Hotels in Veneto

THe Veneto is a fairly large area, encompassing the Dolomites to the north, Lake Garda to the west and several miles of coast line including Venice going almost to Ferrara to the south.

It would be helpful to know what your expectations are and if you need to rely on public transportation or will rent a car.

The big three spots outside of Venice would be Padova, Vicenza and Verona. All have good rail service and lots of choices for hotels and restaurants. Vicenza was Palladio's headquarters for many years, so there are lots of Palladian architecture examples. Padova has the first university and the Giotto frescoes in the Scrovegni chapel. Verona has the roman amphitheateras well as a historic center and close access to Lake Garda.

Smaller spots would include Castelfranco Veneto, Citadella, Asolo, Bassano del Grappa. The Prosecco road in the northern Veneto also makes for an interesting excursion.

Thanks Ron

We will be leaving Venice by train-no car- and are looking for a good hotel in Padova. It seems to be the most centralized spot to then take day trips by train to Verona, Vincenza and Ravenna. The other spots you mentioned will have to wait until next time. The Rick Steves guide book didn't list too many hotels in the area or if staying in one town is better than another and I am wondering if someone has found something that really worked well.

you could try www.venere.com and tripadvisor for hotels.

Just to be nitpicky and since my ancestors are from the Veneto, while the mosaics in Ravenna are beautiful, it is hard to explore the Veneto in Emilia-Romagna. ;-)

Have fun!