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Practicalities
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The
train station
is a steep ten-minute walk above the town centre - head left out of the station and then follow the curving Via XX Settembre all the way down until it hits the first of three long, parallel boulevards which run along the front of the port: these three are Via Chiodo, then palm-lined Viale Mazzini, and then the principal traffic street of Viale Italia. The ferries to Corsica, Sardinia, the Cinque Terre and around the Golfo dei Poeti leave from the Porto Mercantile, on the central waterfront.
There are two tourist offices - on platform 1 of the train station (June-Sept daily 9am-1pm & 3-6pm; Oct-May Mon-Sat 9am-12.30pm & 2-5pm, Sun 9am-12.30pm; tel 0187.718.997) and just back from the port at Viale Mazzini 47 (daily 9am-1pm & 3-6pm; tel 0187.770.900, www.laspezianet.it and www.aptcinqueterre.sp.it ). The main bus station is on Piazza Chiodo, at the western end of Via Chiodo in front of the naval arsenal, from where ATC buses depart towards Tuscany and into the countryside valleys. Buses to PortovA©nere and LA©rici depart either from the train station forecourt, or from Piazza Cavour. There are several hotels near the train station: the Terminus is right outside at Via Paleocapa 21 (tel 0187.703.436, fax 0187.714.935; up to L60,000/a?¬30.99); the slightly more comfortable Parma is down the steps in front of the station at Via Fiume 143 (tel 0187.743.010, fax 0187.743.240; L60,000-90,000/a?¬30.99-46.48); while the Venezia , Via Paleocapa 10 (tel 0187.733.465; L90,000-120,000/a?¬46.48-61.98) is better in terms of decor and service. Near Piazza Cavour is the Flavia , Vicolo della Stagno 7 (tel 0187.736.060; up to L60,000/a?¬30.99), with bargain doubles. Closer to the water, on one of the old centre's few pretty streets, the Nuovo Spezia , Via F. Cavalotti 31 (tel 0187.735.164; L60,000-90,000/a?¬30.99-46.48), has basic rooms furnished with a haphazard selection of ancient furniture. The Jolly overlooks the bay at Via XX Settembre 2 (tel 0187.739.555, fax 0187.22.129; L150,000-200,000/a?¬77.47-103.29), part of a chain and replete with all comforts.
For
food
, the daily covered market in Piazza Cavour is a good place to buy picnic supplies; it takes over the whole square on Saturday mornings. You can get
farinata
at
La Pia
on Via Magenta, and good pizzas at
Da Giulio
, Via San Agostino 29 (closed Wed). There's a cluster of restaurants between Via del Prione and the Arsenale, where prices are kept in check by the naval clientele (many are closed in August);
Da Luciano
, Via Colombo 27, is another low-priced possibility in this part of town. Down near the seafront lurks
Da Dino
, Via Da Passano 19 (closed Sun evening & Mon), a down-to-earth eatery offering good-value menus of fish and other local fare, and
La Posta
, Via Don Minzoni 24 (closed Sat & Sun), in much the same mould.
La Muraglia
, Via Prione 44 (no closing day), is an excellent, inexpensive Chinese with plenty of authentic dishes. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Italy,
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