Day Tripper Italy - Portofino and Santa Margherita Italy

Join us on a visit to Santa Margherita and down the jaw-droppingly beautiful Ligurian coast to the unforgettable fishing village of Portofino.
From House Finders Northern Italy - www.housefindersnorthernitaly.com

[@gabriellagirardi4741]

Wonderful Liguria

[@olivialivelovelaugh412]

I’ve never been to Italy 🇮🇹 but I’m dreaming of this beautiful country.

[@dbkyhere9229]

Thank you for your beautiful video !

[@housefindersnorthernitaly]

Thanks for watching.

[@dbkyhere9229]

@@housefindersnorthernitaly what do retired seniors do when they live abroad for health care?

[@housefindersnorthernitaly]

@@dbkyhere9229 I don't know about other countries but if you live in Italy -- legally -- if you move here and become a resident, you can get into their national health system as soon as you become a resident.

[@KarynjeanD]

Thank you for posting this lovely trip! It was beautiful. I do hope that Italy recovers well from the pandemic and that businesses flourish again. Living vicariously through you! Hugs from Pennsylvania.

[@housefindersnorthernitaly]

Thanks Karyn. Italy seems to be recovering pretty well. The cities, towns and villages are lively and robust once again. I grew up near Hershey!

[@KarynjeanD]

@@housefindersnorthernitaly small world! My daughter lives in Palmyra and works at Hershey Med! And when I was a teen we lived in Spain. Also I lived in Germany when I was in the Army. I do miss Europe!!!!!

[@fk5701]

Thanks very much, Lisa, for this uplifting video. We look forward to more such videos of your travels around Italy (and other nearby destinations). Your Piemonte home base location is a terrific jump point for so many excursion opportunities. Were you surprised that there were not more people in the shore areas and town centers? Perhaps the August vacation rush has not yet begun or else the trailing effects of the pandemic are still having an impact.

[@housefindersnorthernitaly]

Thanks Frederick!! When I went to Portofino, it was about 10:00 in the morning. The lunch/day crowd hadn't yet arrived. Definitely still pandemic effects but also Portofino is more of a tourist town. The beach towns where Italians go are pretty crowded!!

[@brianfilkowski]

Bellissimo ! I have missed your videos and this one could not have been better. My number two fixation after the Matterhorn, Portofino ! No lie. I am scheduled to arrive Saturday September 11th in Milan, staying in Vignale Monfarrato of course. This little day trip might be just the thing to do. The Matterhorn will wait. Simple day trip. Thank you for posting. I will touch bases with you in the middle of August.

[@housefindersnorthernitaly]

Bravissimo!

[@catherinenierva1090]

Thank you, Lisa! Portofino is on my bucket list when I return to Italy in September :-)

[@housefindersnorthernitaly]

Have fun!

[@jodiehebert8285]

Hi Lisa! I have been viewing several videos you produced and especially loved watching this video of Portofino and Santa Margherita! I have travelled to Italy twice (1985 and 2006) from the USA , but mainly touristy places such as Florence, Pisa and Rome with rushed tour groups. I remember a lovely town outside of Rome- Bracciano (not sure of spelling) on a peaceful lake. I love the train system and the idea of SLOW travel, slow food/cooking and living or even retiring in Europe (eligible in 6 months). Portugal comes up on all the lists for "affordable" retirement, but I have a draw to beautiful Italy! How expensive is it to live in or outside the town of Santa Margherita? (Is that still considered the Piedmont area/region?) Is the area still reeling from the pandemic or in recovery? Would love to hear back from you. Ciao! Jodie

[@housefindersnorthernitaly]

Hi Jodie. Thanks for watching and writing. Anywhere on the coast is going to have a premium built into the price of housing and cost of living. Since Santa Margherita is a destination and next to Portofino, I think prices there will be higher than most other places in Piedmont. Santa Margherita is not in Piedmont. In my experience, other than the first devastating period when the virus was new, deaths and hospitalizations high, and of course outside of the tourism industry, Italy has recovered quickly. Things seem to be in full swing everywhere.

[@mayankparekh8565]

hi, where you bought your house i mean which town ? thank you.

[@theolivesparrow]

Is it easy to find parking for the day at your originating train station -- I' assuming that you drive from your house to the train station?

[@housefindersnorthernitaly]

Yes, super easy and it's free. At the train station in Alessandria.

[@unexpectedgoodluck2210]

Enjoyed the beautiful day trip! I am hoping to go to Montessori training in Bergamo in 2022. Would love to know how long it took you to learn Italian well enough to converse in Italian.

[@housefindersnorthernitaly]

Thanks UGL. I've been here 3 years and I can get by pretty well. Still a lot of Italian to learn...

[@johnmcdermott5505]

Thanks for posting. What was the total travel time from your house to Portofino?

[@housefindersnorthernitaly]

2 hours - 1/2 hour to train station, 1 1/2 hours on train.