OK, I know it's not until next year...Venice carnival 2019

I’ve been to the Venice Carnival pretty much every year in the 1980s, while I was still living in Italy.

Actually the peak of the Venice carnival is the last weekend before carnival, which in 2019 falls on Tuesday March 5 (Fat Tuesday). So the biggest crowds and activities will be on March 1-3, when everybody comes to town. Book early if you go that weekend.

Where you want to spend the rest of your stay is up to you. The choices are endless. There are lots of great cities that you can visit within a few hours from Venice by train. Even Rome is within reach (3h45min) and Florence is just 2 h away. Nice is not near, so it might be faster to fly (there are flights from VCE to NCE although not sure if seasonally).

The weather in March may still be winter weather, but sometimes spring comes early. Hard to predict. But March is typically a bit rainy so carry a small umbrella.

We were there for "Grand Opening" for Carnevale in 2015. Hotels we're not at a premium then, I believe 2 1/2 weeks before "Fat Tuesday". Saturday night began with a boat parade on the Rio Canareggio with "floats" that actually floated. A "Cirque du Sole" type of show on the water. Sunday was another boat parade on the Rio Canareggio by Venetians, in all manner of costume, rowing all manner of boats. At the end, free food for all. A fair number of people wandering around in full Carnevale costume. Maybe the pay for a photo op. Did not get into it.

Treviso, Padua, Vicenza, and Verona can be "day tripped" from any of the others. Verona would be my first choice -- just my personal preference as it is a really neat city. Ravenna is far enough away from Venice to stay a night or two and not be done as a day trip.

The early days of Carnivale are a bit more quiet than the later days. You'll see more photo shoots in the early days, because the crowds are a bit more manageable. Some of the more outrageous costumes don't appear until the last 3-4 days, along with larger crowds. If you can't be there for the whole event, there's a trade-off for what you can see and experience.

The full event is a bit much to take on. Dealing with the constant crowds can be a serious pain. It can take hours to get from one place to the next, 30-45 minutes to cross bridges. Not fun, especially in bad weather.

Verona, Vincenza, or Florence would suit me just fine, given what you wrote.

Hmmm, well that is something to think about. I really am not a fan of crazy crowds (tho I know it goes with the territory in this instance) and am def interested in getting photo ops. I understand greatly the importance of getting out early. I figured moving to a few other spots to daytrip would be better (and perhaps cheaper) than staying in Venice the whole time. I’ll have to check out photos and schedules for this year and see what calls to me more.

Of the smaller places I listed...Padua, Vicenza, etc...all they all pretty much a day and good? (Other than Florence, of course).

Another question...do any of the other areas around do any specials festivals/events for carnival that would be just as interesting?

"I really am not a fan of crazy crowds"
Crazy is not exactly the word I would use for Carnivale. Insane is more like it. Carnivale crowds in Venice are not for the meek. They can be scary, frustrating, and a serious test of one's will and patience. At all costs, avoid the Mercerie. If you get stuck there in a single line, you can get stuck for hours.

"moving to a few other spots to daytrip"
It would never occur to me to daytrip while visiting Venice during Carnivale. The train station is a major nightmare during this holiday event. The train station is the way most people come in, with tons of costume luggage. The area is wall-to-wall people at all hours. I wouldn't go near it for anything.

I can see leaving Venice to see and stay in some other city, but absolutely no day-tripping in and out during Carnivale. Anyone who recommends this is giving you bad advice.

"do any of the other areas around do any specials festivals/events for carnival"
No other city in the area would ever consider competing with Venice on this one.

No...we won’t be daytripping from Venice. I’m just trying to figure out what to see for the other 8 or so nights. Basing in a few other spots and daytripping from there.

No...we won’t be daytripping from Venice.

Whew!

I'm a big fan of the Carnivale in Ivrea, near Torino, with three days of orange battles, team parades, and cod and polenta on Ash Wednesday. Verona also has a parade and gnocchi celebration on the Friday before Fat Tuesday. Other nearby cities may have celebrations that don't necessarily conflict on the same dates.

Since you have decided not to day trip from Venice (a wise choice), Verona would be a good first choice as a base. Padua, Vicenza, and Verona can all consume at least a couple of days none of them really fall into the "one and done" category.

I always went for the last weekend before Fat Tuesday. Some places, especially near Piazza San Marco, are a zoo. In the calli (alleys) leading to the Piazza, they have the police regulating foot traffic. First people can walk in one direction, then the alternate direction, just like when a road lane is closed for road work.
But although the major streets (calli) and Campi (piazzas) have a lot of foot traffic, as you get away from the main drags, basically near the Grand Canal and the San Marco basin, crowds disappear. So you can find quieter places to regain some sanity.
It’s a unique experience that is worth trying though. Some of the costumes are ornate and fabulous, others are outrageously imaginative and funny. I still have a photo of a guy dressed like a toilet and flush tank, with people sitting on him to take pictures.

Based on NYCFood’s experience, it sounds as though the ferrovia in Venice is well avoided.
I would suggest Verona for a few days. The Castel Vecchio museum is really worth visiting, if that is your thing, and the ampitheatre and area around Piazzale Bra is fun. We have stayed there a couple of times for two or three days. If the weather is fine, cross the river and walk uphill until you run out of hill, and you’ll understand why Verona is where it is. A horseshou bend in the river, and so defencible.
There are easy day trips from there.
Padua of course, and the Scrovegni chapel is something to be seen. You have to make a booking on line. The tram in Padua makes it esay to get around, tickets at the booth to your left as you exit the station. Also the Botanical Gardens in Padua, started in 15something are interesting, as is the newish greenhouse with a range of microclimates.
Vicenza for the Palladian architecture and theatre.
We enjoyed a visit to Treviso, a fascinating small town with little rivulets running all through it.
Bassano del Grappa is further, worth a day trip although it takes a while, the regional train plodding along the Veneto plains. In March, the Brenta will be boiling with snow melt, shaking the Palladian bridge to its foundations.

We will be in the area during Carnivale, and I am wondering if coming in on a weekday during the first week is doable and whether it makes more sense to drive in or take the train. Is there an easy commute from a "park and ride" type setting along the city's edge? I don't want to spend hours in traffic, but I'd like to see Venice regardless of the timing and Carnivale if it's not too chock-a-block would be exciting to witness as well. Thanks for advice.

My choices of the ones you mentioned would be Ravenna, Ferrara (I would rather stay in either of these than Bologna) and Verona. If the weather turned out not to be crappy, Florence could be a delight in the off season.