Parking in Portovenere: where to leave the car, rates and alternatives

The car parks at a glance

There are four unattended zones with pay machines. Rates are from the 2026 table published by the local tourism consortium; spaces and walking times are approximate and come from unofficial guides.

Motorhomes pay 50% more. Outside paid hours, in the evening and at night, parking is free. Current rates and the map are on the consortium site: parking in Porto Venere (Italian page).

Which one to choose

• Luggage or tired legs: P1, if you arrive early.
• A whole day: Il Golfo, the cheapest and the biggest.
• P1 and P2 full: don’t circle, go straight to Cavo.
• Dinner in the village: after 9pm in high season (7pm in low season) there is nothing to pay.

When they fill up

P1 and P2, closest to the village, go first: in summer, at weekends and on bank holidays, don’t expect a space if you arrive mid-morning. In winter there is space everywhere. No official fill-up times are published, so the practical rule is to arrive before 9am in high season, or head to Cavo at once.

From Cavo to the village: Girobus or on foot

From Il Golfo you can walk to the village, uphill on the way back, or take the ATC Girobus del Cavo shuttle. In summer 2026 it ran every 15 minutes, with different periods on weekdays and weekends and a €2 ticket on board. It is not a year-round service: check periods and times on Girobus di Porto Venere (Italian). With the Porto Venere Card you get one free day at Il Golfo, activated through the Porto Venere Mobility app.

Motorhomes

Motorhomes cannot drive down to the village: you park at Cavo, where Il Golfo has equipped bays. The hourly rate is 50% higher. Check services, water and waste points and overnight stays with the municipality before you go.

Without a car: bus from La Spezia

Portovenere has no railway station. From La Spezia Centrale take ATC bus 11/P: about 30 minutes and €3 (more on board). The tourism consortium says one bus every 10–30 minutes, hourly on public holidays after 8pm. The stop is in the town centre, not outside the station: see the route on ATC Esercizio. From the Cinque Terre, take the train to La Spezia, then the 11/P: train times. If you drive a long way, park in La Spezia and do the rest by bus.

The boat from La Spezia, Lerici and the Cinque Terre

In 2026 Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti links La Spezia and Lerici to Portovenere daily from 28 March to 1 November. Line 02 also calls at Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Monterosso and Levanto; from 2 November to 8 December the Porto Venere Trip runs. Active stops change with season and weather: check the timetable booklet at Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti timetables. If you stay on the gulf it is the best choice: no parking, and you step off at the pier. More in the guide to Cinque Terre boats; for Lerici and Tellaro see parking in Lerici.

A day trip with Palmaria

Boats to Palmaria leave from the Doria pier near the village and the crossing takes a few minutes. Leave the car at Cavo or in La Spezia and check the day’s timetable: in winter there are fewer runs. Landing points and trails are in the guide to Palmaria island.