I just looked at the alitalia site and could not get a flight to Malpensa that does not go at least through JFK. So you already will have one holdover, coming to Malpensa.
Keep in mind that the airport in Genoa is like the John Wayne Aiport in Orange County was like 20 years ago...really small and quaint. There is very little international European traffic,most of the flights are within Italia, and none from as far as the states. So you will never get a direct flight into Genoa.
You could fly SFO- NY -Malpensa-Genoa or SFO-NY -Rome-Genoa. Those are possibilities.
You could rent a car and drive from Malpensa to Cinque Terre. You are looking at a 3 to 3.5 hour drive, when you are probably going to be dead tired.
You can take the train from Malpensa to Milano Centrale. the train takes from 3 to 4 hours with at least one change in Genoa, La Spezia, or Sestri Levante. Add to this the hour you need to get from the airport to the central train station in Milano.
You can fly into Genoa after having a holdover somewhere. The train from Genoa to Riomaggiore, for example, takes an hour and a half to two hours. You will need to get to one of the train stations in Genoa from the airport first, however.
Or lastly, you can fly into Genoa and rent a car and drive to CT. The drive is an hour to an hour and ten to an hour and twenty minutes and is an easy autostrada run (until you get to the CT).
Or you can choose an interim stop in Milano or along the way and make it down to the CT the day after you arrive.
I generally fly Lufhansa SFO to Frankfurt, then on to Milan. I avoid stopping in NY at all costs. If you stop there, you have to get all your luggage off the plane, go through customs, and return your luggage to your next flight. It's something to be avoided like the plague, at least for me. If you only stop in Europe, you can have your luggage checked through to San Francisco.
Really good point about the LH flight. I should know that... I am an LH Frequent Traveler. I just have not flown them to the US since moving from Germany to Ialy.
The points are about the same concerning the holdovers, however, just that Frankfurt is easier than NYC.
Swiss Air also has some good deals (usually) and their planes (A340) are really nice. They fly into Milan or Nice. If you plan to rent a car, Nice is actually very convenient and has less airport taxes.
Pisa is the closest airport to fly into, but prices tend to be higher than the other airports.
Just another thing to consider is that the closes airport to Cinque Terre is Pisa, which is not as big as Malpensa but far bigger than Genova's and gets a fair amount of intenrational traffic. I would honestly consider a flight to Pisa and a short train ride from there.
In fall of 04 we took an Air France subsidiary from Genoa to CDG Paris, then changed for our flight to Philly. If you don't have an aversion to CDG you could do SFO - Paris - Genoa. I can't say enough nice things about Genoa and wished we had spent more than 2 nights there before flying home.
A romantic idea would be a day or two in Genoa, then take a boat to CT.
Jeanne
Posts: 414 | Location: Pennsylvania, USA | Registered: 07 March 2003
Originally posted by Jeannew: I can't say enough nice things about Genoa and wished we had spent more than 2 nights there before flying home.
Jeanne
Genoa is very underrated, and Jeanne, you are so right, it is lovely, and romantic, and there is so much to do. It is only an hour from us, so we feel it is a great place to go when we want a little urban and beach atmosphere. We wre spoiled for choice, we are about the same distance to Torino in the other direction!
My two cents try San Francisco (SFO) to Frankfurt (FRA), then Frankfurt to Pisa (PSA).
My husband and I always do the Frankfurt/Munich route to Pisa and I concur with Alice that it gets a fair amount of international traffic. A bit like San Jose International (SJC) if you have had the experience. Never been to the Genoa airport, but it seems so small from the comments that you will have to get to that airport from another one already in Italy. Flying into Pisa could save you a layover.
Posts: 7 | Location: California, USA | Registered: 07 March 2006
Hi again. Actually, I have been reading further and have basically found answers to my questions re the CT weather/crowds in the Spring. Thanks again for the good travel info!
Genoa is very underrated, and Jeanne, you are so right, it is lovely, and romantic, and there is so much to do. It is only an hour from us
Di
You are only an hour from Genoa? Now you've planted the seed for our next trip to Italy. PHL - CDG - Genoa for a few days, then on to the land of Barolo, a place we've always meant to get to "some day".
Jeanne (11 days to Rome, Umbria and Tolfa)
Posts: 414 | Location: Pennsylvania, USA | Registered: 07 March 2003
Jeanne, if you check out a map of Liguria, and find Genoa, look a bit north of it and to the west over the mountain range, and you will see Acqui Terme!
Our cuisine in this area is a mix of Ligurian and Piemontese.... which makes the concept of weight loss a lost cause for me!!
My friend Megan in Liguria and I often work on Ligurian/Piemontese vacation ideas for people...talk about the best of both worlds!!
Topic Closed
I just have not flown them to the US since moving from Germany to Ialy. 
