Genoa is squeezed between the mountains and the sea, and its old town is the largest medieval quarter in Europe: a tangle of alleys, the caruggi, too narrow for cars and closed to them around the clock. The city stretches for thirty kilometres along the coast, with an elevated road running above the port. Aim for one of two areas: the Porto Antico, for the Aquarium and the old town, or Piazza della Vittoria, by Brignole station, for the shopping streets.
- 24 hthe ZTL of the old town never switches off
- € 18a day at the Piazza della Vittoria car park
- € 2an hour at Mercanzia, by the Aquarium
- 08:00-20:00Blu Area street parking, Monday to Saturday
Car parks, one by one
| Car park | Where | Spaces | Price | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Piazza della Vittoria Garage or car park | Piazza della Vittoria Multistorey under the square, by Brignole station: the simplest to reach from the motorway | 764 | €2.30/hour, €18 a day | |
| 2. Piccapietra Garage or car park | Piazza Piccapietra By the Carlo Felice theatre and Via Roma: the most central | 500 | €2.50/hour, €25 a day; €5 for the night | 24 hours |
| 3. Mercanzia Garage or car park | Via Turati Just outside the ZTL, by the Porto Antico: small, fills up early | 77 | €2.00/hour by day, €0.50 at night | 24 hours |
| 4. Porto Antico Garage or car park | Calata Molo Vecchio Several car parks on the quays, the nearest to the Aquarium | |||
| 5. Marina Park Garage or car park | Via della Marina About one kilometre south of the Aquarium, along the harbour | €1.50/hour, €15 a day | 24 hours | |
| 6. Brignole FS Garage or car park | Stazione Brignole | 74 | €2.80/hour, €25 a day | |
| 7. Dinegro Park and ride | Via Dino Col Park and ride by the Genova Ovest motorway exit and the Dinegro metro stop | about €6 a day |
Car parks on the map
Positions on the map are approximate: follow the road signs for the entrance.
The ZTL: where you cannot drive
A ZTL (zona a traffico limitato) is an area where only authorised vehicles may drive during certain hours. Cameras at each entrance read the number plate, and the fine arrives by post weeks later, also abroad and also through the car hire company, which adds its own fee. The sign is a white circle with a red border; an electronic panel below it says varco attivo (do not enter) or varco non attivo (you may enter). Satellite navigators often ignore the ZTL: trust the signs.
| Centro Storico | Always, 24 hours: five sectors, eleven camera gates |
| Boccadasse, Vernazzola | Always, 24 hours |
| Nervi | Always, 24 hours |
| Molo | Always, with limits on vehicle size |
Via Cairoli, on the edge of the old town, also becomes pedestrian every day from 11:30 to 19:00. The fishing villages inside the city, Boccadasse and Nervi, are ZTLs too: park on the main road above and walk down. A fine for unauthorised entry starts at about €84.
If your hotel is inside the ZTL, write to it before you arrive: many can register your number plate for the time needed to unload.
Street parking: what the colours mean
Street parking is organised in the Blu Area, a set of residents' zones where visitors pay from Monday to Saturday, 08:00 to 20:00; Sundays and public holidays are free unless a sign says otherwise. Rates rise with the length of stay: in the dearest zones €1.30 for the first hour, €1.70 for the second and €2.00 from the third. Within these zones the Isole Azzurre are spaces where everyone pays, residents included, and they are the ones most likely to be free.
- Blue lines: paid parking. Pay at the meter, entering your number plate, or with an app, and check the sign for the hours.
- White lines: free, sometimes with a time limit and a parking disc.
- Yellow lines: reserved for residents, disabled badge holders, taxis or deliveries. Never park there.
- No lines: look for signs. A tow-away symbol means the car will be removed.
Good to know
- Leave the motorway at Genova Ovest for the Porto Antico and at Genova Est for Brignole and Piazza della Vittoria.
- During the Boat Show, in September, and on days of cruise departures the port area is congested: allow extra time.
- For Portofino, Camogli and the Cinque Terre take the train from Brignole: the coast road is slow and parking there is worse.
- The lifts and funiculars that climb to the upper town are part of public transport and worth a ride.
- If you are boarding a ferry to Sardinia, Sicily or Corsica, follow the signs for the Terminal Traghetti from Genova Ovest and do not enter the city.
Sources
Checked in November 2026