Padua for a month

I lived in Vicenza and Verona for a few years and often made the train trip to Padova for the Saturday markets. It’s a great area for visiting other cities in the Veneto!

Not a bad area for a base, but you might wish to have two bases, one for two weeks then move down closer to Rome or Florence for the other.

I was only in Padua for 5 days, but I loved it and wished I could have stayed longer. What a terrific place! Out of the 5 cities I visited on my 4-week trip to Italy, it was my favourite by far.

Like any city, where you should stay depends on why you're there.........are you going there as a base for a vacation, or because you're working there or doing some studies? I spent my time there in the old city center near the university, and pretty much had everything I needed (I was near Piazza del Signori, my favourite of the piazzas I found in the city) - with easy access to buses, and about a 20 minute walk to the train station if I didn't want to take a bus.

We were there in October and rented the apartment Antica Casa dei Fabbri. It was just steps from Piazza delle Erbe with it's daily fruit and vegetable market. There's also a wonderful marketplace on the ground floor of the Palazzo della Ragione. The apartment was quite nice with a great bed and a good kitchen with a washing machine. Some nights were a bit noisy (it is a college town, after all) but ear plugs addressed that. Stay within a few blocks of the tram and Padova is your oyster.

pkamor --- Did you get the long private message I sent you about Padua? Nancy

Padova isn't a particularly large town. As suggested above, if you plan to make multiple day trips then look for a place that's convenient to the tram line and train station.

I am looking at Padua for a month as well -- or Verona or Vicenza or Treviso -- and even Sienna ;) Looking for quaint charm and liveliness at the same time while I telecommute for a change of pace from my LA suburb.

For a place to stay in a city, I research high-end hotels because they are usually in nice parts of town near restaurants. then I check out the location on Google maps and the hotel website. I'm not sure what the top hotels are in Padua but I'm sure someone else does.

Also, I thought these articles might be helpful. You might need to register for a free subscription to The Telegraph to get this top article:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/8803602/Padua-Italy-a-cultural-city-guide.html
https://www.italytravelandlife.com/2015/09/48-hours-in-padua/

Stay in the historical center, basically around Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Signori (or walking distance from there) on the south bank of the Piovego Canal. It’s more expensive but it’s nice, it’s also near several University schools, therefore plenty of restaurants and cafes.

The area near the station is the worst in town, especially on the immediate north side of the station (Arcella District).
When you take day trips, you can take a taxi or a bus or the trolley to the station. You don’t need to live near it.

Pkamor, are you planning on day trips and weekend trips, or staying out and living like locals? I heard a podcast today that Padua has the largest piazza in all of Italy 🇮🇹

I am planning mostly day trips. There might be one over night. I'm there for a month so there will be many days living as a local. I'm not sure yet if I am going to sign myself up for Italian language classes during my month stay.