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Table of Contents:
How to get to Rapallo from Genoa
How to get to Rapallo from Milan
How to get to Portofino from Rapallo
When to travel to Rapallo
Rapallo is a classic resort in the Liguria region with narrow streets in the old part of the town and wide promenades with palm trees in the new one. It is equally good to stroll along the sea and wind through the labyrinth of town streets, explore historical buildings and discover the local nature. The only thing that Rapallo is definitely not suitable for is a beach holiday.
After some research, I decided to put together information I have previously found out and create a complete guide on how to organize a holiday in Rapallo. I figured out how to get to the town, where to stay & what to see there. I really hope this detailed information will help you plan your trip to Rapallo.
Like almost the entire Ligurian shore, Rapallo has no sandy beaches, and the waves crash directly into the rocky cliffs. However, in all other respects, Rapallo is considered to be one of the most colorful and atmospheric towns in the province of Liguria. The best time to visit Rapallo is, surely, the summer time, when the days are sunny and warm. In my point of view, it is also good to travel to Rapallo during the springtime, when natural landscapes are green and fresh, or during the autumn time, when local nature is colorful and charming.
How to get to Rapallo
Where do you fly into to get to Rapallo? The closest to Rapallo major cities with international airports are Milan and Genoa. You can check the current flight timetable via specialized online services such as Aviasales and other similar ones. You can get to Rapallo from Milan or Genoa by public transport, by taxi car or by rented car. The distance between Milan and Rapallo is much longer than the distance between Genoa and Rapallo.
How to get to Rapallo from Genoa
As I found out it is only 30 km from Genoa to Rapallo and the resort can be reached by train, by taxi or by rented car. The first option is more budget-friendly, the second is faster. The third one is best for those travellers who prefer to move around on their own.
By train: Regional trains run between Genoa and Rapallo every hour during the daytime. The travel time is approximately 30-40 minutes. Trains depart from Brignoli Station in Genoa. The last train departs at 23.30 at night. You can check the current train timetable at the Raileurope booking service. You can purchase train tickets from Genoa to Rapallo either at the station ticket office or in advance via online services. I tried both variants and as a rule when booking online in advance I have more options available.
By taxi: Transfer car from Genoa Airport to Rapallo is also a popular option. The travel time is about 1 hour. You can order a taxi directly at the airport or in advance via the international online services such as Kiwitaxi and others. The option is especially good for those who travel with a lot of baggage or arrive at night when public transport does not operate. As I discovered after some research, Kiwitaxi has a lot of positive reviews so I can totally recommend it.
By a rented car: One of the popular options for traveling along the Ligurian shore is renting a car in Genoa. By renting a car, you can easily move from one resort town to another. Thus, you can get to Rapallo from Genoa along the A12/E80 highway in 40 minutes (see on the map). Along the route you can also visit such towns as Camogli, Recco, Santa Margherita Ligure, Paraggi, etc. You can book the desired class of car in advance via various car rental services, for instance, Discover Cars, Economybookings and some others. During the holiday season, early booking will allow you to choose the best option in terms of price and quality, as Genoa is a popular tourist destination, so I would recommend using early booking when planning your visit to Genoa and surroundings.
How to get to Rapallo from Milan
According to my map research, the distance between Milan and Rapallo is about 165 km. You can get to Rapallo by trains, as well as by taxi or by rented car.
By train: From 6 am, trains from Milan to Rapallo start running once an hour. Trains can be high-speed (faster) and regional (more stops), direct and indirect. The travel time by direct train is approximately 2 hours. If you change trains, say, in Genoa, the travel time will increase to 3 hours. The last train departs at 9 pm. Trains depart from Milan Central Station. You can check the current train timetable and purchase tickets in advance at the Raileurope booking service. To my mind, Raileurope is really good as it has a convenient search and a lot of filters to sort the results as you may need. I use it pretty much often when planning my upcoming trips.
By taxi: A taxi from Milan to Rapallo is a fairly expensive means of transportation, but for a night flight it will be the only possible option, since trains start running only at 6 am. The travel time is approximately 2 hours 40 minutes depending on how busy the road is. You can find a taxi right at the airport, or book in advance via different transfer services such as Kiwitaxi some others.
By a rented car: Renting a car in Milan is one of the most popular options for travelling around. You can get to Rapallo from Milan along the #A7 highway via Genoa in just over 2 hours (see on the map). You can find rental offices in Milan in almost all areas of the city, as well as at the airports of Malpensa, Linate or Bergamo. You can book the desired class of car in advance using specialized online services, for example, Discover Cars, Economybookings, etc. Based on my experience, both online services have a decent search so I would recommend using them both to compare the results.
Where to stay in Rapallo
Rapallo is a more budget-friendly place to stay compared to neighboring resorts, so often tourists, wishing to relax on the Ligurian shore, prefer to stay in Rapallo and go to explore the neighboring resorts on their own. Rapallo hotels in the same star category will be cheaper than, say, in Portofino, and besides, the variety of accommodation in Rapallo is much wider. For example, based on my research, the following hotels are particularly popular:
Hotel Astoria, 4* is located in a historical building and has 22 rooms. The hotel windows overlook the sea Gulf of Tigullio. The hotel is located near the embankment, in a quiet green area of the town. Within walking distance, you can find cafes, restaurants, shops, as well as public transport stops, from which you can easily reach other Riviera resorts. The hotel does not have a private beach area; however, the nearest private beach is just a few minutes’ walk away;
Europa Hotel Design Spa 1877, 4* is also located in a historical building in Rapallo and has a little more than 50 rooms. The hotel is close to the beach, train station and pier for trips to the Cinque Terre National Park. As online booking services provide tourists reviews, I found out that the hotel offers its guests free access to the spa, which includes a swimming pool, a sauna, a salt room and a fitness room. The hotel also has its own restaurant serving local cuisine;
Hotel Riviera, 3* is located in a recently restored historical building within walking distance from the beach. The hotel overlooks the Gulf of Tigullio. There are about 20 rooms in the hotel. There is free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, luggage storage, a conference room, and a private paid parking area. The hotel has double standard, superior rooms or junior suites. Some rooms have sea views or a balcony;
Hotel Delle Rose, 3* is located in a historic villa with garden and sea views. The nearest beach is within walking distance. The hotel advantages include free Wi-Fi and free public parking. There is also luggage storage and a conference room. Some rooms have a balcony. Breakfast is included in the room price. Breakfast is served in a buffet style.
What to see in Rapallo
Rapallo is one of the major seaside resorts south of Genoa. The location of Rapallo lets tourists get to such famous resorts as Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure, Sestri Levante and some others. In addition, Rapallo is located at an equal distance from Genoa and the Cinque Terre National Park. Both in one and the other direction are no more than an hour’s drive, which makes Rapallo a convenient point for traveling to neighboring resorts.
At the same time, prices for hotel facilities in Rapallo are much more reasonable than in neighboring resorts, and the variety of accommodation is much wider. Among what to see in Rapallo, in my opinion, it is worth highlighting its historical part, the so-called Old Town, then the seaside boulevard with glamour promenades and then the mountain peaks, where you can climb by cable car.
Piazza Cavour
The main historical attractions of Rapallo are concentrated in the Old Town. Here, for example, you can find the ancient churches of Santissima Trinita and San Stefano, the 15th-century tower of Torre Civica, and the gate of Cancello di Saline. These and other attractions of Rapallo can be explored by walking along the narrow streets leading from the central square of the town called Piazza Cavour. By the way, here you can also find a small but elegant church with a bell tower built in the 19th century.
The historical center of Rapallo is small in size; there are many small cozy cafes and restaurants serving local cuisine, but there are even more of them on the Rapallo promenade, which is famous for its palm alleys and beautiful views of the Gulf of Tigullio.
Castello di Rapallo
The Castello di Rapallo castle is clearly visible along almost the entire promenade of the resort, and all because it stands right in the water of the Gulf. The thing is that this castle was built as a defense against attacks by pirates who actively traded here back in the 16th century.
As I discovered, social events such as concerts and art exhibitions are often held here. Walking along the Rapallo embankment, it is almost impossible to pass by this castle, it attracts so much attention with its unusual location, because it stands at a distance from the shoreline, right in the water and is connected to the land by a rocky wide bridge, a sort of lonely island.
Monastery of Montallegro
The Basilica of Montallegro was built in the mid-16th century. Its importance is also emphasized by its special location. The temple seems to rise above the town and protect it. You can get up to the monastery in several ways, for example, on foot along a special trail. It takes about an hour and a half uphill. You can also go by cable car, the lower station of which is located next to the central railway station.
The cable car has been operating in these places since the beginning of the 20th century, and its popularity has not diminished. Tourists coming to Rapallo certainly want to see the resort town and the Gulf of Tigullio from a bird’s eye view, and the most breathtaking natural landscapes open from the top stop of the cable car. They say that in good weather, you can even see Portofino from the highest point. I would definitely recommend such an activity to try.
How to get to Portofino from Rapallo
Another popular option for spending time in Rapallo and the surrounding area is the opportunity to travel from Rapallo to Portofino, a nearby fashionable and picturesque resort.
According to my precise map research, the distance between Portofino and Rapallo is only about 8 km. You can overcome them by taxi or by rented car in just 15-20 minutes (see on the map). You can also get there by public transport. From the Edicolo Sant’Anna stop in Rapallo, regular buses No. 882 depart to Portofino; the journey time is about 30 minutes.
But there is another romantic way to get from Rapallo to Portofino, and at the same time to see the famous Gulf, where snow-white yachts flaunt. This method is to take a ride to the most famous Ligurian resort by special boat trip. This boat trip from Rapallo to Portofino takes only half an hour, and the boat takes you straight to the center of the resort. As I found out, boats operate from the main pier of Rapallo from 9 am to 4 pm once an hour. The cost of the boat trip is from 8 euros one way.
Take a note! When going on a trip to Italy, do not forget to take out travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerging medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: Eric Kilby
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Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more about the author…