The beautiful Italian city that's the country's 'treasured secret' with flights for under £20
An Italian city has been described as the country's 'treasured secret' with a beautiful coastline.
According to Lonely Planet, Genoa is one of the world's best cities to visit in 2025 and one of Italy 's best hidden gems.
A port metropolis on Italy's northwest coast, Genoa was the 26th most visited city in Italy in 2017 with far fewer tourists than the likes of Venice and Rome.
Lonely Planet reveals: 'Few places in Italy are "undiscovered", but Genoa feels like a treasured secret.
'With a new high-speed-train connection in the works, now is the time to seek out this stately city with superlative culinary chops, a stunning seaside and a well-earned reputation as one of Italy's most historically and culturally vibrant cities.'
Genoa has one of the world's largest medieval town centres. Within its depths, tourists will discover a labyrinth of caruggi (alleyways) packed with historic monuments.
Cathedral San Lorenzo was built in 1098 and is said to hold the ashes of Genoa's patron saint, St John the Baptist.
The city's caruggi are also packed with independent shops, some of which date as far as back as the 1600s.
Romanengo 1780 is Italy's oldest sweet shop and many of its colourful creations are still made by hand.
Tourists seeking the coast can head to tiny Boccadasse, a former fishing village, which Lonely Planet describes as having 'Cinque Terre vibes'.
Buses run to the small colourful village which is one of Genoa's prettiest places to enjoy a gelato. It also has a picturesque pebble beach with easy access to beach bars.
Children will love the Aquarium of Genoa, which is the city's best-rated attraction on Tripadvisor. It's home to dolphins, sharks and hundreds of other species.
When it comes to eating, Genoa is the home of one of the UK's most beloved pasta sauces.
Pesto originates from Genoa and is traditionally served on trofie pasta or focaccia. Genoa's indoor food court, the Mercato Orientale, is one of the best places to try the city's fresh produce.
When to go to Genoa
Genoa is warmest in July and August when temperatures can reach as high as 28 degrees. Unlike southern Italy, the city doesn't tend to suffer from heatwaves in the summer.
The city has a fairly busy cruise port and the season tends to run from April to October.
How to get to Genoa
Ryanair operates direct flights from London Stansted to Genoa, with one way fares currently available from £18.99 in August.
Alternatively, tourists could fly to Milan and then take a direct train to Genoa. easyJet, British Airways, Ryanair are among the airlines to offer direct flights to Milan.
Day trip destinations from Genoa
If you'd like to combine your trip to Genoa with a visit to destination, it takes around an hour and a half to get to the Cinque Terre from the city.
Milan is under two hours away by train while tourists can also cross the border into France and reach Nice in around three hours by rail.
Both Pisa and Lucca are also around two hours away on the train.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
43 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Ryanair reveals Glasgow's favourite summer destinations
Ryanair shared that most holidaymakers who book with them travel from Glasgow Airport to Malta, Alicante and Dublin. Malta is described as a unique blend of heritage, sunshine, and island charm, with a rich history, crystal-clear Mediterranean waters, and cultural festivals. Alicante is known as the perfect mix of action and relaxation, with sun-drenched beaches and a vibrant nightlife. While in Dublin, visitors can experience the vibrant pub culture and literary history of the Irish capital. The budget airline also shared that from Prestwick Airport, most travellers go to Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Faro. Ryanair reveals Glasgow's favourite summer destinations (Image: Newsquest) READ NEXT: Famous Glasgow names to be awarded university honorary degrees Ryanair's director of comms, Jade Kirwan, said: 'Summer is finally here and with 645 exciting Ryanair routes to/from the UK to choose from for your Summer 2025 holidays, why not take inspiration from your fellow UK holidaymakers in the west Scottish region and book a break away to Alicante, Lanzarote, Faro, sunny Dublin, or Malta – the top Ryanair destinations from Glasgow so far this summer. "Whether you're seeking sun, sea, city or all the above, Ryanair has a destination for you. Our full Summer 2025 schedule is available to book now at
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Anthea Turner, 65, reveals she was reluctant to go on a first date with her millionaire fiancé Mark Armstrong, 59, because she feared she'd have to pay
Anthea Turner has revealed she didn't want to meet up with her younger date because she feared she would have to pay for it. The TV personality, 65, who is now engaged to millionaire business Mark Armstrong, has spoken about her initial concerns about going on the first date. Speaking to Lizzie Cundy, Anthea opened up about her engagement and how the couple first met - which was down to Lizzie herself. Lizzie said: 'You're engaged, I won't say thanks to me...', to which Anthea admitted that their relationship was down to Lizzie. The former WAG added: 'You didn't want to go on the date.' Discussing her reasoning, Anthea admitted: 'I said I didn't want to go on the date, he was a bit younger than me and I'm not paying. 'And you said, yes you are and I'm coming with you. And that was it.' When asked if there was going to be wedding bells soon, Anthea said: 'We will sort this out, we've got to sort it out and we fully intend to. But we keep going on holiday! We're just having honeymoon after honeymoon.' Elsewhere in the chat, Anthea and Lizzie discussed her many trips abroad and even broached the idea of Anthea and Mark hosting a travel show. Lizzie said: 'Are you going to do a travel show together. You did wish you were here!' Anthea replied: : I did, I used to do about 24 locations a year. 24 different destinations, I didn't like all of them. I love travelling and Mark does as well. We're good travellers together.' Lizzie added: 'This might be a good idea, a travel show. Judith chalmers!' While Anthea said: 'Well yes I took over from the great Judith Chalmers on Wish You Were Here when she retired. Which I was very proud of. Social media is fabulous because it gives us an opportunity to travel, to work with travel companies. Or for instance in Tanzania I worked with the tourist board.' Anthea previously revealed she didn't think she was 'glam enough' Mark Twice married Anthea has been engaged to the businessman since 2019 following their whirlwind romance. But their was a point, the broadcaster, who famously presented BBC's Blue Peter between 1992 and 1994, nearly ditched their first date entirely. Anthea said that if it wasn't for match maker Lizzie, who introduced the couple to one another, she would never have even turned up to the dinner because she thought Mark was 'too young' for her. 'I saw some pictures and I was thought "Ooh Gorgeous!" but he was younger than me and his background had been in events, clubs, he did the club awards and things like that. 'And I thought "No, no, no he's going to want something glamorous, that's not me. I wasn't going, she [Lizzie] told Mark that I was desperate to see him and then she couldn't get me there so she said "Right, I'm coming with you". 'So she arranged a dinner. I was intrigued by this man. And he seemed to be lavish and give me a lot of attention', Anthea admitted. Recalling his proposal during a romantic trip to Italy, she told HELLO: 'I had a hunch. It was all very quick (we were engaged within just a few months of meeting),' 'But when you are older it does tend to move a bit quicker because 'when you know, you know' and there is no point in messing around is there?!'. The couple postponed their wedding in November 2022. They previously delayed the nuptials due to covid restrictions, the death of both parties beloved mothers and an eye injury that left her 'moments from going blind'. Anthea told the Daily Mail's Richard Eden that the lavish nuptials would now be taking place in Italy saying: 'We're definitely going to do it next year!' It comes after the TV veteran has offered her fans advice on how to survive divorce in her new book, after going through two failed marriages. She was previously married to ex-husband Grant Bovey for 13 years, but the couple split after he cheated on her with a woman half her age in 2013. Anthea's first marriage was to her manager, former DJ Peter Powell, in 1990, with the couple splitting up eight years later. She shared advice on how to have a healthy divorce, including three main tips: 'Ditch blame, put the kids first, and avoid lawyers for as long as you can.' Anthea also wrote alongside the Instagram video earlier this year: 'Divorce is always a tricky subject and no 2 are exactly the same. I was like a rabbit it the headlights and everyone seemed to have advice'.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
How Edinburgh became the UK's ‘most expensive' city break
First-time visitors to the Scottish capital, keen to experience the highlights of the world-famous city, are in for a shock this summer. Upwards of £800 for a double room on Princes Street? More than £200 for a prestige tasting menu from a Michelin-starred chef? How about £75 for an afternoon tea with fizz and pheasants? It's enough to turn you as green as the Hibernian's football strip. But are prices in Edinburgh really so out of sync with Europe's other must-see capitals? According to the Post Office, they certainly are. Its annual city costs barometer, which analyses the best value city breaks across 38 popular destinations, found that Edinburgh is more expensive than ever, ranking only behind Oslo and Copenhagen. Punishing accommodation costs So, where do the most punishing costs lie? While a return transfer from the airport (£8), a coffee (£3.50) and museum or art gallery entrance (£0) amount to far less than in many other cities on the chart (Oslo will set you back £36.39 for return travel to its airport, for instance), the real expense comes when finding affordable accommodation. On average, the Post Office says, two nights in a three-star hotel for two over a weekend in Edinburgh costs £399 – almost £100 more than in Norway's capital. 'Like many European cities, Edinburgh has been affected by inflation, rising operational costs, staffing pressures, and increased demand, especially during peak periods,' says Parvez Unmar, regional general manager for The Roseate Hotels and Resorts in Edinburgh and London. 'The city's global appeal has also led to more premium travel, which naturally drives up average rates across the sector. But while certain headline prices may be higher, the overall experience and access to world-class culture at little or no cost make it competitive with other European destinations.' Town planning and topography play their part, too. Edinburgh's Old Town — a medieval fantasy of what a capital should look like – has very limited real estate, and the arrival of a succession of new five-star hotels here, and in the equally handsome New Town, is pushing up rack rates. This is particularly apparent in the already tightly packed areas where tourists cluster (the latest opening is The Hoxton near Haymarket next month). Add the introduction of short-term let controls and Edinburgh's status as a world-class festival city to the picture, and, during periods of influx, accommodation becomes more competitive and, by default, more expensive. 'We have the world's best and largest collection of arts festivals, of which we're hugely proud,' says Jane Meagher, the City of Edinburgh's council leader . 'This year, the Fringe has 3,350 shows across 265 venues, while tickets for the International Festival are selling fast. It's due to their growing popularity over the last 10 years that we've seen increasing demand for accommodation in August.' 'We're not charging more for the sake of it' The other noticeable cost is eating out well. Part of that is the result of the city's dining scene exploding with creativity and transformative restaurants in neighbourhoods like Leith and Stockbridge. For comparison, a three-course evening meal for two including house wine costs £116 in Edinburgh, nearly £40 less than in Copenhagen, according to the Post Office. But, substantially more than in Paris (£90.65), Rome (£68.72) and even London (£80). Again, is this a true reflection of costs? 'They [costs] have gone up in Edinburgh, there's no hiding from that,' says Joseph Radford of Michelin-starred Timberyard and sister restaurant Montrose near Calton Hill. 'But in many cases, they were much too low to begin with. For years, margins were so tight that businesses absorbed costs to avoid scaring people off. Now we're at a point where, if you want to stay open and treat your staff properly, you have to be honest in your pricing. We're not charging more for the sake of it. We're charging what it actually costs to do things with integrity.' Another local hero, Stuart Ralston, who has opened four rave-worthy restaurants — Aizle, Noto, Tipo, and, most recently, the one Michelin-star Lyla — agrees, factoring in increases in living costs, energy and supplies. 'Economically, the cost of running hospitality businesses has increased exponentially over the past four years,' he said. 'High rents, limited housing supply and the general increasing costs of running a business all contribute to forcing prices up for travellers, but also for residents.' Finding the value How best to save like a canny Scot then? Ask anyone who lives here what the best bit about the city is, and the answer is invariably along the lines of what's free. The list includes best-in-class museums like the National Museum of Scotland and the four National Galleries of Scotland. There's the Highland-lite parkland too, including the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Holyrood Park and Princes Street Gardens. It's also accurate to say price comparisons can overlook a city's value proposition. Even though Edinburgh is effortlessly easy to get around on foot, for instance, the Post Office adds a £22 travel card to your budget. Eliminate that, and it immediately drops down the cost scale. Even so, for longer journeys, public transport (£2.20 for a Lothian Buses trip) trumps Uber every time. Another prerequisite: accommodation needs to be booked as far in advance as possible, particularly if you plan to come during the Fringe (Aug 1 to 25) or Edinburgh's Hogmanay (late December to Jan 1). The downside is that an additional five per cent visitor levy will be added to your accommodation cost from this July – the promise is that this will be reinvested to improve services for everyone. What flexibility will buy you is a seat at many top tables, especially over approachable lunchtime specials at independents like The Palmerston, where you can land three courses for £25, or Moss, where a lobster menu is £20. It may be increasingly expensive, but we'd all be worse off without Edinburgh. It has all you want: a gothic knot of steeples and spires at dawn, a river, a glittering sea and scalloped beaches in shifting light, and, sat atop a volcanic crag, a famous stone castle lit by fireworks. And who wouldn't pay a premium for that?
