How to Get to Rapallo, Italy – The Complete Guide
So, you’re trying to figure out how to get to Rapallo, Italy… good choice.
You will easily fall in love with this gem on the Italian Riviera, full of locals and a lively foody scene, this is the perfect getaway from the more touristy Cinque Terre or Portofino.
Rapallo was first mentioned as early as 964, was once a medieval walled village, and became a city in 1956.
Now, Rapallo is a vibrant resort stuffed with local charm, chill vibes, and amazing food.
How to Get to Rapallo – The Complete Guide
Why Should I Visit Rapallo?
One of the best reasons for staying in Rapallo is your access to the entire region.
The train station becomes your gateway to lush day trips to Milan or Florence or excursions to Cinque Terre or Camogli.
You also get daily ferries to Santa Margharita, Portofino, and San Fruttuoso (only from March – October). There’s also a ferry service to Cinque Terre and Chiavari.
I can safely say, that the Italian Riviera looks GORGEOUS from the water.
If you’re not planning on leaving Rapallo – that’s fine!
During the day you can lounge on the beach, swim in the sea, get lost walking through the narrow streets, take the cable car up to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro, and so much more!
At night, the restaurants are packed with locals drinking fine wine and Aperol Spritz and gorging on pizza and pasta… this is my kinda place!
Oh, and Rapallo is more budget-friendly than some of its neighbors! That’s a win right there!
What Airport to Use for Rapallo
This is a tough one because the closest is also the smallest.
Cristoforo Colombo Airport in Genoa or “Genova” in Italian is the closest airport to Rapallo, however, if you are coming from anywhere outside of Europe, you’ll have to do a connecting flight.
Direct flights to Genoa include Manchester, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Dublin.
If you’re coming from the US, then you might want to consider flying into Milan. There are direct flights from NYC and Chicago and a lot of the smaller airports in Europe will fly direct to Milan.
The best part about flying into Milan is the ease of getting to the central train station. Hop on the express train from the airport to the main station and then take a direct train (about 2 1/2 hours) to Rapallo.
Pisa’s airport is also close to Rapallo, however, you are limited with your choices for international direct flights. I feel like Pisa has a few more direct flight options than Genoa. To get to Rapallo from Pisa, simply take the airport shuttle train to Pisa Centrale and a direct train (about 1 1/2 hours) to Rapallo.
If you fly into Rome, then I recommend buying a connecting flight to one of the above airports. It will probably be cheaper than the train, however, if you are dead set on no airport connections (I get it, we’ve all been there and missed our connecting flight) then you can get a train from Rome to Rapallo with one change. The shortest I found was 4 hours and 14 minutes.
How to Get to Rapallo
Luckily, Rapallo is VERY accessible. Not only can you get here by train, bus, or car, but you can get here by boat…
Yep, make all your Wolf of Wall Street dreams come true by rolling up to the Italian Riviera in style… maybe not as much style as Jordan Belfort, but Rapallo looks beautiful from the water and the ferry is WORTH it!
By Train: The train system in Italy is amazing (and I’ve used a lot of train systems around the world). Trains are run by Trenitalia.
Most of the trains are on time and believe me, they leave EXACTLY at the scheduled time… even if you are running to it and the conductor sees you and he hits the button to close all the doors when you’re 2 feet away… and he just watches you with an evil smile as the train slowly starts moving… Not that it’s happened to me before… I’m kidding, it’s TOTALLY happened to me.
Now I’m finished rambling, the trains around Rapallo are frequent. You can get direct trains from Genoa, Milan, and Pisa.
By Car: You don’t need to rent a car to explore this area, but if you insist on renting a car or you are road-tripping elsewhere around the country after your trip to the Italian Riviera, it’s not a bad car trip.
Yes, there are lots of mountains, but you won’t have to navigate the small, curvy cliff roads of Cinque Terre around Rapallo.
By Bus: There are direct buses located all over the Ligurian region, so it will be easy enough to get to Rapallo by bus.
No matter where you are coming from, if you can make it onto the 775 bus, you’ll bump right into Rapallo. You can even take a FlixBus into Genoa or Milan and take the train if you wish.
By Boat: There is a ferry service in the area and direct boats from anywhere in Cinque Terre and in between. You can also get creative and “boat hop” down the coast.
If you want to get super creative, you can take a boat from Genoa Old Port to Camogli, hop on a ferry from Camogli to San Fruttuoso and then take the direct ferry to Rapallo… sounds fun right?
How to Get to Rapallo from Genoa Airport
Exiting the Airport
The easiest way to get to Rapallo from Genoa Airport is by train.
Cristoforo Colombo Airport is very small, with about 10 gates, so hopefully, you won’t have to wait in a long line through customs or have to wait a long time for your bags (if you checked them).
Your main goal is to get to Genova Piazza Principe Train Station. This is the main station in Genoa.
As soon as you walk out you have the taxi rank directly in front of you or the bus stop of the Volabus is to the right.
The Volabus is the cheapest option, however, the buses are not as frequent as you would expect an airport shuttle to be. Sometimes there is an hour in between buses, sometimes it’s 30 minutes.
I say, if the bus is there, take it. If not, take a taxi.
This is where it gets expensive though. Taxi drivers like to rip off tourists traveling to the city center.
If you know what you’re doing and you’re assertive then you can get a trip to the station for 25-30 euros… maybe throw in some Italian words or phrases that you know. ALWAYS find out the price before you get in the taxi as they don’t have to turn their meter on.
I have read horror stories of couples getting charged 45 euros for a 15-minute journey. Even the group that was next to me on the plane got screwed out of 50 euros for their taxi.
The taxi driver will also offer to take you straight to Rapallo, which will cost you anywhere from 100-280 euros. Don’t do it.
Genova Piazza Principe
Once you make it to the train station, grab your ticket for the next train to Rapallo.
If you are having issues with the ticket machines or you’re in full panic mode because you feel rushed to get your ticket, just head to the ticket desk and there will be someone who can help you.
Pay attention to what train you are booking. You’ll notice there’s a service category on each option.
Regionale trains are regional trains with more stops and no assigned seats. Intercity trains will normally get you to your destination faster and hit all the big cities, you will also have an assigned seat.
If you purchase a regional train ticket, whether it’s at the ticket desk or the ticket kiosk, you will need to get your ticket stamped by the validation machines dotted all around the hallways and platforms.
Simply stick your ticket in the slot and it will stamp your ticket. If you don’t do this, you could get a hefty fine.
If you purchase your ticket online through Trainline or Italia Rail, you will still have to validate your ticket!
I always use the Trainline app to book all my European tickets. I can pick my seats on Intercity trains, see all the times and transfers, and instantly get my tickets.
Arriving in Rapallo
Rapallo Station is centrally located in the city. It’s about a 7-10 minute walk to the harbor, so if you are arriving by train or bus, you don’t have much further to go.
If you booked a place going up the hill or on the far side of the harbor, you might not want to walk, so you can grab a taxi outside the station on the left.
However, I noticed that taxis are not there all the time, so be prepared to wait or walk.
If you decide to “boat hop” then you’ll arrive in the harbor.
Are you planning a trip to the Ligurian region or the Italian Riviera? Are you thinking of staying in Rapallo? Lemme know in the comments below!
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