How to Get to Portovenere

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We may be biased, but if you have never been to Portovenere, you should consider paying it a visit. But how do you get to Portovenere? Are there trains or buses, or do you need a car?

Here at Ristorante Timone, we have put together some useful information to help you plan your journey to the village of Portovenere.

Departure	Transport	Changes	Route	Journey time	Fare*
From La Spezia	Bus	No	Route P	30 min	€3
	Ferry	No	Various operators	35 min	€15 (return)
From Genoa	Bus	Yes	Train to La Spezia, then bus route P	/	Bus from La Spezia €3
	Train	Yes	To La Spezia	/	€11 to €46
From Lerici	Bus	Yes	Route L + Route P	60 min	€6
	Ferry	No	Various operators	30 min	€6 to €12
From Milan	Bus	Yes	FlixBus plus local public transport	4 h 20 min	Bus from La Spezia €3
	Train	Yes	To La Spezia, then bus route P	3 h 30 min	From €18 to over €30
From Lucca	Bus	Yes	To La Spezia, then route P	2 h 10 min	€9 to €12
	Train	Yes	To La Spezia, then bus route P	1 h 40 min to 2 h	€11 to €14
From Florence	Bus	Yes	To La Spezia, then route P	2 h 30 min	€18 to €30
	Train	Yes	To La Spezia, then bus route P	2 h	€21 to €24

*Prices are approximate and based on the average fares offered by the different ferry operators.

Where to eat in Porto Venere?

After that journey, you have probably worked up an appetite! There are plenty of places overlooking the little harbour in Portovenere, but if we may make a suggestion (you already know we are biased), we would love to welcome you to our restaurant il Timone, at Via Olivo 29, just a short walk from the historic centre. In our kitchen, we keep the most authentic Ligurian culinary traditions alive with dishes such as tripe, cima alla genovese and mesciua, alongside our pizza and produce from our own vegetable garden.

To make sure you get a table, especially at weekends, we recommend booking ahead by calling +39 0187 914595 or emailing info@pizzeriailtimone.it.

Where is Porto Venere?

The Gulf of La Spezia seen from Calata Doria in Portovenere

Porto Venere is an Italian municipality in Liguria, in the province of La Spezia on the eastern Italian Riviera.

The eastern Ligurian Riviera stretches for 130 km from the eastern edge of the province of Genoa to the province of La Spezia. Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto stand at the entrance to the Gulf of Poets.

Distance from La Spezia to Portovenere

Portovenere is very close to La Spezia, just 15 km away. You can get there by car in 20 minutes. In the opposite direction, towards Genoa, you will find the Cinque Terre, around 50 km from Portovenere. By car, the journey takes 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Getting to Portovenere is easy. There are plenty of transport options to take you to this unmissable gem on the Gulf of La Spezia. Below, we explain how to get here and where to set off from in the surrounding area.

To Portovenere by train? Not quite…

You cannot travel all the way to Portovenere by train, as there is no railway station in this part of the coast. If you are travelling by train, you will need to get off at La Spezia and then take a bus to Portovenere or hire a car. Alternatively, you can take a ferry from La Spezia harbour and cross the gulf to Portovenere.

How to get here from La Spezia?

If you are in La Spezia, there are several ways to reach Portovenere. You can take the bus or a boat. If you have a car, you simply need to plan where to park according to the time of your visit.

Below are the transport options for getting to Portovenere from La Spezia.

Bus between Portovenere and La Spezia

The bus service is operated by ATC. From La Spezia, bus route 11/P takes you to Portovenere in around half an hour. You can catch the bus on Via Garibaldi or Via Cavour and simply enjoy the journey: Portovenere is the last stop. A ticket costs €2 and it is the cheapest way to reach the village.

Ferry from La Spezia to Portovenere

Another way to reach this gem of the Gulf of Poets is by sea. From La Spezia, you can take a ferry and arrive in Portovenere in around 40 minutes. Just head to the harbour, where you will find several operators offering the crossing.

To give you an idea of fares, Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti charges €15 for a return ticket (€8 reduced fare), with the option of a tour around the islands of the La Spezia archipelago for a higher fare (€22 full fare).

As for timetables, there are frequent sailings between La Spezia and Portovenere. Especially in high season, you will find at least one ferry every hour.

How to get to Portovenere from Lerici

If you are in Lerici, do not worry: you can reach Porto Venere from there too! The ferry is probably the quickest and most convenient option. If you prefer, you can take the bus, which gets you there in around an hour.

From Lerici to Portovenere by bus

If you do not have a car and do not want to hire one, you can consider taking the bus. It is not the quickest or most convenient way to get to Portovenere, as you will need to change in La Spezia and then take the bus on route P. You cannot take a train from Lerici: travel is only possible by road or sea.

Ferry from Lerici to Portovenere

Here too, there are plenty of sailings throughout the day. Most departures for Portovenere are in the morning, allowing you to head over to the island, enjoy a leisurely day out, have lunch and discover everything Portovenere has to offer before returning home in the evening.

Lerici harbour, photo by Paolo da Reggio, CC BY-SA 3.0 licence.

From Genoa to Portovenere

Travelling from Genoa is straightforward. The distance is greater (118 km between Genoa and Portovenere!) but public transport connections are better. From Genoa, you can take a train to La Spezia and then a bus or ferry to Portovenere.

Create a short paragraph for this page: how to get to Portovenere by car from Rome, Florence, Parma and Genoa https://pizzeriailtimone.it/

How to get to Portovenere by car

To get to Portovenere by car from Rome, take the A1 to Florence, then the A11 towards Lucca and the link road to Viareggio, joining the A12 towards Genoa. From Florence, follow the same route along the A11 and A12; from Parma, take the A15 towards La Spezia, while from Genoa, take the A12 towards Livorno. Whichever route you take, leave the motorway at La Spezia and follow the signs for Portovenere, around 15 km from the city centre.

How to get to Portovenere by car

If you are driving to Portovenere from Rome, Florence, Parma or Genoa, head for the La Spezia motorway exit. Here are the routes to follow:

Departure	Route
Rome	Take the A1 to Florence, then the A11 towards Lucca, the link road to Viareggio and the A12 towards Genoa, leaving at the La Spezia exit.
Florence	Take the A11 towards Lucca, the link road to Viareggio and the A12 towards Genoa, leaving at the La Spezia exit.
Parma	Take the A15 towards La Spezia and leave at the La Spezia exit.
Genoa	Take the A12 towards Livorno and leave at the La Spezia exit.

From the motorway exit, continue towards La Spezia and follow the signs for Portovenere, around 15 km from the city centre.