More Information about Genoa and the Ligurian coast and Bolzano and Merano please

Other guidebooks have the info you seek. You might need to add to your library or at least go to a library and cruise through a few books like Lonely Planet. We spent one night in Genoa a few years ago and hit only the aquarium, which is fabulous, and we ate very well thanks to recommendations from our hotel. I woulda like to return for a couple of nights.

I got a lot of info about Liguria from the blog A Path To Lunch.

As to Merano, I have researched it a bit online and found ample info. Good info here https://www.merano-suedtirol.it/en/merano-and-environs.html. We frequent the Val Gardena which is nearby but have not yet made it to Merano. What, specifically, are you wanting to know?

Bolzano (and probably Merano as well) tend to be HOT in June. We were in Bolzano on June 5, 2019, and it was very hot and humid. I would think Lake Garda would be much more pleasant in June. You'll need to branch out into other guidebooks for more info on Liguria and Genoa, both areas well worth visiting, in my opinion. If you're not familiar with other companies' guides, then try your local library, check out a few and see which ones appeal to you. I use RS guides whenever I'm in an area he covers, because the practical information beats that available in any other book. But I do use others (mostly Lonely Planet and Rough Guides) when I need to.

Edited to add: Great minds, Laurel - posting at the same time!

I went to Genoa two summers ago as a day trip from Milan. There are plenty of things to see to fill up a full day, I don't know if I would have wanted to spend the evening there. I visited the church of Santa Maria di Castello, where I was lucky to get a free private tour of the cloisters, I highly recommend it!! I also visited the cathedral, walked over to the Piazza de Ferrari, visited the Musei di Strada Nuova and finished at the Palazzo Reale, which I also highly recommend. There were interesting things to see in Genoa, but it doesn't have the charm of the more popular cities like Florence, Venice and Rome. I spent my last hour or so before my train back to Milan walking around the port area. It's very industrial, so don't expect the views you would get in the Cinque Terre, but if you're on that side of Italy, it's definitely worth a peek. I used the Lonely Planet guidebook to plan my trip.

I was driving thru Genoa and it is a big gritty port town in *general. Of course there mAy be some points of interest but in general I would drive on. U can visit Santa margarita Liguria and Cinque terra but with CT car can be a nuisance. The Dolomites are wonderful And a car can be very handy indeed. june should be ok . The roads are narrow and winDy but the area is beautiful!!!
Ck it out u will be Amazed by the natural beauty. Reserve lodging ahead.

I spent 4 full days in Genoa, and I wasn't a big fan....not because of the "grittiness" (Naples and Rome are gritty too), but it felt very closed and just didn't have a comfortable or welcoming vibe like other cities I visited in Italy. If you do go, it's worth a visit to the old cemetery (Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno) for the interesting statuary. There is also some incredible food in Genoa (home of foccacia and pesto), but it general it was the least appealing of all the places I visited in Italy.

I did a day trip to Genoa a few years ago and was very impressed, liked it more than I thought I would. I plan to go back and spend at least one night. Here is the trip report that covers Genoa https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/blog/2017/5/march-in-northern-italy-milan-genoa-lake-como-lake-lugano-pavia

I visited the Ligurian coast a couple of times - both times in July. I prefer staying in a town other than one of the Cinque Terre towns and visiting them on day trips. The down side to that is that you will be there when they are most crowded. But there are other towns in the area that are more interesting (perhaps not quite as picturesque). My most recent trip I stayed in Rapallo and did day trips to the CT towns, Portovenere, Portofino, Camogli, and Santa Marguerita. A previous trip I stayed in Camogli. Both of those make great bases and you could also do Genoa as a day trip from them. Here is the trip report I wrote that includes that one. https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/photo-safari-to-the-south-of-france-the-italian-rivera-and-the-swiss-alps-990300/

I visited both Lake Garda and the Dolomites - basing in Bolzano - in July a few years back. Yes it was hot, they were having a major heatwave, but it was still fine. Lake Garda wasn't any cooler than the Dolomites. June is a lovely time to go, there are no guarantees of weather, you could get a heatwave in June (we did this past year when it hit over 100F in Bologna), or you could get a cold snap. Here is the trip report I wrote that covers both Lake Garda and the Dolomites. https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/a-month-in-northern-italy-mountains-lakes-and-castles-1072263/

Despite what the links to the photos in the trip reports are, my photos are now all here: https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/f739967755

Thanks to all of you who wrote to me. We are renting an apartment in Rapallo and only wanted to spend one day in Genoa. We plan on visiting several of the small towns along the Ligurian coast with one day for the CT. I have looked at other guides and yes they have more but I really like the way the RS guides are written. I was hoping there was something else out there that is as informative. I have been to Garda in June and yes it was very warm. I was hoping that Bolzano would be cooler. I guess we will have to find something in the mountains to rent. I can't move about in 100* temperatures. We will have a car so we can get about that way and maybe only go into Bolzano or Merano for a day trip.