Portofino Travel Forum

How long would it take to get there from Florence (and best way to go) and is it worth a day trip? We would go early April.

You're talking about covering over 155km and the train/bus is the best/only way to go if you're not driving. You'd take the train from Florence to Santa Margherita and then take a bus into Portofino. You can also take the train from Florence to La Spezia and then take a boat to Portofino. I'm not sure how much the trip would cost, but it would take you roughly 2.5 to 3 hours to get from Florence to Portofino via the train/bus option. It seems a bit far to me for a day trip, but it could certainly be done with some good planning.

If you're wanting to see some of the Italian Riviera in a day, you should consider stopping off in one of the Cinque Terre towns or other towns along the train route (which don't require a bus connection).

Cheers,
Marisa (and Dino)

Thank you. What other towns would you recommend and is it worth it for a day trip?

If you are going all that way you might consider seeing one or even two towns. The Cinque Terre are incredible. Of these five towns, I enjoyed Vernazza and Monterosso the most. Of the other nearby riviera towns, I loved Camogli (I stayed in Camogli for a week) and Sestri Levante.

The Cinque Terre might be your best bet. They're closer than the other riviera towns, if you're coming from Florence. If the weather is nice, this area is amazing. You can even do a bit of walking between towns, weather permitting. But the train connects them all. I think you might have to change trains in La Spezia. I'm not sure about that because I was coming the other way, from Genoa. Don't worry though, it won't be a complicated transfer if you have to make one.

Cheers,
Marisa (and Dino)