Soggiorna
Sestri Levante has an advantage many places on this stretch of coast lack: the station is in the town itself, and from the station you can walk to almost everywhere you need. That is why arriving by train here is not a fallback but often the better choice.
By train
The station sits on the Genoa–La Spezia line, served by regional trains. From the forecourt you can walk to the centre and to the Baia delle Favole, and crossing the isthmus brings you to the Baia del Silenzio: these are short strolls, not transfers.
Coming from Genoa there are frequent services, especially in high season; do check the evening return times, which thin out.
By car
Sestri Levante is on the A12 between Genoa and La Spezia and has its own exit. The final stretch runs along the coast road: in July and August, and on fine weekends, that section can be slow. If you can choose your timing, avoid late morning.
Parking
You will not find a list of car parks here. Parking areas, tariffs and restricted-traffic zones change over time and with the season, and a wrong list is worse than no list.
One general warning is worth making, though: Sestri Levante is a popular day-trip destination, and on summer weekends parking near the bays is the most contested resource in town. Before you leave, ask your host where to leave the car, whether the space is private or public, guaranteed or merely likely, what it costs, and how far you will still walk with luggage.
If you are coming for the day rather than to stay, the train removes the problem at the root.
The two bays
The town is squeezed onto an isthmus linking the mainland to a headland, so it has two sides with two characters. The Baia delle Favole is the wider one, with the long beach and the facilities. The Baia del Silenzio is the small cove on the other side, houses looking straight onto the water: it is the picture-postcard Sestri, and it really is small.
You can walk from one to the other through the centre in a few minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Is the station far from the sea?
No, it is in town: the centre and the Baia delle Favole are walkable, the Baia del Silenzio just beyond.
Is it worth driving here for a day at the beach?
In high season the train is simpler: parking near the bays is heavily contested at weekends.
Are the two bays connected?
Yes, on foot through the centre, in a few minutes.