We will be in Italy in late August, flying in and out of Venice. This is our second trip and have done many of the touristy things. We will spend 4 nights in Venice, 4 in Florence (with some day trips.) We have 3 more nights. Trying to decide between Assisi, my daughter is named Chiara so that could be special for her OR Verona with a day at Lake Garda? My husband and I are both theatre teachers so Verona could be special for us. We are looking for charm, some sightseeing and mostly sharing family time together in Italy!
Posted by
OP
17 posts
I need to add that we will not have a car.
Posted by
North Carolina
2504 posts
Were you considering attending the opera in the Verona Arena? That seems like a good bet for a pair of theater teachers.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11852 posts
Personally, I think Verona without the opera is a shame. :-) If you can do that, by all means go to Verona. Otherwise, I find Verona boring. You could go to Lago di Garda for the 3 nights, giving you a break from city time, but you'd want a car for that.
Another possibility is to head for the mountains. The Dolomites are fantastic and a cool retreat. We like the Val Gardena, just east of Bolzano. Hiking, mountain biking, riding lifts and fantastic scenery, all without a car.
Here's an idea for an itinerary:
Land Venice and proceed immediately to Firenze for your 4 nights there
Transfer to Bolzano and on to Ortisei or one of the other little towns in the Val Gardena, 3 nights (train to Bolzano, bus to the Val G). Alternatively you could plan 3 nights at Lago di Garda or in Verona.
Transfer to Venice for your last 4 nights before flying out
Posted by
North Carolina
2504 posts
If you do go to Verona, besides the opera, I also suggest seeing the Giardino Giusti, the historic bridges over the Adige river (Ponte Scaligeri and Ponte Pietra), and certain of the churches (I thought San Zeno and Sant' Anastasia were particularly beautiful).
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, United States
907 posts
Verona and opera in the coliseum, perfect.
There is a little town on the south end of Lake Garda called Sirmione. Stop there, nice castle and good restaurants.
Posted by
North Carolina
2504 posts
If you're going to be in Verona, you could also take a quick train ride to Vicenza and see the Teatro Olimpico, designed by Palladio.
Posted by
Frisco, Texas, US
263 posts
I chose Verona when I needed to train in and fly out of an Italian city, headed for Paris. I loved it, and would go back. If you could see a show in the amphitheatre, that would be fantastic, but I think you would enjoy it either way. I enjoyed it in December with no show! Juliet's balcony is a waste of time but it didn't stop me from going there. Have you considered Lake Como? That is where I am headed in July.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15798 posts
Before you commit to Verona, see if you can get a room and opera tickets. In season, rooms in the historic center go pretty quickly. I've only been to Verona in off-season, but I loved it, especially the ambiance in the evening when the locals are out and about, but I think that during opera season, with the crowds and many of the locals away on holiday, the atmosphere will be quite different and the other tourist sights (several very good ones) may also be too crowded.
I loved Assisi and Orvieto both.