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Look at Principe and Brignole before a room on a narrow old-town lane. Sleeping by the station saves hauling luggage across town.
from $38/night1,608 hotels compared
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1,608 hotels compared
Genoa climbs from its working harbour into a maze of caruggi and steep residential streets. With the Porto Antico, the palazzi of Via Garibaldi and two main rail stations spread across those slopes, the exact hotel address matters.
The old town threads between the waterfront and Piazza De Ferrari. San Lorenzo Cathedral, Palazzo Ducale and Via Garibaldi are close on foot, but the narrow lanes can be confusing after dark. A room on a main piazza is easier to find at night than one tucked into a caruggio.
At Porto Antico, the Aquarium and the harbour walks are right beside the medieval centre. West of there, Principe is the stop for trains and the cruise and ferry terminals. East of Piazza De Ferrari, Brignole has the other station, and Via XX Settembre has the shopping streets.
Genoa stretches far along the Ligurian coast. Corso Italia leads to Boccadasse, a small fishing village with a pebble beach. Farther east, Nervi has parks and the Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi above the rocks. Stay there for the sea, but allow a train journey back to central museums.
Walk the city in spring and early summer. July and August have the warmest afternoons. October and November tend to be wetter, so keep a museum in reserve. The city is steep, and a short route on the map can be a hard climb, so use the lifts, funiculars and metro.
The caruggi connect San Lorenzo, Palazzo Ducale and the Rolli palaces. Stay here for short walks to the historic sights. The lanes are steep and narrow, and they change more from block to block than the broad streets around De Ferrari.
Around here: San Lorenzo Cathedral, Palazzo Ducale, Via Garibaldi
The Aquarium, the maritime museums and the harbourfront paths are next to the old town. Families can walk to a museum day. Rooms facing the busy waterfront can be noisier than those farther uphill.
Around here: Aquarium of Genoa, Galata Museo del Mare, Bigo
Stay by Genova Piazza Principe for early trains, airport buses and the ferry terminals. Via Balbi leads toward the old centre and its university palaces. With luggage, check the slope of the walk and which station exit you need.
Around here: Genova Piazza Principe, Via Balbi, Palazzo Reale
At Brignole, regional trains meet city buses, and Via XX Settembre runs to Piazza De Ferrari and the old town. You won’t see the harbour from here, but transport is simple and the shopping streets are broad.
Around here: Genova Brignole, Via XX Settembre, Piazza De Ferrari
Boccadasse has a small beach at the end of Corso Italia. Nervi, farther east, has parks and a promenade facing the sea. Both are for a stay by the water. The Aquarium and the old-town palaces are a train or bus ride away.
Around here: Boccadasse, Corso Italia, Parchi di Nervi
Walk the city between April and June or in September, outside the hottest summer afternoons. July is usually the driest month. Rain rises sharply in autumn, especially in October and November. The chart uses Genoa’s 1991–2020 climate normals.
Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport is west of the centre. The two main rail stations are Piazza Principe and Brignole. Find out which is nearer your hotel before you book onward travel.
4 mi from downtown
Volabus runs to the centre, Piazza Principe and Brignole. The Airlink shuttle goes from the terminal to Sestri Ponente–Aeroporto rail station. Check the current timetable before you travel.
Principe and Brignole, where trains and buses meet. Look at the slope of the street too. The distance on the map won’t tell you how steep it is.
Yes. Via XX Settembre leads to De Ferrari and the caruggi, and the metro and buses make the trip shorter.
You can pick from 1,608 hotels in Genoa, from $38 a night. Look at where a hotel sits on the slope as well as the price. An uphill address means a climb every time you come back.
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