Hi
We are driving from Como to Cinque Terre and I would appreciate advice on the best route. We are looking for the fastest, most painless route to take in one day.
There seem to be two main routes: through/towards Genoa or Parma. We don't want to stop at either of these cities and are happy to drive on toll roads.
Any recommendations?
Thanks
Marshall
I don't know specific routes, but to offer hope: I know that Parma has a loop that goes outside/around the city so you don't have to drive into it (most large cities do); Genoa probably has something similar.
Someone with driving experience will probably post shortly with route info.
Try http://www.viamichelin.com/
But you will have to put in a real place name as the destination. "Cinque Terre" is just the area.
I put in "La Spezia" as a destination and it gave me:
Costs
60.82 € with a Petrol vehicle
Toll 26.80 € | Petrol 34.02 €
Time
03h12 with 02h39 on motorways
Distance
276 km with 260 km on motorways
The two routes are about the same in term of distance and time. Both are on divided toll motorways managed by the same company (Autostrade per L'Italia SpA) and you will not be driving within cities either way, just freeway all the way until you exit near you destination.
If you go to Monterosso, the route via Genoa (A7/A12) is a handful of km shorter. In that case the exit on the A12 is Levanto. If you go to Riomaggiore then the Parma route (A1/A15) might be slightly shorter, but it's really minor differences. In the latter case the exit is La Spezia and you drive through La Spezia to go to Monterosso. In both cases the freeway goes through mountain ranges and in both cases you will be driving through freeway tunnels, although the Genoa route will have more. But they are well lit, so no reason to be scared of the dark. I've traveled all those freeways, and the one via Genoa is more fun. If your destination is Monterosso, I'd take that one.
What might make the difference in driving times is car accidents or road work along the way, which one cannot predict and it can affect either or both routes.
Thanks for your very helpful response, Roberto. We are staying in Manarola so the Parma route may be ever so slightly shorter but we may give the Genoa route a go as it sounds more interesting without adding too much time.
Cheers
Marshall
