For a 2027 trip, Santa Margherita to Portofino is usually simplest by bus 782 if you are arriving by train, travelling early or late, or need the most dependable year-round option. The ferry is better for the view and drops you directly at Portofino’s harbour, but it runs to a more limited timetable and can be cancelled for sea conditions or low demand. The key detail is that the two services do not leave from the same place in Santa Margherita Ligure.
The bus starts at Santa Margherita Ligure railway station and also stops in the town centre at Piazza Vittorio Veneto. The Tigullio ferry leaves from the molo battelli beside the Giardini di Piazza Martiri della Libertà on the seafront, about 700 metres from the station. If you have just stepped off a train, the bus is the easier transfer. If you are already on the waterfront, the boat may be more convenient.
Which should you choose?
- Choose bus 782 for an immediate train-to-bus connection, winter travel, early starts, evening returns, or when the sea is rough.
- Choose the ferry for a daytime trip in settled weather when the coastal view is part of the day.
- Use ferry out and bus back if you want the boat ride without tying your return to the last sailing.
- With large suitcases, neither option is as comfortable as a taxi. The bus can become very crowded, while boat boarding involves a pier and gangway.
The published 2027 fares and seasonal timetables are not yet available as of September 2026. The figures below use the current 2026 system only as a planning reference, so check the operators again shortly before travel.
Bus 782: where it leaves and how the trip works
AMT line 782 is the regular road link. The timetable names its starting point as S. MARGHERITA FS. “FS” is the railway-station stop, so if you arrive by Trenitalia you do not need to walk down to the harbour first. Look for the AMT stop and a destination display showing 782 Portofino.
The bus then serves S. MARGHERITA P.za V. VENETO, followed by stops including Covo di Nord Est and Paraggi before Portofino. Piazza Vittorio Veneto is useful if your hotel is in central Santa Margherita or if a ferry has been cancelled and you need to switch to the bus without returning to the station.
Current schedules put the run at roughly 20 minutes in normal conditions. That is a timetable time, not a promise. The coastal road is narrow and summer traffic can slow the bus considerably, especially around Paraggi and the approach to Portofino.
Where the bus arrives in Portofino
The 782 terminates at the Portofino capolinea in Piazza della Libertà. Capolinea means terminus. This is inland from the famous harbour rather than on the Piazzetta itself. From the bus terminus, walk down Via Roma toward the waterfront. The walk is short, but it matters if you are comparing arrival points: the ferry lands closer to the harbour action.
Bus tickets, contactless payment and validation
Do not assume a normal AMT 110-minute ticket covers this route. AMT currently requires a dedicated line 782 ticket for most visitors. In 2026 the single fare is €5, but that price should be rechecked for 2027 on the official AMT ticket page.
AMT sells the 782 ticket through its app, ticket offices, authorised retailers and machines. Its ILA contactless system is also installed at Santa Margherita Ligure, Portofino and on line 782, so a contactless bank card or phone can be used where the ILA reader is available. If you use a paper ticket, validate it when you board and keep it until after you leave the bus. The AMT contactless instructions are worth checking before departure because payment rules can change.
Ferry: where it leaves in Santa Margherita
The Portofino boat is Linea 1 of Servizio Marittimo del Tigullio. In Santa Margherita Ligure, the official boarding point is the molo battelli at the Giardini di Piazza Martiri della Libertà on the seafront. Signs may say imbarco (boarding), molo (pier) or biglietteria (ticket office).
The operator places the pier about 700 metres from the railway station. If you are coming from a train, allow more than the bare walking time if you have luggage, children or a tight sailing. Head downhill toward the seafront and the gardens at Piazza Martiri della Libertà rather than following signs for the bus terminus.
On the 2026 Line 1 timetable, the direct boat hop between Santa Margherita and Portofino is about 15 minutes. The official timetable page publishes the seasonal PDFs. For 2027, check that page once the new programme appears rather than relying on a previous year’s departure times.
Where the ferry arrives in Portofino
The boat uses Molo Umberto I, toward the tourist harbour. This is the ferry’s biggest practical advantage. You step off at the waterfront, without the additional walk down from Piazza della Libertà.
Ferry tickets and how early to arrive
Servizio Marittimo del Tigullio currently sells tickets at its ticket offices and through its website. Its published transport conditions tell passengers to be at boarding at least 15 minutes before departure, and say that online-ticket holders should check in at the port ticket office at least 30 minutes before departure. That is easy to miss if you assume an online purchase means you can walk straight to the boat.
For budgeting, the 2026 fare was €12 one way and €20 return between Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino. Do not treat those as confirmed 2027 prices. Check Line 1 on the official ferry site for the current service and ticket information.
The ferry is scenic, but the bus is the safer fallback
The boat operator warns that sailings can change or be cancelled because of weather, sea conditions or low passenger demand. Current Line 1 information also states that departures may require a minimum number of passengers. That makes the ferry a poor choice for a hard deadline such as a reserved train, airport transfer or dinner that cannot be moved.
If your boat from Santa Margherita is cancelled, ask the ticket office for the day’s status, then switch to bus 782. You normally do not need to walk all the way back to the railway station: use the town-centre stop at Piazza Vittorio Veneto if it is operating normally. If you miss the last boat back from Portofino, walk up Via Roma to the 782 capolinea at Piazza della Libertà.
This is also why a mixed trip often works best: boat to Portofino, then bus back when you are ready. You get the coastal arrival without having to watch the final ferry time all afternoon. If you are linking this outing with other Ligurian stops, you can organize the rest of your Italy route around the transport times that matter.
Luggage, strollers and reduced mobility
AMT’s provincial bus rules allow personal luggage only within stated size and space limits. A larger case may need the luggage compartment where one exists, and extra pieces can require an additional ticket. On a crowded 782, a large suitcase is awkward even when technically permitted. Keep backpacks off your shoulders once aboard and do not block the aisle or doors.
The ferry’s current conditions allow one piece of hand luggage free per passenger. Bulky equipment must be declared, and special equipment can be refused if there is not enough safe space. Folding strollers are carried free if declared at boarding. Passengers who need mobility assistance are asked to contact the operator at least 48 hours before departure.
For a hotel change with full-size cases, a taxi is often the least stressful option. For a day trip with a small backpack, both public transport choices are straightforward.
What changes after dark, in winter and on busy days
The bus is the option to build around outside the main boating hours. Current AMT timetables run daily and extend much later than the regular daytime ferry schedule. The boat operator has offered special evening Portofino services in July and August, but those are seasonal and should never be assumed for 2027 until the timetable is published.
On summer weekends and holidays, the trade-off is simple. Buses are frequent but can be packed and delayed by road traffic. Boats avoid the road but can develop ticket queues and are more exposed to operational changes. If the weather is good and you are not rushing for a connection, the ferry is usually the more pleasant outbound choice. If timing matters more than scenery, wait for the 782.
Useful Italian words at the stop and pier
- FS / stazione: railway station.
- Fermata: bus stop.
- Capolinea: end of the bus route or terminus.
- Imbarco: boarding.
- Molo: pier.
- Biglietteria: ticket office.
- Corsa soppressa: cancelled service.
- Orario: timetable.
If you remember only the two departure points, make them these: bus 782 from Santa Margherita FS or Piazza Vittorio Veneto; ferry Line 1 from the molo battelli at Piazza Martiri della Libertà. In Portofino, the bus leaves you at Piazza della Libertà above the harbour, while the ferry puts you on Molo Umberto I beside it.