Genoa has two train stations with relatively similar passenger numbers, but the main station for the city is Genova Piazza Principe. The station opened in 1860, the year before Italy became a unified country. Despite the square in the station’s name, the main entrance is actually on Piazza Acquaverde. The name of the station comes from the Piazza del Principe, which is not far away. The neoclassical facade of the station is quite grand, ornately decorated on the upper levels with statues and a huge clock under an arch. The building is easily mistaken for something other than a train station.

There are 20 platforms at Genova Piazza Principe, and roughly 24 million people pass through the station each year. Construction is currently ongoing to add Genoa to Italy’s high-speed train network, but even without service from Alta Velocità (AV) trains the city is well-connected to other cities in Italy as well as some elsewhere in Europe. There are EuroCity trains that serve the French Riviera, and a night train that connects Genoa with Austria, Poland, Belarus, and Russia.

The station’s ground level is where the main passenger services as well as shops and restaurants are located. This is where visitors can access the ticket counters and tourist information. The platforms level of the station is actually below the ground level, and is where luggage storage (near Platform 11), the Sala Blu office of assistance for disabled travelers, and the restrooms are found. The upper levels are entirely taken up by office spaces.

The Metro station that serves Genova Piazza Principe station arrives on an underground level of the building. There are also numerous bus lines that have their terminus stop near the station, and a funicular stop a short distance away. Piazza Acquaverde is very close to Genoa’s waterfront, which might be useful for anyone starting or ending a cruise in Genoa.