Is it possible/feasible to take a day trip from Padua to Bolzano (or the Dolomite Region?) via a train?
John, this is doable but it's close to a 3.0hr train ride each way with a train change in Verona. Your first train to Verona-Porto Nuovo will be a high-speed. The second train is a Regionale. I see mini-fares on the high-speed as low as 9E. 18.50E for the entire one-way journey. You can see this on www.trenitalia.com. You'll need to type in Padova and Bolzano into the windows. Don't capitalize the cities. The website will do it for you. And, before you finish typing, you'll see a small window open near the middle of the page. Choose the city from the list.