Help with CT logistics

What Italian city are you flying out of?

Better check the cruise ship schedule:

http://crew-center.com/la-spezia-italy-cruise-ship-schedule-2020

When big ships are in port, crowds in Vernazza go from bad to unpleasant. Enter Vernazza Crowds here:

https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en

Flying in and out of Genoa from Paris.

Checked the cruise ship schedule. I arrive May 12th (one cruise docking in La Spezia). I see two cruises docking on the 13th. I leave the 15th. So, either way, I'm probably going to encounter crowds there.

Is there another town I should consider? I was looking at Airbnb and wanted to keep it to $120 a night. I saw a great apartment in Vernazza with a sea view terrace for $116 a night.

Have you been to Italy before? Is this all the time you'll have in Italy? As mentioned, if the cruise ships are in port, it will be a crowded nightmare. There are much better things to see and places to go if this is all the time you have.

I went to the Cruise Center site linked above. For the month of May, there will be 114,502 passengers and 33,980 crew members docking at La Spezia. That ~150,000 people doesn't include all the tourists arriving be other means. Think Disney World on a really bad day.

What time is your flight out from Genoa?
If you have a morning flight, staying in Vernazza or some other CT town, may present some challenges to be to airport on time.

If there is something you want to see in Genoa, I would probably go to CT first and do last night in Genoa.

Gabriel,

Is there a particular reason you want to visit Genova? With such a very short Itinerary, your time would probably be better spent in the Cinque Terre or other locations. If your flight arrives at noon, you could be in the C.T. in a few hours, just in time for a brief walkabout, a fine meal and some great views of the sunset over the ocean.

As it looks like there might be cruise ships in the area during the time you'll be there, staying in Vernazza may not be the best idea. The town is fairly compact and doesn't handle crowds well, which will make it more challenging to travel around as the trains and Ferries will be packed like sardines. You might consider staying instead in Monterosso. It's a larger town so tends to handle crowds better, and it also has a larger number of accommodations, restaurants and other tourist amenities. It's also slightly closer to Genova. I've found that the key to dealing with the hordes is to not be in the towns between about 10:00 - 16:00, either on a day trip or off hiking somewhere.

Is your accommodation budget of $120 in US dollars?

Once or twice a year we stay in Santa Margherita Ligure, usually flying back to Paris; taxi to GOA. We actually prefer Rapallo, Alexandre the gracious owner of the Hotel Astoria. However one of our top five Italy restaurants is Dal Alfredo in SML, so we stay there. There is excellent hiking around Portofino, reached by ferry, without the crowds one would encounter clogging up the trails in the CT.

https://www.portofinotrek.com/trek/gb/6-trail-map

With only 3 nights [2 full days] personally I would head to SML or Rapallo directly. Both have ferries.

Oh boy, sometimes I wish people would just stick to answering the original question without asking further questions (I'm being facetious!).

I've been to Italy MANY times (I don't find it necessary to list where I've been, but I assure you I've traveled Italy well in the past). This is the region I have yet to discover (although I did have a quick lunch stop in Santa Margherita Ligure once many moons ago). The short trip is due to finishing out a two week trip to Europe (most of it in France).

Flight details: Arrive in GOA on May 12 at 11:45 am. Leave GOA at 12:30 pm. Both flights from and to Paris.

I suppose I can look into staying in Monterosso to begin with and the last night in Genoa. But if I do that then that really only leaves me with a day and a half in CT. Hence, my original question. Would it be best to just hang around in Genoa that day I arrive and take an evening train down to CT and spend my three nights there?

I've seen various posts on social media regarding Genoa and thought it would be good to spend at least half a day wandering around the town. But if any of feel that with my short time here I would be better off skipping it entirely then I can do that too.

Gabriel, personally I'd go directly to Vernazza from Genoa once you fly in, spend a few days in the area, and then train back to Genoa for the final day so you can be close to the airport to fly out.

Alternately, you could stow your luggage for a few hours upon arrival in Genoa and explore for a few hours before training on to Vernazza. I guess it depends what you wish to see/do in Genoa beyond just wandering around and seeing a few sites. Doing a separate day trip by train from Vernazza to Genoa and back would waste a few hours of time when you have only three days anyway, so I wouldn't waste the time myself.

Yeah, after looking at the train travel times I figured it probably is not best to do Genoa as a day trip from CT. So I'm fine either cutting it out or just spending a few hours there the day I arrive.

Gabriel, as you're flying out of Genoa, I also vote for going to the CT first and ending up with your visit to Genoa. It's a better plan than doing it as a day trip from the Vernazza. That's why I asked the question; if you'd been flying out of a different city, then the order might not make as much sense. :O)

If you haven't made reservations in Vernazza yet, I'd put the giddiyup on as accommodations fill fast and early!

Thanks. Airbnb still has plenty of options available as of now.

So, should I stay in Genoa for a couple or few hours the day I arrive (potentially arriving in Vernazza after the crowds have diminished)? Or just go straight to Vernazza upon arrival?

If there is a big cruise ship on arrival day, store you bags at the Brignole station [not Piazza Principe] and have a look around. If wishing to proceed to near the Duomo, take the Metro to Le Ferrari. If no and one later, head directly to Vernazza.

Thank you.