Padua+Verona or just Bologna?

Been to Bologna, it was OK, but frankly, I would pass on Bologna. Padua and Verona were nice, as was Ravenna.

With your preferences I would recommend Padova and Vicenza (15 to 30 mins from Padova on frequent cheap Regionale trains), which I found a more pleasant and interesting place than Verona, which gets its fame mainly from the Romeo and Julia story and the not too impressive Roman amphitheatre (arena).

I've been to all those cities - actually all of them more than once. They are among my favorite cities in Europe so you really can't go wrong. If I read you correctly you have two days and one night available? So either option would work. You might want to look for accommodations in both Verona and Bologna and whichever one you find the best place pick that option.

Here are my photos - maybe they will help you decide.
Verona, Vicenza, Padua - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/f176319487
Bologna - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/f600116703

Several years ago we spent two or three nights in both Padua and Verona and enjoyed each location.

We especially liked the Piazza dei Signori in Padua. In the early evening and until 11 or 12 the piazza is filled with tables from the restaurants along the piazza and crowded with diners. Sometimes a band was playing and the atmosphere was happy and peaceful. We stayed at the eclectic Hotel Verdi just a few minutes walk from the Piazza dei Signori. The property housed the most unusual elevator either one of us had ever seen. The car, in addition to being TINY, had only two sides and the other two sides were the concrete shaft. Our room was very clean, the staff was first-rate, and the breakfast was good.

In Verona, the best place to people watch is the Piazza Bra. We sat on some steps listening to the music from the opera, eating great gelato, and enjoying the night while people watching. very peaceful.

Buon Viaggio,

Thank you so so so much for your responses! And the photos, too, super helpful! We'll decide in the next couple of days :)

Every city has it's graffiti, but Bologna is famous for it. Outside Bologna's historic core, streets where the buses run are fairly stark architecturally, e.g. Via Guglielmo Marconi. As university towns, Padua and Bologna have a couple of similar features (such as an old operating theater) but Padua's Scrovegni Chapel is something special, and I also enjoyed the attached art museum.

Just spent 5 nights in Verona and now are in the historical center of Padua for 9 nights --- Verona is fine with many good qualities but we were instantly in love with Padua. Much more medieval in appearance with twisty streets, the 3 central piazze look friendly and fun instead of grand, and the many porticoes are keeping the rain and sun off of us. Very walkable but there is also a nice tram system. Tomorrow we go to the lovely Scrovegni Chapel, which I last saw 50 (yes, 50, not a typo) years ago, so I am pretty excited about that.

Several churches and historical buildings to explore, too.

So, here's one vote for Padua!

I've been to all 3 cities and enjoyed them all, but based on your criteria I think Padua+Verona is the better option.

We stayed in a Castle that was in between Padua and Verona. We did not enjoy Verona that much. Padua we enjoyed. They have the Scrovegni Chapel which is a must see if you are gong to Padua. Make sure you get your tickets before. I do not believe they sell them on same day for visits. They limit the number of visitors allowed per day. Only 25 spot for each time slot. If not all 25 fill up then you go in with fewer people. You get 20 minutes inside, can take pictures without flash! They have other historical buildings and churches to see. A cute town center & great coffee!

In between the Castle we stayed in and Padua is another little town with the cutest piazza, it has some of the oldest frescoes to see. stayed at Castello Bevilacqua it was not that expensive either.

nancyscherer8, the restoration work at the Scrovegni Chapel has given it a new vibrancy. I'm an art historian and artist outside of my IT professional life. My partner and I obtained 2 back to back 20 minute visits on 2 successive nights last October to give us time to truly study and enjoy it. I think you will notice the difference!

We spent 4 days in Padua last October before we moved on to Venice and other cities. My partner and I fell in love with it and ranks favorably among all of our destinations. Beyond the medieval appearance it's got the "Ann Arbor university vibe" that appeals to us. I was surprised by the number of art supply stores! As mentioned, the Scrovegni Chapel is the primary attraction and it's incredibly important in the history of western art. Also be sure to see the Donatello sculpture at St. Anthony's Basilica. We were surprised by how much we enjoyed spending time at the 800 year old Piazza della Ragione market (Monday through Saturday through 1 PM). We made friends with a vendor who brought an amazing dog with her every day. The entertaining canine made a game out of a pebble hidden among the paving stones. We found a very friendly owner of a restaurant near our hotel who coached me with my Italian but asked me to use English when he was too busy. He gave us a nice dessert as a gift on our last day. We didn't stay in center of town. Zoe mentioned staying near the train station and encouraged us to venture northwest of the center. We found the quirky Hotel Patavium to be enjoyable and their breakfast was surprisingly good. We're fairly fit even at our age and walked easily to the Scrovengi Chapel and St. Anthony's.

It seems everyone, almost without exception, recommends Padua, especially the Scrovegni Chapel, which is near the Civic Museum, I think? Two twenty-minute sessions in the chapel is a very clever idea, thank you. I think Padua and Verona is the final choice! Thank you to everyone, so much!

The two-sessions-in-a-row deal at the Scrovegni Chapel is only at night, starting at 7:00pm and I believe stops after November 4th until some time in March. The museum will be closed. We haven't booked a double session yet, but we will!

I’m not even knowledgeable about art, but I still booked a back-to-back visit at the Scrovegni Chapel. I enjoyed it much more than the Last Supper or the Sistine Chapel. It’s just gorgeous, the frescoes are interesting, and during the time between the back-to-back visits, the two of us who were doing back-to-backs got to stay there with the place to ourselves, except for one staff member. Truly memorable.

I have a different view. I've stayed overnight in all three. I really enjoyed the streets and buldings in Bologna but I am in the minority. Except for the Scrovegni Chapel (and remember, it takes an hour or more for the visit and you get a total of 15 minutes with the frescoes, no photos permitted), I didn't think it was very attractive, maybe it was all the trams and their overhead electrical wires. Verona was far and away my favorite, I liked the variety of the sights and the charm of the centro storico. The Arena is outstanding, the Basilica di San Zeno is stunning and unlike other churches and cathedrals you come across. There's a good art museum, especially if there's a special exhibit.

Non-flash photography was allowed at the Scrovegni Chapel last fall. We had great results in our work due to the superb new lighting system they installed. And yes...our back to back evening visits were in late September 2018. The visits consisted of 20 minutes in the "climatization" room viewing their video and then 40 minutes uninterrupted time in the chapel where the number of guests is limited to 25. It's much easier to book this year than it was last year. Go to: Book Scrovegni Chapel Evening Visits

The website's booking calendar shows availability for Sept. 8 thru Nov. 3. Mention is made in the accompanying text of late Dec and early Jan but the booking calendar has a hard stop at Nov. 3.

Photography is not allowed inside St. Anthony's Basilica.

We really had beautiful sunny late September days in Padua and our photos remind us just how much we enjoyed the warm appearance of the city as well as the friendliness and warmth of it's residents.

PS - we noticed that the number of people visiting the Scrovegni Chapel thinned out during the last 2 slots. I'd recommend going as late as possible because you may have an even smaller group. Also, watch the weather for mosquito forecasts. You may need to bring mosquito repellent if you are waiting outside in the evening.

I vote for Verona and Padova, reasoning thus: I wanted to go to each of those two cities for years before I finally went and when I did go I enjoyed each very much. I have never wanted to go to Bologna and I still do not want to go to Bologna. Also, anyone who likes fine food might want to go to Verona if only for the opportunity to eat at Mondo d’Oro.

I liked both Padua and Bologna a great deal; haven't yet been to Verona. Although both cities have worthwhile sights, I'm big on pounding the pavement in a city's historic district, and both Padua and Bologna gave me sizable areas to explore. Bologna's tourist office offered a good walking tour back in 2015.

I think either decision would work out well, but I wouldn't be ready to leave Padua before the end of the day.