We are traveling from Florence to Cannes by rail in November. As I'm booking rail tickets we may have a 2 hour wait for the train from Genoa to Ventimiglia. Are there restaurants where we can lunch nearby or any worthwhile sights to see or should I try an earlier train?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15939 posts
What are you going to do with the luggage? You can leave it at the Deposito bagagli (luggage storage) but there is often a bit of a line at the deposito bagagli at major stations, so in the end you may not have as much time as you think during your layover. I’d head to one of the coffee bars or fast food restaurants inside the station (The famous Genovese restaurant Archi Dorati is there) and leave it at that.
Posted by
SoCal
1026 posts
I'd recommend you take the short Metro ride to the San Giorgio stop and then rhe 2-3 minute walk to Cavour 21 for the best pesto you'll ever eat. But make a reservation in advance, even for lunch. The Metro ride will take only 10 minutes or less.
Cavour 21 and the nearby Trattoria delle Grazie might be the two best restaurants in Genoa. Both tiny, family-run places. Prices are ridiculously low.
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
1058 posts
Hello thebucks64, and welcome to the forum!
My personal take is that 2 hours is not very much time. Assuming you arrive on time and you want to be back at the actual track 15 minutes before your train and everything eats into that travel, potentially baggage storage and retrieval, lunch line/crowd waits etc.
Lunch anywhere in Italy that is not counter service can take more time than you want as a busy tourist. Now Genoa is a busy northern town so there may be a "quick business lunch need" which help you get in and out more quickly. I wouldn't try to make and event out of it but look for a decent counter, or at most cafeteria, lunch and plan on something quick. If someplace is business with local workers who are on the pausa pranzo I would trust their taste and join in.
Honestly if it was me I'd plan on grabbing something in the station or leave one person in the station with the luggage and one person goes out to grab some panini and drinks if the station doesn't have anything. Italians take food very seriously and often places that I tend to discount - cafes attached to museums and station food - can often be very good. The sandwiches at the bookstore in Florence train station are surprisingly good.
I know we all want to squeeze as much out of every minute we can, but no lunch will worth missing your train.
My $.02, have a great trip,
=Tod
Posted by
SoCal
1026 posts
Let me add that, if you have a reservation, Cavour 21 will get you in and out in a hurry. They're not a two-hour meal kind of place. But if the time issue unnerves you, you shouldn't do it.