Traghetto GNV ormeggiato nel porto di Genova con la Lanterna sullo sfondo

Genoa port and ferries: terminals, routes and how to get there

Genoa port: ferry and cruise terminals, routes to Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily and Barcelona, check-in times, gates and how to get there from Principe.

Traghetto GNV ormeggiato nel porto di Genova con la Lanterna sullo sfondo

Ferry terminal: Piazzale dei Traghetti Iqbal Masih 5the address used by GNV and Moby
From the centre: about 1 kma few minutes' walk from Principe
Operators: GNVGrandi Navi Veloci), Moby, Tirrenia, Cotunav, Algérie Ferries
Check-in: from 30 minutes to 5 hours before departuredepending on route, season and whether you have a vehicle
By car: A7, exit Genova Ovest, then follow "Terminal Traghetti"
Cruises: Ponte dei Mille and Ponte Andrea Doriarun by Stazioni Marittime

Genoa’s passenger port lies just west of the Porto Antico, about 1 km from the centre and a few hundred metres from Principe station. Ferries leave from here for Sardinia, Sicily, Corsica, Barcelona, Tunisia and Morocco, and so do the Costa and MSC cruise ships. In 2025 the ferries carried more than 2.2 million passengers and the cruise ships more than 1.6 million. The key point: ferries and cruises use different terminals, and if you arrive by car you need to know the right gate.

By Italian Riviera editorial team·Updated on 22 October 2026·5 min read

How the passenger port is organised

Traghetti Moby ormeggiati nel porto di Genova con la città sulle colline

There are five passenger terminals, all run by Stazioni Marittime. Three serve almost only ferries, two serve cruise ships.

Terminal	Use
Calata Chiappella	Ferries; 19 vehicle check-in lanes
Ponte Colombo	Ferries, including non-Schengen routes
Ponte Caracciolo	Ferries, mainly non-Schengen routes (Tunisia, Morocco)
Ponte dei Mille	Cruises (headquarters of Stazioni Marittime)
Ponte Andrea Doria	Cruises

Your ticket or your operator tells you which quay your ship uses: terminals can change, and the operators all give the same Ferry Terminal address. The port is not an open area: to enter you need travel documents or a permit from the Port Authority.

Ferries from Genoa: routes and operators

Destination	Operator	Duration and frequency
Olbia	GNV, Moby	10.5 to 13 hours, overnight; GNV daily from May to October
Porto Torres	GNV, Moby, Tirrenia	11–13 hours, overnight; Moby and Tirrenia all year
Palermo and Termini Imerese	GNV	about 20 hours; around six a week, daily in high season
Bastia (Corsica)	Moby	5–5.5 hours by day, in summer
Barcelona	GNV	about 20 hours; up to 3 a week
Tangier (Morocco)	GNV	51 hours direct, 53.5 hours with a stop in Barcelona; 1 or 2 a week
Tunis	GNV	about 24 hours

Cotunav (Tunisia) and Algérie Ferries (Algeria) are the other two operators at Genoa: check their routes and dates on their own sites. Crossing times depend on weather and port operations. For current fares and calendars use the sites of GNV and Moby, because they change every season.

Check-in and boarding times

Arriving late means missing the boat, with no refund. The main rules:

GNV, domestic routes (Sardinia, Sicily) and Spain: arrive 2 hours before; check-in closes 45 minutes before departure
GNV, international routes: 5 hours before with a vehicle, 4 hours without; check-in closes 60 minutes before
Moby, 1 June to 30 September: 1 hour before without a vehicle, 2 hours with one
Moby, 1 October to 31 May: 30 minutes before without a vehicle, 2 hours with one

For Tunis and Barcelona–Tangier, GNV does check-in and passport control on the first floor of the Ponte Caracciolo building, sometimes on the roads around it: read your ticket carefully. You need a valid ID for everyone, minors included (an identity card is enough for Sardinia, Sicily and Spain, a passport for Morocco and Tunisia) and, with a vehicle, the registration document and insurance. Online check-in saves you the queues.

How to get to the ferry terminal

By car

Set Piazzale dei Traghetti Iqbal Masih 5 as your destination and follow the signs. The motorway exits are A7 Genova Ovest, A10 Genova Aeroporto, A12 Genova Est and A26. There are two gates: Varco Albertazzi, which you can use only in the 6 hours before departure and with a valid ticket, and the new Via Milano gate. If you come from the west, leave at Genova Aeroporto and use Via Milano.

By train, metro and bus

From Principe station the terminal is a few minutes’ walk, even with light luggage; AMT bus line 20 also serves it. The nearest metro stop to the terminal is Dinegro. Check times and tickets on the AMT site.

From the airport

The airport is about 5 km from the terminal. The Volabus stops at “Via Milano / Terminal Traghetti” only in the airport-to-centre direction, before Principe; going the other way it does not stop there. A taxi is the alternative. All the details are in Genoa airport: how to get to the city.

Parking and cars

If you travel with your car, you take it on board: Calata Chiappella has about 80,000 m² of pre-boarding parking, with lanes separate from pedestrians. If you leave your car in Genoa and travel on foot, the operators name no official car park: choose one and book ahead, or arrive by train. For parking in the city see our guide to Genoa.

Cruises: Stazione Marittima and Ponte dei Mille

La facciata storica della Stazione Marittima di Genova vista dal varco del porto

MSC and Costa ships leave from Ponte dei Mille and Ponte Andrea Doria, in the passenger area a few minutes’ walk from Principe station. Ponte dei Mille can handle up to 10,000 passengers a day over three floors, Andrea Doria up to 8,000. In 2025 Genoa had 334 cruise calls and 1.63 million cruise passengers. If you are sailing, you can book a parking space online in the Stazioni Marittime car parks on the Stazioni Marittime site; for information call 010 0898335.

Nave da crociera MSC in manovra nel porto di Genova

While you wait: things to do near the port

The Porto Antico is a few minutes away and has the Aquarium and the Galata Maritime Museum. If you have time, the walk to La Lanterna leads to the lighthouse that symbolises the port. Do not take sharp objects into the security area: knives of any kind, scissors, crossbows and similar tools are banned.

After landing: the Riviera

From Genoa, trains reach Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure, Portofino, Rapallo, Sestri Levante and, via La Spezia, the Cinque Terre. Westwards you can reach Savona and the beaches of Varazze. Check times on Trenitalia.

Practical tips

Before leaving: check the terminal and check-in time on your ticket
Cabin and luggage: book a cabin on overnight crossings; with a vehicle you cannot go back to the garage during the crossing, so take what you need with you
Pets: allowed, with the operator’s documents and rules; for Corsica EU rules apply
Help: GNV has a passenger number (010 2094591, daily 9 am–8 pm); Moby ticket office 010 2698201
Season: many routes are seasonal: times and days change from year to year

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Where do ferries leave from in Genoa?

From the Ferry Terminal, Piazzale dei Traghetti Iqbal Masih 5, west of the Porto Antico. The quays used are Calata Chiappella, Ponte Colombo and Ponte Caracciolo; your ticket says where you leave from.

How far is the port from Principe station?

A few hundred metres, a few minutes on foot. The old town is about 1 km away.

How early do I need to arrive for boarding?

It depends on operator, route and season: from 30 minutes on foot to 5 hours for international routes with a vehicle. For Sardinia and Sicily with GNV allow 2 hours; with Moby, 2 hours with a vehicle.

Which ferries leave from Genoa?

To Olbia and Porto Torres, Palermo, Termini Imerese, Barcelona, Tangier, Tunis and, in summer, Bastia, with GNV, Moby and Tirrenia.

Can I reach the terminal by Volabus?

Only from the airport towards the centre: it stops at Via Milano / Terminal Traghetti. From Principe it is easier to walk.

Where does the cruise ship leave from?

From Ponte dei Mille or Ponte Andrea Doria, run by Stazioni Marittime; ask your cruise line which quay your ship uses.

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