Day trips from Venice

Consider a day trip to Bologna, Padua, or Ravenna.

I'm going in the fall, so I haven't researched too much yet, but I'll probably try to see Burano and Torcello along with Murano. Lots of people seem to go to Verona from Venice. I saw a place below Venice called Chioggia that seemed like it might be something different. Anyway, I'll enjoy seeing what others suggest.

Padua is very close (as little as 26 min. by train), so I'd give it serious consideration. The Scrovegni Chapel needs to be booked before the day you arrive there. Padua has enough sights for more than a full day.

The mosaics in Ravenna are stunning, but I think it's just too far for a day trip. The fastest morning train takes 2 hr. 47 min. You'd have to leave at 7:40 for that one (and how close is your Venice hotel to the train station?) and would arrive at 10:27. The next departures don't get you to Ravenna until 11:15 AM. I loved Ravenna, but it doesn't seem a very practical trip from Venice.

Bologna's faster to reach--93 to 101 min., but that's a lot of time for a day trip. Bologna's a rather large city with the train station located about a 20-min. walk from the center of the medieval district. There are buses, of course.

Vicenza is another option--about 45 min. by the fastest trains. It doesn't have as many sights as Padua, but is an important destination for folks interested in Palladian architecture.

I haven't been to any of these places, but they are often mentioned here:

Treviso (31-37 min.)
Ferrara (61-96 min.)
Verona (72-98 min.)
Bassano del Grappa (74-77 min.)

If you tell us what sorts of sights you're most interested in seeing, we'll be better able to advise you, but do consider how long it will take you to get to and from the train station in Venice. There is no option there for a quick, cheap taxi ride. Just from the standpoint of logistics, my first choice would be Padua or Treviso.

I saw a place below Venice called Chioggia

Interesting way of describing it :-) In my mind only water, silt, and tree logs are below Venice. Chioggia is south of Venice.

Sorry about this rant, but I am a compulsive hair splitter.

We visited Chioggia last year and it is a bit like an industrial version of Venice. There are canals, but they are all straight and perpendicular to each other. Not the charming mess of Venice.

I was going to recommend https://www.italiainminiatura.com/en, but it is 4 hours each way, so maybe for another time. We spent a night close by (walking distance) and I think it was well worth it.

Treviso has canals, and has been mentioned positively on this forum. I haven't been there myself, but you can take a look at photos online: photos from Google.

Sorry about this rant, but I am a compulsive hair splitter.

I appreciate this information. I'm afraid I'm trying to research too much at once, and I'm a bit in over my head! Just this morning I was thinking about how I get excited about seeing everything and I need to remember to slow down so I don't overwhelm myself by trying to see it all at once. I think that's the dirt poor little farm girl in me. As a child, I never even realized there was anything beyond my home town, let alone that I'd have the opportunity to see it some day, so thank you, I'll cross that one off my list!

This is a longer day trip but doable if you like horses. Last year I took the train to Trieste then a taxi to Lipica Slovenia to see the Lippizan stud farm. There is a performance I think at 2pm. https://www.lipica.org/en/

We stayed in Treviso for six nights and really liked it a lot. Did two or three short day trips from there, but found plenty to do in the historic center. Canals, bridges, painted buildings, porticoes, pedestrian areas, the town walls, good places to eat, interesting art and museums, art installations on some of the walls, and even some small shops that two non-shoppers enjoyed looking around in. There was some kind of nighttime fish-eating festival and an antiques market while we were there.

Art made from wire mesh on some walls in Treviso: https://www.google.com/search?q=mario%20martinelli%20treviso%20ombre%20in%20rete&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjk9dXGjOD2AhUIRs0KHW4nD5wQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=mario%20martinelli%20treviso%20ombre%20in%20rete&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQDDoHCCMQ7wMQJ1CTBVjeIWCFT2gAcAB4AIAB6wGIAe0LkgEGMTAuNC4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=Ixk9YqTYHIiMtQbuzrzgCQ&bih=590&biw=1252&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS507US521&hl=en

We were not crazy about Chioggia --- it was more interesting to get there from Venice by various means of transportation than to actually be there.

Padova -Padua, why travel further.....it's a great place for a day and easy and fast to reach by train. Here's my day out in Padova for some ideas about what to do: https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2019/09/day-trip-to-padova.html

I think that many of us travelers see those marvelous historical paintings of Chioggia and jump to the conclusion that the town must still retain much of that imagery.
I know we did.
Laker, my tip for Burano is to be sure to take the very final vaporetto back from Burano/Mazzorbo to Venice. The nocturnal atmosphere can be very special.
I am done. The end.