score:2
I think you are mistaken on your journey times, but Milan is still definitely your best bet.
By train, Milan to Genoa is over 4 hours, and Genoa to Verona is over 6 hours.
By road, however, the times are more like 1:30 from Milan to Genoa and 3 hours Genoa to Verona
Why not hire a car for the trip? Driving in northern Italy can be an amazing experience.