Anyone been to GENOA in Italy?

[Marc]

I came up with the brilliant idea of a Road Trip to northern Italy yesterday whilst drunk, looking into it this morning its turned into a MUST DO holiday this summer.

Drive my clapped out toyota through frogland to a dirt cheap campsite just outside Genoa, Monaco just 90odd miles away down the Riviera so a splendid setting, on the way home drive through the Alps for some reason....BRILLIANT!

Anyone been to that area? if so whats it really like?

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Yes, very nice. It was bloody hot when we went.

Have you thought of Verona? That is a big city and has some excellent tourist spots( juliet's balcony, Roman Ruins, a huge Colloseum) Worth a trip.

 

[Easy 10]

Nice stadium.

 

[Marc]

Cheers Dave and Dave! Chose Genoa as I've always wanted to visit Monaco, obviously thats bloody expensive to stay there but the chance to drive through the F1 Tunnel would be magic! Staying near Genoa would mean we have a decent town to visit and drink in and it looks just right in Google Earth

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Cheers Dave and Dave! Chose Genoa as I've always wanted to visit Monaco, obviously thats bloody expensive to stay there but the chance to drive through the F1 Tunnel would be magic! Staying near Genoa would mean we have a decent town to visit and drink in and it looks just right in Google Earth

little tip in Monaco.

If it is still there......looking at the Harbour...on your right by the steps up to teh Palace, there will be two ferrari's that you can hire for either a drive around the "track" or for around 40 euro's you can drive it yourself. I did this and as we came to the tunnel, I backed off as there was some old biddy poddling through...anyway, as she dissapeared and a load of irate frenchies were tooting their horns, I floored it, much to the consternation of the co driver ( and owner). The noise was IMMENSE. If it is still there, give it a go...you wont regret it

 

[Laughing Gravy]

No. But my aunty went there some years ago.

 

[The Large One]

Cheers Dave and Dave! Chose Genoa as I've always wanted to visit Monaco, obviously thats bloody expensive to stay there but the chance to drive through the F1 Tunnel would be magic! Staying near Genoa would mean we have a decent town to visit and drink in and it looks just right in Google Earth

If you're looking to do the Cote d'Azur road thing (highly recommended), there a plenty of coastal towns and villages between Monaco and Genoa to stop and stay at which are delightful, quiet, cheap and have spectacular views over the Med.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

If you're looking to do the Cote d'Azur road thing (highly recommended), there a plenty of coastal towns and villages between Monaco and Genoa to stop and stay at which are delightful, quiet, cheap and have spectacular views over the Med.

San Remo/ Diano Marina being two!

 

[janee]

BF used to live there so we have lots of info about the place. The City is a little dull in the evenings but the Cinque Terre coast is amazing

 

[Marc]

cheers all, Dave that Ferrari thing sounds amazing!

 

[Mendoza]

I'm thinking of going. My summer holiday plans area bit up in the air, scuse pun, were to go to Rekyavik to do some whale watching amungst what ever the city and surrounding area has to offer. Looks like going there is a stupid idea now.

Genoa is one of the main ports to go out into the med to do whale watching, so thinking of going here too

 

[Safeway]

I've been to Genoa! Didn't see much of the city itself as stayed a bit further down the road in Chiavari. Beautiful coastline though, and the Cinque Terre trek is a MUST.

MARC, check out my Facebook pics.

 

[Marc]

oohh whale watching would be cool, on a boat with BEERS obviously! Cheers safers will look now!

 

[Napier]

I used to spend a lot of time there years ago. The area south is great - Portofino, Cinque Terre, Portovenere and Lerici (don't bother too much with La Spezia). Genoa itself is quite interesting - great mazy lanes called the Vicoli by the port, but wouldn't want to wander around too much at night. Worth a wander round Nervi as well.

I got to the fooball stadium, Stadio Luigi Ferraris, a few times back in the days of Souness, Francis and Vialli. Saw Maradona play there once, a moment of pure magic, but mediocre for the remainder of the game. Memories.

 

[NMH]

BF used to live there so we have lots of info about the place. The City is a little dull in the evenings but the Cinque Terre coast is amazing

All I saw was black hookers all over the dodgy place. Just drove straight back out asap.

 

[Captain Haddock]

Sounds a good holiday plan, Marc!

Might add that to my list of must do's!

 

[Juan Albion]

oohh whale watching would be cool, on a boat with BEERS obviously! Cheers safers will look now!

If you want to watch whales, go to southern California. Whales AND warmth. Saw eight blue whales close up (close enough to get pictures of the inside of one's blowholes no less) and a couple of other types in one afternoon in the sun.

 

[Marc]

For driving through France I keep seeing this:
You must have a fluorescent yellow vest (Hi-Vis) in the car (NOT the boot) for the driver.

I have a flourescent Red one...will the French JAIL me cos its not yellow?

 

[Safeway]

All I saw was black hookers all over the dodgy place. Just drove straight back out asap.

Yeah, COURSE you did.

 

[Washboard Didgets]

I drove through Genoa/Genova last July on a road trip of my own.

Like you, I decided I had to drive to Italy at some point (partly inspired by the Top Gear challenges).

Although when I did it we didn't leave Sussex until 9pm on a Thursday evening, drove to Folkstone, Euro Tunnel to Calais, left Calais about 1am in the middle of an immense thunderstorm, drove all the way down virtually non-stop and running on Red Bull. Got near to Geneva by late morning (stopping for a rather unpleasant shit –*I blame the Red Bull), then Mont Blanc tunnel at midday-ish, down to Genova by mid-afternoon, then on to Pisa and into rural Tuscany, reached our villa about 6:30pm Friday evening.

So in total that journey was 920 miles in around 21 hours including a few stops for food and fuel. Which I drove the whole way, having been awake since 8am Thursday morning... probably not the cleverest thing to do!

But I jumped in the pool, got changed and we headed out to a restaurant and got battered, slept like a baby, felt fine the next day!

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Can't really comment on Genoa/Genova itself as I was in and out of tunnels at 90mph with Italians in Audis about 3 inches off my back bumper.

But if you want to do a road trip - go for it!

Remember to allow a fair bit for the tolls, the fuel (it was more expensive on the French autoroutes than here), and the Red Bull.

I've got a Golf GTI and it soaked up the miles like a dream even with three adults and a boot and seat full of luggage. After our week in Tuscany I drove up past Florence, Bologna, Milan and we stopped for a couple of nights in Belaggio on Lake Como. Beautiful location. Then we got a 10 minute ferry across the lake, another half hour drive or so and you are into Switzerland.

Coming back we did Belaggio, Switzerland, Germany, France ending up back at Calais, that was all done in around 11 hours. Left Belaggio at 9am and was back in East Grinstead before 10pm.

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And if you have a nice car to drive which makes a nice noise... there are hundreds of tunnels ripe for a bit of blasting!