Driving is certainly one of the easiest ways to reach the city of Genoa. Moreover, a car can also be useful for organising day trips from the Ligurian capital. However, the car is not necessary for exploring the city centre, which can be explored on foot or using public transport.
So, if you’re arriving in this city by car, the best thing to do is find a car park and leave your vehicle there during your stay. The ideal solution would be to find a hotel with parking included, but city centre accommodation is not always equipped with this facility, and the Ligurian city boasts a fairly busy centre characterised by an extensive ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone).
If you decide to arrive in Genoa by car, however, there are several solutions available to you, and to help you we’ve prepared a mini-guide with plenty of useful tips on where to park in the city.
If you’re arriving in Genoa by car, the first thing to do is ask your accommodation whether it has parking on site or has an agreement with a local car park. Car parks that have partnerships with hotels usually offer both covered and uncovered spaces and provide hourly or daily rates. If the answer is no, we suggest that you book a private car park before you even leave so you won’t have to stress about finding a space once you arrive in the city.
You can choose car parks located near the old town or the Porto Antico, which is a very central area with plenty of attractions. Alternatively, you can look at nearby areas such as Marassi (which is located right near the Genoa East motorway exit) or the Genova Brignola railway station area. There are also two park-and-ride facilities: one in Piazzale Marassi, which is located near the stadium and is free, and another in Piazza Dinegro, which is not far from the Genoa West exit and offers discounted rates. Near this car park you’ll also find the Dinegro metro stop plus numerous bus lines.
Finding a parking space near the old town is certainly the best solution if your accommodation is in this part of the city. This area boasts several types of car parks at different price ranges, as well as numerous “Blue Zones” where you can leave your car.
There are also some free car parks, but they are very limited and it’s not easy to find available spaces. Be careful because some car parks only accept short-term or a few hours’ parking, whilst others are authorised for long-term parking or multiple days. Once you’ve parked your car, you can get around on foot, by metro or by bus.
Parking in the Porto Antico area is recommended not only because it’s close to attractions such as the Aquarium and Galata Museum of the Sea, but also for those who need to board a cruise ship or ferry.
There are many covered and uncovered car parks and garages with paid parking that offer slightly lower prices than those near the old town, so this area represents a good compromise between price and convenience.
The Genova Brignole railway station area extends between the Porto Antico and Marassi neighbourhoods. There are numerous garages, car parks and storage facilities here, both attended and video-monitored, all for a fee. In this area too, you can find excellent solutions that offer a good compromise between price and proximity to the city centre.
In Via Moresco (about 500 metres from the railway station) there are also free parking spaces, but you’ll need to be very lucky to find one free! From the station you can reach the city centre by metro or by various bus lines.
The Marassi neighbourhood is famous for hosting the Ferraris football stadium where matches for Genoa and Sampdoria are held. The area is a good solution for those travelling by car as it’s home to the Genoa East motorway exit and also the Piazzale Marassi park-and-ride facility, which is free (when no matches or events are scheduled).
From here you can reach the city centre via various bus lines, and a “park+bus” fare is in place that allows you to park and travel by bus to the city centre at discounted rates. The prices of other car parks in the area are more economical than in the city centre, and it’s easy to drive out of town from here for day trips.
If you’re arriving in Genoa by plane or train, a good suggestion is to hire a car with which you can then explore the beautiful Ligurian resorts. Having a car at your disposal to visit certain destinations is certainly a plus because it allows you to not be bound by public transport schedules.
One of the best places to hire a car is certainly Genoa Airport, as airport terminals make it easy to find numerous car hire companies with a wide choice of vehicles and really advantageous rates. However, if you’ve planned to visit the city before exploring other areas of the region, you won’t need the car at first. Genoa, in fact, is perfectly easy to explore on foot or by public transport.
In this case we recommend reaching the city centre by public transport or by a convenient taxi and not hiring the car straight away. Once you’ve completed your visit to the Ligurian capital, you can return to the airport for car hire and then continue with your itinerary. The advantage is that Genoa airport is really close to the city centre, so it’s easy and quick to reach. At the end of your stay in Liguria, you can then drive the hire car to the airport and return the vehicle.
Genoa is a destination that you can easily reach by car, train, plane or ship, it all depends on where you’re travelling from!
By car, the city is easily accessible from various locations both in Italy and France, as Genoa is served by an extensive motorway network that includes: the A7 Milan-Genoa, the A10 Ventimiglia-Genoa, the A12 Livorno-Genoa and the A26 Gravellona-Toce-Genoa.
Along the A7 heading towards Milan you can stop at the famous Serravalle Designer Outlet.
The Ligurian capital is also served by several state and provincial roads:
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