Heading from Rome to Venice and need to a 1 day/night stay in between (hotel in Venice wasnt available a night earlier). Thinking closer to Venice might be best... as well as an easy town to manage. IE - can easily walk from the train station to the center of town. Suggestions???
Posted by
Atlanta, Georgia
565 posts
Verona is an obvious choice for me but the walking from the train station thing may be a killer. You have to bus or taxi in unless you don't mind wasting time walking. With that said, it's still the best locale in my opinion. Padua is also a good choice.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32222 posts
Lisa, A few cities to consider - Florence, Verona or Padua. Happy travels!
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32921 posts
Rome to Venice, Verona is out of the way. Florence, Bologna, Padua. The train stops in each of these, and they all work. Besides which, they are all cool.
Posted by
Catadupa Alamere, CA
515 posts
Padova is 20 minutes from Venice so it does not advance your trip much. Consider Bologna about 2 hours from Venice. Great food, cool city center piazza etc. Did I mention the food?
Posted by
Cesena, Italy
791 posts
If your goal is just getting close to Venice you could try Mestre/Marghera. If you want to be able to do some sightseeing on the stop over I'd say Ferarra, Padova....Vicenza maybe.
Posted by
Boise, ID, USA
2193 posts
I second Ferrara. We enjoyed it more than Bologna, Padova or Vicenza.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Bologna. You'll have time to have an amazing meal and explore the town a bit.
Posted by
Shawnee, OK, USA
396 posts
Verona or Bologna. Short taxi ride to town center...aroung 7-10 Euros. Or you can take a bus from the train station...even cheaper.
Posted by
OP
Northville
4 posts
Thanks All! I had been thinking of possibly Verona, Bologna, Padova (we will be staying in Florence later on in the trip) but hadnt considered Ferarra.. will have to check it out as well. hoping to get it booked this week... leaving for Italy end of June for 16 days! :)
Posted by
Lake Forest, CA, USA
1633 posts
A one night visit in Padua would allow you to possibly visit the Scrovegni Chapel, Giotto's masterwork. The Giotto chapel official home page tells you how you can book tickets in advance (essential to avoid disappointment). The official Padua tourist office site is also available.
Posted by
Centreville, VA, USA
7 posts
Lisa: I would suggest Verona - easy to get to from the train. History, literature and of course Opera in the summer. Great walking town and quaint little stores. A nice side trip and about half way between the two cities. Good luck.
Melanie
Posted by
Centennial, CO, US
2129 posts
Ravenna, with its Byzantine mosaics, is another good, easy-to-manage option.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
The problem with Ravenna is that it's off the main train line from Rome to Venice. Cities on the direct line between those two cities are Florence, Bologna, Padova. We just did a stopover in Padova on our way from Verona to Venice and really liked it a lot. It meets all your criteria. The RS Venice book I believe contains a nice itinerary for a short stay in Padova. You should consider it. Best wishes.