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Arrival, city transport and information
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There are two big
train stations
in Genoa.
Stazione Principe
, on Piazza Acquaverde just above the port on the west side of the centre, is the main one, although a number of mainline trains also pass through
Stazione Brignole
on Piazza Verdi, to the east of the centre. Buses #33 and #37, among others, ply between the two. There's a staffed left-luggage office at Principe (daily 6am-10pm; L5000/a?¬2.58 per piece for 12hr), and lockers at Brignole (daily 24hr; L4000/a?¬2.06 for 6hr; 30hr maximum). If you're arriving at Principe after dark, cling on to your valuables while moving through the station and avoid the notorious Via di PrA? alley nearby, which is the core territory of Genoa's lowlife.
Buses
arrive on Piazza della Vittoria, a few minutes' walk south of Brignole.
The Aeroporto Cristoforo Colombo ( www.airport.genova.it ) is 6km west of the city centre. "Volabus" #100 runs to Stazione Principe, Piazza de Ferrari on the edge of the Old Town, and Piazza Verdi outside Stazione Brignole (every 30min; takes 25min; information tel 010.558.2414). Buy your L5000/a?¬2.58 ticket on the bus. Getting around the centre is best done on foot , resorting to Genoa's AMT buses (information tel 010.558.2414), only for trips to outlying sights. Public transport tickets, available from tabacchi and newspaper stands, cost L1500/a?¬0.77 for 90 minutes, or L5000/a?¬2.58 all day, and are valid on buses, all the city's various funiculars and lifts , the expanding metro system which serves the suburban commuter belt, and local trains between Voltri and Nervi (although not on the narrow-gauge mountain line to Casella ). AMT also runs Giro Giro Tour buses daily around the major city sights with multilingual guides aboard, starting from Piazza Caricamento (Mon-Fri 3.30pm, Sat & Sun 10am; L25,000/a?¬12.91; lasts 1hr 40min; tel 010.254.3431) - although, of course, you won't see any of the old quarter this way. Another good way to get a flavour of the city is from a boat
The main
tourist office
(toll-free tel 1674.69.838,
www.apt.genova.it
) is at the Porto Antico, in the modern Palazzina Santa Maria on the western side of the flyover (daily 9am-6.30pm; tel 010.248.711). Additional branches are at Stazione Principe (daily 7am-9pm; tel 010.246.2633); the airport (Mon-Sat 8am-8pm; tel 010.601.5247); and at Stazione Marittima near the cruise terminal (May-Sept daily 9am-6.30pm; tel 010.246.3686). Beware, though, that Genoa's tourist industry is undergoing a complete overhaul in the build-up to the 2004 celebrations, which may well encompass new locations and changes in opening times; for details, contact the city's tourism administration, at Via Roma 11/3 (tel 010.576.791). Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Italy,
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