Need advice- itinerary in the Veneto (Verona, Vicenza, Padua, maybe Garda?)

hey hey Brenda
i think you are over planning too much to see all you want, i count 5 days total. you'll be spending your time on trains,
fly into venice and out of milan, no back tracking plus many departures out of venice is early early morning 6am. what is your transportation to airport at that hour? what time is arrival into venice, time of train to verona with jetlag
the places you hope to see is so so popular with thousands of travelers asking same thing that you will see crowds. one of the places is sirmione, so many private tours from the area, buses, taxis, cars, ferries will pack the area during day time. there really is not an off season anymore with travels all year long and italy being a top spot to go, fairs/festivals, harvest season wine/olive oil
why 2 day trips to lake garda, see sirmione then ferry to bardolino then back to verona same day.
your cities are close together by train without changing hotels with issues (check-in 3-4pm and check-out 10-11am) can be a hassle
hoping all works out and enjoy your short vacation
aloha

Verona is a great walking town - the center is nearly traffic free and buildings with faded murals and painted details lurk in unlikely corners. There are cafes with outdoor seating everywhere in Verona whenever you decide to want to sit and/or spritz. I have a very low interest in opera but I would look into seeing an opera in an actual Roman arena just for the experience.

The an intact Roman Arena and Theater which are still used for events with music and opera being a big part of the city's summer schedule including concerts and opera. The Theater includes the Archeological Museum which is small but also gives you access to the rambling remains of old religious sites there. If you like modern art check out the small Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo which mixes ancient and modern art, a palazzo and rooftop tour all into one place overlooking piazza Erbe and is underadvertised. I think Piazza Erbe (looking past the market stands) is one of the prettiest piazzas in Italy. Verona has the 'elegant decay' feeling with faded murals on medieval buildings that the Veneto does so well.

Al Grottino - Osteria e Sbecoleria is a great hole in the wall place off Piazza Erbe for a drink and cicchetti. Cafe Monte Baldo nearby also has great cicchetti and more serious food if you want that. Right near the cafe there is Arcivio a super small, super hip cocktail bar. There is no lack of good restaurants in Verona but read the menu carefully at the older places because the cuisine can be very "traditional". A lot of tourism in Verona is German so even when busy feels more "european" than places with a ton of American tourists.

If you're looking for another day trip besides a second day at Lake Garda I'd recommend either Brescia or Mantua/Mantova - both easily reachable from Verona by train. Brescia is a larger city with great Roman ruins, a series of great piazzas strung together by interesting neighborhoods and castle on top of the hill. Mantova is a much smaller renaissance city UNESCO site surrounded by water. Neither of these places are big tourist destinations.

Stay in the old city center of Verona or in the Veronetta neighborhood just over the river which is more neighborhood and less touristy but has great little restaurants and galleries and is any easy walk to city center. Grab a cab from the train station and anywhere in downtown is about 10e. The buses in Verona have tap in credit card readers and all converge on the station so take the bus to and from the station without luggage. There is a stealth taxi stand in Piazza Erbe. If you want to visit anything other than the very bottom if the lake take a bus from the train station up the eastern side of the lake.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

@pupuleprincess, thank you. I am worried about all the time on trains, too. Re: two day trips to Lake Garda, it's because the ferries will be on reduced schedule and we wanted to see more than one town. I didn't think Sirmione would be packed in October, thank you for correcting my misapprehension. The challenge we have with flying through Milan is that (from what I can see), we have to go through Milan Centrale to get to/from the airport which adds extra time since it's almost an hour between Milano Centrale and Milan Malpensa. (We won't have a car and will be using trains.)

It's a short trip because I have to be elsewhere for work, so we are caught between airline mileage award restrictions and my work schedule.

@hiredman - thank you so very much for all of your suggestions! We are super excited to see Verona and based off of your comments are comfortable that it's worth two days. Like you, I am not an opera buff but had hoped to see an event in the Roman arena - unfortunately we checked the schedule and do not see anything listed for the time we are there.

If you check the schedule carefully you can find 90min trips(ish) to Bolzano. Might be worth checking the DB App for carrier info. Some of the trains are DB or ÖBB. Buying this far ahead they aren't even very expensive.

Are you wine drinkers? If so, I can highly recommend Pagus Tours in Verona for a wine tour and tasting to the Valpolicella region. I highly recommend visiting the Castelvecchio Museum, which is a wonderful art museum located in the fortress that includes a walk across the ramparts and lovely views of the wonderful architecture and the river. The museum is very well done and fascinating. And located across the street from Pagus Tours.

@Wanderbug -- I am SO SO SO tempted to go to Bolzano. Our original thought was to go to the Dolomites, but I have to be in Barcelona for work so would need to pack so many different types of clothing (mountains + hot weather) that it just didn't make sense. So, we wound up doing some research and the Veneto seems amazing! We have decided to hold off on Bolzano until we can do a Dolomites trip and instead will take a day trip to Ferrara from Padua, something like 45 min by train, so doable. Thanks for your suggestions though!

@kmkwoo, great suggestion! We are wine drinkers, and just this morning my husband learned that risotto amarone is a local dish -- well that wine has to come from somewhere! BRING ON THE WINE! Excited for the Castelvecchio tour too. I suspect I could probably spend 3 whole days in Verona. Because the ferries aren't running and because there appears to be so much to do in Verona, I think we will skip Lake Garda on this trip too. Next time!!

Since you mention wine, we have had wonderful communication with one of RS’s recommended guides and will be doing a private tour with her to visit a number of vineyards in the Verona area and do tastings as well as sightseeing. Her name is Marina Menegoi. We’re excited about what she has planned for us in late August!

I guess if you've decided to skip Lake Garda you don't want me to mention the Bardolino wine festival that runs through Oct 5th, right? 😆

I understand about Bolzano, so many places to choose and it all looks so tempting, but it's no fun just sitting in trains the whole trip and trying to go to too many places.

I saw a German pretzel shop in Padua on Google maps. Maybe it can stand in for strudel this trip? (haven't been, can't say if good, but was surprised to see it. Less delighted to notice the Popeyes chicken though. )

(btw, We may inadvertently cross paths going opposite directions, lol, I've been looking at almost the same dates and similar day trip choices but kind of going the opposite direction. I have a few more days to play with, though. We arrive in Venice but are going to Padua, then Verona as a base for doing day trips, finishing up with a couple of days in Venice. )

@Wanderbug, you're killing me with this. I just want to eat my way through that entire region! I'm still trying to figure out how to day-trip to Treviso for tiramisu!!

hey hey Brenda
LOL at Wanderbug about the bardolino "wine-oh wine-oh" festival (festa dell' uva e del vino 0ct 1-5 2026)
we went several years ago, stayed hotel nettuno, walked thru path to lakefront, stopped at entrance to buy a wine glass holder necklace for 15-20E and it was party hearty "eat drink & be merry!!" (search: bardolino wine and grape festival)
we went on last day sunday, firework show over lake, so much food (bring small euro bills), parades, music & dance. we also roam the small center of town, sat and had a cocktail, walked through shops. look at train or bus or taxi to get there
if you can add those days at beginning it's so worth attending. gorgeous views of the lake and mountains
if you get to do that day trip to treviso, go for it. the town is also known for radicchio, bigoli pasta and prosecco. tiramisu is my favorite we also did a private taxi tour up into the prosecco hills on prosecco road. it was so fun, great driver/guide and so much local prosecco.
so of course i was on a mission, dessert at every restaurant to find the best, the place was on the grand canal across train station. had 2, it was so so good. whatever you do have a fabulous time and enjoy. too many things to do & want with soooo little time
aloha

@PupulePrincess, it's like you live in my brain. All of that sounds wonderful. I did book us through Venice but turns out that it's the same number of airline miles to via Milan, which would give us 3 days at the Lake with ferries still running and apparently the wine festival in Bardolino, too. How would I ever fit into my work pants at the end of this trip???!!? (I guess I should bring pants with an elastic waistband and just tell myself that all the walking will burn the calories. I don't eat a lot of sweets in Italy and won't be snacking (I consider 'snacking' as a hobby/past-time in the USA) so maybe it would work out. Maybe. Two weeks of eating out. I guess I could look for an apartment and not a hotel? You've given me a lot to think about. Enjoy your trip!

@Fraubarr, thank you for the tour guide suggestion! It reminded me that I should look up when truffle season is - I know some of it is October, but it may be too early. Good wine and pasta with truffles sounds pretty fabulous. Have a great trip!

In 2019 I took a road trip, flying into Milan, and then after three nights in Milan, I rented a car which I returned at the Venice airport. I can't comment on Lake Garda (I visited Lago Maggiore and Lago di Como instead) but I did visit Verona, Padua and Vicenza among other places. In particular, I spent 2 nights (and close to 2 days) in Verona and didn't feel rushed. One thing I enjoyed more than I expected was four churches that can be visited on a single ticket (Duomo, Sant'Anastasia, San Fermo Maggiore and San Zeno Maggiore). Some of these churches look rather unimpressive on the outside but inside they are all splendid and architecturally distinct. I spent 3 nights in Padua, with one full day reserved for sights in Padua and the other day reserved for a day trip to Vicenza, which I felt was sufficient The two highlights of my visit to Vicenza were the Villa la Rotonda (often cited as the model for Jefferson's Monticello) and the Olympic Theatre which was amazing. If you are interested in Palladian architecture I would also recommend the Palladio museum. Be aware that La Rotonda is located outside the city center (no problem with a car, but I'm not sure how you would get there if you are arriving by train). In Padua, I particularly enjoyed the Scrovegni Chapel (buy tickets in advance, or arrive at least 30 minutes before they open), a tour of the university, and the Palazzo della Ragione. In all three cities, I still had time to visit other churches, gardens, museums, etc., and stroll around absorbing the atmosphere and taking lots of photographs. I should also add that I generally don't like 2 hour lunches or sitting for hours in cafes. If you do - and that's one of the things some people like about Italy - you may want to spend a little more time than I did in some of these cities. I hope this helps! (By the way, I also spent three nights in Bolzano and loved that area. I hope you are able to make it up there on a future trip).

@Brenda,
Sorry/not sorry, lol.
I think you should add the 3 days and fly in via Milan. More of Italy is better than less of Italy...Plus, you'd get to include Lk Garda and you won't be quite so rushed. (bonus: more wine!🍷)

@princesspupule, you make that festival sound really great, it sounds like you had a wonderful time.

@Wanderbug
few more giggles and laughs for you. flew to venice on saturday for 6 days for a week greek island cruise. customer told me about festival, double booked hotel, rented car, drove to bardolino on sunday morning and festival all day and night. we're early morning risers haha, maid had to come in our room at noon to see me and friend still passed out in bed!! woke up, took 2 fast showers and stopped in pescheira town for lunch then drove back to venice in the pouring rain. we laughed the whole way back and till this day.
when you are served lemons you make lemonciello. never a dull moment on vacation
aloha

@Princess, that's the way to do it, what a great memory!

If you have a spare couple of hours, consider taking a cooking class in Verona. It’s a fun way to experience the local food culture, learn how to make fresh pasta and tiramisu, and enjoy something a little different from the usual sightseeing. Plus, you get to eat everything you make!

https://cookingitaly.com/verona/

Hi there, I LOVED the Veneto & the countryside is gorgeous, hope you have a wonderful trip! There are so many good ideas here, especially about Verona, thanks everyone.

Would you mind updating us on what you're planning? Sounds like a longer visit starting in Milan? Any extra time in Italy gets my vote!