My husband and I are gifting our mothers (who are great friends) with a Christmas gift of cruise that departs out of Savona in mid January. Due to airfare costs, they will be flying in to Milan the day prior to the cruise and out of Milan the day after the cruise. With that said, I will be arranging train transportation for them to either Genoa or Savona for the day prior to the cruise. They arrive early (approx 8:00 am local) and I'm looking for suggestions for a decent hotel/B&B for them to spend the night in that is accessible to the Savona port the next day. However, I don't want them to be 'stuck' in a hotel either. I figure that they'll probably arrive around 2:00 or so and would probably like to get out and grab a bite to eat and do a bit of exploring both that night and early the next morning before heading to the ship. I have points with Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott if that matters. On the flip side, they'll disembark the ship a week later on a Saturday morning and head back to Milan and I'm looking for suggestions on where they should stay. Their flight leaves at 10:30 am so it's not too early but whatever exploring of Milan they will be doing will be done on Saturday afternoon so I believe that I need a place that is easily accessible to the airport. Thanks so much for your advice!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16280 posts
Suzan, I don't know about Savona, but Genoa was badly damaged by flash floods a few days ago. Six people died, and cars were swept up and left in piles in the streets. Storefronts were smashed and destroyed. The storm apparently also affected nearby coastal areas, which may include Savona. The damage may not be all cleared up in two months. Why take a chance? It is only a 2 hour 16 minute trip by train from Milano Centrale to Savona. You moms could spent their arrival day and night in Milan, enjoying the city (Duomo, etc.) and relaxing after their flight, and then take the train the following morning to Savona to meet the cruise ship. If you have Hyatt points, the Park Hyatt Milan is one of the most highly regarded hotels there, and is well-located, close to the center and the Duomo. There is a Marriot too, but it is not as well regarded, and not in nearly as good a location as the Park Hyatt.
Posted by
OP
Chesapeake, VA, USA
23 posts
Lola, thanks for the info. I knew about the Cinque Terre flooding as we visited there the month before the terrible storms hit Vernazza and Monterroso. I guess I hadn't paid attention to the more recent flooding. I will definitely look into the Hyatt in Milan.
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
Several years ago I was stranded in Savona during a rail strike; the strike lasted only 8 hours. I walked into the center of Savona for about 10 min and found a very nice hotel on the main piazza. There is another hotel on the same square. I walked around the town and toward the port that day. I don't know exactly how a person would get to their ship, but a taxi driver probably would. I don't remember the name of the hotel, but I think a Google search of Savona will yield the names of centrally located hotels. There isn't a lot going on in Savona, but there are some cafes, restaurants, pizza places, etc. It is a nice town and would serve well for a place to be before a cruise. I've never stayed in Genoa, but think Savona would be handier to the port. P.S. I just Googled Savona. I'm sure the Riviera-Suisse Hotel was where I stayed.