Trams After Dark in Padova?

Yes, some rowdy kids ride the tram. Just like in St Louis or Minneapolis.

Thanks Sam.

We are planning to day trip from Padua to Venice and would like to stay in Venice late enough to enjoy dinner and a stroll without crowds. We're staying very near the Piazza delle Erbe. Would we be just as likely to encounter rowdies walking from the train station to our apartment?

Is Rick Steves talking about the new tramway that opened about 10 years ago?
It’s very clean, modern and safe, so I don’t know what we are talking about here.
Take the tram, there is no reason to fear anything. Padua is safer than any place you’ve been in the US.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Padua

I was going to say, pay no mind to the skateboards and pink hair.

Thanks everyone.

I would agree that Padova is certainly safe, even at night. I would have no fear of walking to my hotel from the train station. And I'm 80.

I as in Padova last October and took trams and walked quite a bit at night and never saw anything amiss. I wouldn’t hesitate to hop the tram from the train station to your hotel.

Phrank,

I also took a day trip to Venice during my stay in Padova and came back in the evening. I used the Trams numerous times during my stay and don't recall that they were especially dodgy at night. Perhaps things have changed?

I think often the doom and gloom warnings are from people that only travel at home in hermatically sealed cars. Public transport may be outside some people's comfort zones, but it doesn't make it unsafe.

I would not read too much into that single-sentence taxi mention on p. 113. It gives such short shrift to taxis that I think the main point is closer to "you'll probably never need a taxi but here's the price if you want one."