should i fly into milan or genoa for portofino?

We’re planning a trip from Los Angeles to the Italian Riviera, and I’m torn between two flight options. There’s a $550 flight to Milan, but that means a 2-3 hour train ride to Portofino, plus wrangling a big checked bag, two carry-ons, and two backpacks. The other choice is a $770 flight straight to Genoa, which gets us much closer—just a 45-minute train to Portofino. But that price difference stings, especially since I’d rather spend the extra cash on pasta and gelato than on a plane ticket. We’re hoping to spend most of our time in Portofino, but I’d love to squeeze in a couple of nights in Cinque Terre if it’s not too much of a hassle. I even tried to get fancy with open-jaw flights (arrive Genoa, leave Pisa), but Google Flights made it feel like I was solving a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded. Is it worth paying more for the convenience of Genoa, or is the Milan train ride not as bad as it sounds? Has anyone tried juggling luggage on those Italian trains? I want to travel smart, but I also don’t want to start my vacation stressed out and sweaty from dragging bags across half of Italy. Anyone else faced this dilemma? #traveladvice #italianriviera #portofino #Travel