5 days in italy

I am not clear if you have 5 nights or 6, but regardless, I would suggest you spend it all in one place. Venice and the Veneto region have plenty to keep you busy for that long. From Venice you can daytrip to Padua, Verona and Vicenza, or maybe split your trip into 3 nights Venice and 2 nights in one of the other 3 cities. (We spent 6 nights in Venice one trip adn 4 another, and still are not done with her. So don;t be afraid of committing the entire trip to Venice and day-tripping a bit.) Driving time from Venice to to Varenna is over 4 hours. Doesn't leave much time to stop in 3 or 4 places on the way. And you in all likelihood would need to leave Lake Como the night before your flight out of Milan. So if you only have 5 nights, that really cuts into your time in a more scenic location. Can you fly in-and-out of Venice? What time of year are you going to travel? might also have a bearing on advice....

It will be July. Would you recommend taking public transportation for the day trips or do you recommend renting a car?

1. Padua & Vicenza is one day can be done pref by car, rent after leaving venice 2.Car to Lake Como stay in Varenna otherwise rail must go thru Milan. you may have diff returningcar off in Varenna. 34. Lake Como to Milan by rail or bus only. 4. Rent from autoeurope for great rates.
enjoy you are going to some beautiful areas!

Ady:
We always take trains in that area. It's a quick hop to Padua, Verona and Vicenza, although I don't think you can do all three in one day (my humble opinion). For example, a daytrip to Padua was about a 7 hour outing for us -- travel, sightseeing, lunch, wrapping up with the Scrovegni Chapel then back to Venice. You might be able to squeeze in two cities if ou like long days. You coudl head out to Vicenza, for example, see some sights, then head back to Padua for sightseeing and finaly "home" to Venice.

ady, I'm not sure you'll have time to visit all the places you listed in a very short time frame of five days. My suggestion would be to split your time between Venice and Lago di Como, and visit the other locations on a future visit. To answer your questions.... 1.) Yes, it's possible to visit several cities in one day. However, you won't really have time to see much, so I'm not sure it will be worth the effort. 2.) You could stop for a few hours in Verona, but IMO that's all you have time for. 3.) I'd recommend travel by train, as it's the quickest and most efficient method. It can be a bit intimidating for those that haven't travelled in Italy before, but it's very easy. 4.) If you're staying in Varenna on Lago di Como, take the train. The trip from there to Milano Centrale is 1H:03M. 5.) Car rental companies you could look at - Auto Europe or Gemut. If I'm booking from home, I usually get a Travel Agent to take care of that. Keep in mind that your car is probably going to be parked and gathering dust for a large part of your visit (you won't need to rent in Venice, but even in Varenna a car is of little use). Also, are you aware of the usual "issues" regarding driving in Italy? Each driver will need the compulsory I.D.P., and you'll have to be VERY careful to avoid Zona Traffico Limitato (restricted traffic) zones in each town, or you may receive an expensive ticket. You might want to have a look at the This Website. If you need further information on travel by train, post another note. Happy travels!

Hello all, tanks for all the great advice. Using your advice, I have decided to extend my trip to 8 days solid - this is not including coming and going. With coming and going it would be 10 days. Because I do want to explore more. SO with that in mind what are your itinerary thoughts.