Logistics · Destination Guide
Three marine parks, four coast clusters, and the vertical heart of Mediterranean diving
Use this travel brief to set arrival flow, local transit, and gear movement before you lock your itinerary.
Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport (GOA) is the most coherent gateway for Camogli, Portofino, and Bergeggi. The airport's Volabus reaches Genoa's main stations in about 30 minutes, while Airlink runs every 15 minutes between the terminal and Genova Sestri Ponente Aeroporto station for onward regional rail. Pisa (PSA) is often the cleaner alternative for La Spezia and Cinque Terre. Once on the coast, regional trains connect Genoa, Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo, Levanto, Monterosso, and La Spezia. A two-base rail itinerary is normally easier than one long driving itinerary, especially because parking and road access are constrained in the smallest villages.
Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport
GOA • LIMJ
About 40 km by road to Camogli; La Spezia is about 105 km from the airport motorway access • Roughly 45 to 75 minutesutes to Camogli or Santa Margherita Ligure by road or combined city transfer and rail, depending on traffic and connection
The closest full-service gateway to the Portofino and Camogli cluster and the most logical airport for a trip that also includes Bergeggi. Official airport transport includes Volabus to the main Genoa stations and the frequent Airlink shuttle to the local rail station.
Transport: Volabus to Genova Piazza Principe or Genova Brignole, then regional rail, Airlink shuttle to Genova Sestri Ponente Aeroporto station, then rail, Prebooked taxi or private transfer for groups with dive luggage, Rental car for a western-Liguria segment, not for daily Cinque Terre village hopping
Pisa International Airport Galileo Galilei
PSA • LIRP
About 85 km by road to La Spezia • Usually 1.5 to 2.5 hourss to La Spezia or Levanto by airport link and rail, depending on the connection
A practical alternative for La Spezia, Levanto, and Cinque Terre. Use the airport connection to Pisa Centrale, then take mainline rail toward La Spezia and change for the coastal villages as required.
Transport: Airport connection to Pisa Centrale, then Trenitalia rail to La Spezia, Prebooked private transfer for a group carrying full dive kits, Rental car for accommodation outside the rail-linked villages
Use rail as the itinerary spine. Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo, Levanto, Monterosso, and La Spezia are station bases, while Portofino and San Fruttuoso require bus, taxi, trail, or boat connections. Cinque Terre trains are faster and more reliable than trying to park in each village. Validate or activate the correct ticket, allow extra platform time with luggage, and keep a screenshot when mobile coverage is weak. Bergeggi is less rail-direct: use Spotorno-Noli or Savona as the rail gateway, then local bus, taxi, operator pickup, or a car. Avoid scheduling a Bergeggi morning departure immediately after a Cinque Terre hotel checkout.
Italy is in the Schengen Area. EU, EEA, and Swiss travelers use the applicable free-movement documents. Other nationalities must check the official EU and Italian consular rules for visa requirements. A Schengen short stay is generally limited to 90 days in any 180-day period. Visa applicants need a passport whose expiry extends at least 3 months beyond planned departure from the Schengen Area, plus the documents and insurance specified for the application. As of September 5, 2026, the official EU timeline places ETIAS in the last quarter of 2026, so it is not yet a requirement on the research date. Visa-exempt non-EU travelers should recheck the official ETIAS site shortly before travel because launch timing and transitional arrangements can change.
Prebook rental regulators, BCDs, exposure suits, cylinders, and weights, especially in July and August. Send sizes in metric units and ask whether a hood, gloves, boots, computer, SMB, and enriched air are included. Carry certification cards, a log or digital history, and any medical clearance required by the operator. Airlines and rail are easier when the center supplies cylinders and weights. Pack regulators, computers, masks, prescription lenses, and critical exposure items in cabin baggage within airline rules. After diving, rinse thoroughly, dry equipment before moving bases, and contain damp gear in a ventilated or sealed transport bag. Passenger ferries may limit bulky luggage, and public village stairs are a poor place for a full rolling dive case.
Euro (EUR)
Cards are widely accepted at hotels, dive centers, rail stations, supermarkets, and established restaurants. Carry some cash for small beach kiosks, village shops, local buses, lockers, tips, or a card terminal outage. Ask dive operators whether deposits and final balances use different payment methods, and keep a second card separate from the first.
Bank-affiliated ATMs are easy to find in Genoa, Savona, La Spezia, Rapallo, Santa Margherita Ligure, Camogli, Levanto, and larger Cinque Terre villages, but they are less convenient at isolated coves such as San Fruttuoso. Decline unnecessary dynamic currency conversion when your bank offers a better exchange rate, and withdraw before a boat or trail day.
230V • 50Hz • C, F, L
Bring a compact Type C or Type L compatible adapter and confirm that chargers accept 230V. Type F sockets are also common. A small multiport USB charger reduces the number of adapters needed for computers, cameras, lights, phones, and watches. Do not charge wet equipment in a closed bag.
Communications
Italy has strong mobile coverage in cities and most rail-linked towns, and EU roaming generally applies to eligible EU plans. Coverage can weaken beneath cliffs, inside tunnels, on offshore boats, and along remote Portofino or Cinque Terre paths. Download rail tickets, park maps, accommodation directions, and operator contacts before leaving the hotel. A local SIM or eSIM from a major Italian network is useful for non-EU visitors, but no network should be treated as a substitute for the dive boat's marine communications.
Language
Italian is the working language. Ligurian dialects remain part of local identity, while English is common at established dive centers, airports, larger hotels, and major visitor sites. Ask for the safety briefing in a language you fully understand. Useful terms include immersione for dive, corrente for current, boa for buoy, fondale for seabed, uscita for exit, and Area Marina Protetta for marine protected area.
Insurance
Carry comprehensive travel insurance plus scuba or freediving coverage appropriate to the planned depth, gas, training, and activity. The policy should cover emergency medical care, maritime evacuation, search and rescue where available, recompression, repatriation, trip interruption, and equipment loss. An EHIC or GHIC may help eligible travelers obtain medically necessary state care but does not replace evacuation, private treatment, or activity-specific insurance. Save the policy number and emergency contact offline, and tell a companion where to find them.
Packing list