ITALY - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 348

Day Excursion to
Genoa (Genova)
Great Port of Italy
Depart Milano Centrale Station
Distance by Train: 93 miles (150 km)
Average Train Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
City Dialing Code: 010
Tourist Information Office: On the right-hand side of the Piazza Principe Station
foyer after the second escalator coming from the trains
Tel: [phone]
Hours: 0900-1820 daily
www.visitgenoa.it
E-mail: [e-mail]
Richard Wagner wrote, “I have never seen anything like this Genoa! It is something
indescribably beautiful, grandiose, characteristic.” According to its tourist office,
Genoa is “a town that you have to know how to love … there can be no half meas-
ures.” Genoa is a merchant town, a vertical city, a major Mediterranean port. It is a
city of contrasts, mixing the ancient with the new.
To experience a taste of this interesting city, ride the InterCity 651 Andrea Doria
out of Milan to Genoa at 0810 in the morning. Enjoy a leisurely walk along Genoa's
avenues. Lunch in full view of the city's great harbor—largest in all of Italy. Board an
InterCity late in the afternoon and be back in Milan for dinner that same day. Or fall
in love with Genoa by lunchtime and return to Milan just before midnight. The relat-
ively short time en route between these cities makes a “set your own pace” sched-
ule ideal.
Be mindful that Genoa has two major railway stations, Piazza Principe and
Brignole. If you come from Milan, Piazza Principe is the first stop after the train
emerges from a tunnel. Digital schedule boards in both stations advise what time
the next connecting train departs for the other station. To be certain, board your re-
turning train to Milan from Piazza Principe because many through-trains do not call
at Brignole. You can, however, ride any shuttle train from Brignole north to the next
stop, which is Piazza Principe.