The port of Camogli
CAMOGLI
We were very happy with the decision to stay in Camogli. It is a quieter and less crowded town than any of the Cinque Terre villages, smaller and more manageable than Santa Margherita, and much less expensive than Portofino. It’s convenient to all by train. The apartment we rented through VRBO.com was exactly as described and a beautiful location.
A painted building in Camogli
The little towns here in Italy are charming due to the beautiful colors on the buildings and the trompe l’oeil detailing. Without that, they would just look like buildings, but the painting really makes it attractive.
A boat in the Camogli harbor
Camogli at night
MODES OF TRANSPORTATION
Previously, I have had good luck with trains and prefer to ride rather than fight traffic in a rental car. We had a discussion today on whether it is better to travel by car or train, and I usually think the train is better if you are staying somewhere with a station and train service. Unfortunately, this time we have had bad luck with the trains.
Our first train from Milan to Camogli was 40 minutes late, causing us to miss our connection in Genova and arrive late into Camogli. Then we had to deal with the rail workers’ strike, which was only mildly inconvenient for us, but I’m sure disrupted many travelers’ plans that Sunday. Our train from Camogli to Milan was also late, requiring us to literally run to catch the train from Milan to Venice, only barely climbing aboard before it pulled out of the station. (We were dragging our luggage at the time too).
However, I have had numerous troubles with rental cars including double billings in Sicily, lack of signs in Spain, frustration with returning a car in an unfamiliar city (Barcelona and Florence), parking issues, and in one instance actually having to park outside the city and take a cab into Taormina to our hotel. (We had traversed the city half a dozen times before giving up and getting a cab. We could not find the hotel and never would have, as the cab backed down a pedestrian mall to our hotel, something that did not cross our minds). So I think it is an even split on car versus train.
Our next stop is Venice, where we won’t have to deal with either, only boats.
A Traveler's Photo Journal 