Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure sit on the same small peninsula east of Genoa, and for many visitors to Milan they are the nearest stretch of Mediterranean coast worth the trip. The journey is shorter than many people expect, but the last few kilometres are narrow, busy in season and subject to local traffic rules. This guide explains the drive, the arrival and how to plan a day trip or a stay.
How long it takes
Santa Margherita Ligure is about 168 km from central Milan and the drive takes about two hours and fifteen minutes in normal traffic. Portofino is a few kilometres further along the coast road and takes about two and a half hours in total. The motorway runs south from Milan towards Genoa, crosses the Apennines and joins the coastal motorway, leaving it at the Rapallo exit for the last stretch along the bay.
Those times are for a normal weekday. On summer weekends and holidays, traffic towards the coast can be heavy both on the motorway and on the coast road between Santa Margherita and Portofino, which is narrow and has only a few places to stop. We plan departure times around this, especially for return journeys on Sunday afternoons.
The road into Portofino
The road from Santa Margherita to Portofino follows the coast past Paraggi, a small bay with a beach. It is a beautiful drive and a slow one. Portofino itself restricts vehicle access and parking is very limited, particularly from spring to autumn. Not every vehicle can reach every point, and the rules can change with the season.
Your driver knows where he is allowed to stop and drops you as close to the harbour or your hotel as the rules permit. If the final stretch needs to be walked, he carries the luggage. For hotels on the hill above the village, the arrival is planned with the hotel in advance.
Santa Margherita as a base
Many guests stay in Santa Margherita, which is larger, has more hotels and has easier road access, and visit Portofino by boat, on foot along the coastal path or by car for dinner. It also has a railway station, but for a family with luggage arriving from Milan or Malpensa the direct car is much simpler than a change of train in Genoa or Milan.
Day trip from Milan
A day trip from Milan to Portofino is realistic. A typical day starts at nine in the morning in Milan, arrives on the coast before midday, leaves time for lunch at the harbour and a walk up to the castle or the lighthouse, and returns to Milan in the evening. For this kind of day, an hourly booking is often the best formula, because the car and driver stay with you and you can change the plan on the day. Hourly rates are shown on our chauffeur service page; for a full day the driver's hours and kilometres are calculated together and we confirm the total in writing.
Combining with the rest of the coast
Portofino is a good starting point for other places along the Ligurian coast. The Cinque Terre are further east, and the car can take you to Levanto or Monterosso, where the villages and their footpaths begin. To the west, the coastal motorway continues past Genoa to the Riviera and Monaco. A multi-day trip can combine Milan, Portofino, the Cinque Terre and a return via the lakes, and we can quote it as one itinerary.
Choosing the vehicle
For two people the Mercedes S-Class is the most comfortable car on the motorway, and the Mercedes E-Class is a practical alternative. For families, the Mercedes V-Class seats up to seven with luggage. On the narrow road to Portofino a smaller vehicle is easier to manoeuvre and to stop, which is something we consider when we suggest the car. Large groups using the Sprinter Luxury VIP may need a different drop-off point, and we plan it with you in advance.
From Malpensa
If you land at Malpensa and want to go directly to the coast, the car can collect you in the arrivals hall and drive straight to Santa Margherita or Portofino without entering Milan. Your flight is tracked and waiting time is included, so a late landing does not change the plan.
How to book
Send us the pick-up address or flight number, the date and time, the number of passengers and suitcases and the name of your hotel or villa. For day trips, tell us roughly how long you want to stay on the coast. We reply with a written, all-inclusive price, usually within 30 minutes, with fuel, tolls, VAT and parking included.