to frame sunsets over the sea.

Detailed Train Notes

On a typical July weekday Regionale 12201 departs Piazza Principe at 06 :12 and arrives in Santa Margherita at 06 :33, perfect for sunrise photographers. The busiest trains are 09 :12 and 10 :12; buy those tickets in advance or risk standing. All regional services are open‑seating—no reservation needed—so boarding early nets you a coveted window. First‑class seats are wider and quieter but share the same timings. Travelling with a bike? Add the €3 bicycle supplement when you book. Passengers requiring assistance should ring Sala Blu on +39 0232 3232 at least twelve hours ahead; staff meet you with a mobile lift at the carriage door.

Bus – AMT Line 82 / 782

AMT’s turquoise coaches shuttle between Santa Margherita station and Portofino from 05 :58 until 23 :37. Frequency hovers around every twenty minutes, but a peak‑season timetable (mid‑June through mid‑September) injects extra departures so the wait drops to seven minutes mid‑morning. The seventeen‑minute ride costs €3.50 with a 75‑minute integrated ticket or €5 when you tap contactless on board (source: AMT fare table, February 2025). Snag tickets at station kiosks, QR‑code machines or the AMT app to skip the sometimes‑thirty‑minute summer queues, then validate by scanning the QR code on the bus.

Detailed Bus Notes

Inspectors sometimes board at Paraggi; keep your QR ticket ready. The 782 hugs the water and twists through olive groves, offering dramatic glimpses of emerald coves. If you suffer motion sickness, sit near the front and focus on the horizon. A 5G mast installed near Paraggi in April 2025 keeps mobile coverage strong, ideal for livestreaming that first glimpse of the Piazzetta.

Ferry – Open‑Air Arrival by Sea

Consorzio Servizio Marittimo del Tigullio decorates its boats bright yellow and releases a PDF timetable every March. Line 1 (Rapallo – Santa Margherita – Portofino) sails April to October. Shoulder‑season boats leave hourly between 09 :00 and 16 :00, while July and August add sunset departures. A single Santa Margherita–Portofino ticket costs €11 and a return €18 (source: Tigullio tariff update, March 2025). Buy online for a €2 saving and boarding priority. The Santa Margherita pier is at Calata del Porto; in Portofino the pier sits beside the Carabinieri station.

Detailed Ferry Notes

Boats fill rapidly after 11 :00 when cruise‑ship passengers arrive from Genoa. Sit on the aft lower deck for reduced motion on choppy seas, keep life‑jackets (stored under benches) in mind, and remember plastic bottles are banned under Liguria’s “Plastic‑Free Coast” charter—bring a reusable flask. Pets ride free if leashed and muzzled; larger dogs must remain outside the salon. Cyclists can load bikes for €2 but only four bicycles per sailing are allowed, so reserve early.

Car – Flexibility with Caveats

Driving grants timetable freedom but invites two headaches: the narrow SP227 and Portofino’s strict ZTL. From Genoa follow the A12/E80 toward Livorno and exit at Rapallo after 27 km. Mid‑week the run takes fifty minutes; Sunday traffic can double that. Italian toll maths: roughly €9 per 100 km, so Genoa–Rapallo costs around €2.50. From Rapallo the cliff‑hugging SP227 twists for twelve kilometres—hug the centre line and honk at blind corners. The multistorey car park on Piazza della Libertà, 300 m from the harbour, charges €6 per hour or €20 per day and usually sells out by 10 :00 in August.

Driving and ZTL Fines

Entering the limited‑traffic zone without an authorised plate triggers an automatic €83 fine plus administrative fees that arrive by post months later. Cameras were upgraded in May 2024 and now read foreign plates instantly. If your hotel is inside the ZTL you must email your licence number in advance to obtain a twenty‑minute unloading permit or face the penalty. Hybrid or electric rentals get a fifty‑percent parking discount, show the rental agreement at the pay machine to claim the rebate.

Private Transfer & Taxi

Need door‑to‑door comfort? Radio Taxi Rapallo starts the meter at €4.30 then adds €1.10 per kilometre. A five‑kilometre hop from Portofino to Santa Margherita averages €6 off‑peak and €30‑plus at busy times when luggage and waiting surcharges bite. Pre‑booked sedans from Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport to Portofino cover 45 km in about 45 minutes and cost €95‑€140 depending on vehicle class (sources: Welcome Pickups and Transfeero, April 2025). Larger groups can reserve an eight‑seat Mercedes V‑Class for roughly €140, which works out cheaper per head than peak‑time train and bus fares. Most drivers provide chilled water and Wi‑Fi, and many will happily recommend local, non‑touristy restaurants if you ask.

Insider Tips & Accessibility

• Shoulder season, late April and early October, delivers blue skies, half‑empty buses and hotel deals.
• Trenitalia’s Sala Blu ramps are free with twelve hours’ notice; buses kneel and accept one wheelchair at a time; ferries handle chairs up to 80 cm wide.
• New €7‑per‑day lockers inside Santa Margherita station (track 1) let you ditch bags before beach‑hopping.
• Hike the coastal path from Paraggi to Portofino in forty minutes; shady pines and turquoise inlets beat a crowded bus.
• Tap water is safe, refill bottles at public fountains.
• Paraggi beach now caps visitors at 800; arrive before 10 :00 for a free spot.
• Photographers: golden hour at 19 :45 in July bathes the harbour in molten light, climb Chiesa di San Giorgio’s 139 steps for the postcard angle.
• Genoa’s Columbus House museum sits 700 m from Piazza Principe; tour it before your morning train.

Sample Day Itinerary

08 :25 — Leave Genova Brignole on Regionale 12345 to La Spezia.
08 :43 — Arrive Santa Margherita; grab a cappuccino at Caffè del Porto.
09 :00 — Board AMT 782; snag right‑hand seats for Paraggi bay views.
09 :17 — Step into Portofino’s Piazzetta; explore boutiques or hike to the lighthouse.
15 :00 — Catch the ferry back to Santa Margherita; enjoy gelato on the promenade.
17 :12 — Train to Genoa for aperitivo in buzzing Piazza delle Erbe.

Final Money‑Saving Hacks

1. Buy a “2×1” weekend regional ticket—two people travel for one fare on Saturdays and Sundays.
   
2. Groups of four can split a taxi from Santa Margherita to Portofino for about €7 each—cheaper than four bus tickets when luggage surcharges apply.
   

Useful Contacts

Trenitalia English hotline +39 06 3000 • AMT Genoa +39 848 000 030 • Tigullio ferries +39 0185 284 670 • Radio Taxi Rapallo +39 0185 261 414 • Portofino Tourist Office WhatsApp +39 0185 269 103

That’s every 2025 route from Genoa to Portofino wrapped up with prices, timetables and real‑world advice. Whether you fancy the rapid train‑and‑bus combo, an open‑deck ferry, or the plush cocoon of a private transfer, Portofino is closer than you think. If this guide helped, follow VayCay Couple on Instagram for daily Ligurian reels and join our newsletter for quarterly travel tips and exclusive discounts. Ci vediamo in Liguria!

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