Two nights to spare, where would you go?

What time of year, Barbara? If the summer, perhaps two nights in the Dolomites. I especially like Ortisei, or even up in one of the hotels in the Alpe di Siusi. I would only go here after June 1, though. Perhaps Stresa, Lake Garda are other options in the North? Or the Oltrepe Pavese wine country outside of Milan for two nights at a nice agriturismo?

Hi Barbara,

Verona is lovely, and it's on the train route to Padova. Otherwise, since you'll be in the smaller towns on your tour, you may want to stay in Milan and take advantage of the bigger city options.

I would say Verona too. With two nights you can see a lot. You might look into buying the Verona Card. It covers admission to many places. We went to places that were off our radar, but were covered by the card so we checked them out. We saw some great things. I loved Verona!!

Check out Vicenza or Ravenna, both are beautiful places to spend a couple of days.

Ravenna is amazing!!!! Incredible mosaics in San Vitale, and then the jewel-like little mausoleum of Empress Gallia Placidia.

These are great ideas. Thanks. I'm going in September and traveling solo. I'm thinking of maybe staying overnight in Padova and then taking two day trips using the train. If I travel up to Alpe di Siusi,is that train and bus? What is a good resource for where the trains go and bus schedules? Also info on a day cooking class or food tour in the area. Grazie!

My choice would be Verona... Such a beautiful city, and wonderful food.

I would vote for Ravenna, if you are at all interested in exploring a former seat for the Byzantine Empire. The mosaics are fantastic. I was there for 2 half days - arrived one afternoon & left the next afternoon. After a classic Emilia-Romagna stuffed pasta dinner, there was an open air art show near the old theater, where I went to a classical concert. There's also a central market to buy breakfast pastries and lunch to eat at the big piazza right next to it. Although I packed a lot into those 24 or so hours, the city had a relaxed ambience & friendliness about it, so I never felt like I was rushing around.
The main sites save one are easily walkable from the train station, but you could also rent a bike - a very common mode of transport.
To get there, you could connect through Ferrara or Bologna, either of which would also merit some of your time.

For my 2 extra days last December, I chose Verona. My daughter and I loved it there. It was winter so no opera, but if you are there during the season you can see and hear wonderful outdoor music.

September??? Id do the Dolomites. We traveled that whole region that time of year once and loved the Dolomites so much we ended up staying extra nights.

Time seeing the Ravenna mosaics with an excellent local guide is included in the Village Italy tour so I would not choose Ravenna. I would choose Verona or Vicenza. What are your interests?

Yes, Ravenna is included in my tour. I have also been to Verona but not in depth. Have never been to Vincenza, so that is an option. My interests are food, cooking, and art. Though I'd love to go to the Dolomites, I think I'd want more time to hike and explore.

I have to agee with the group consensus, Verona would be an excellent choice. After the Colosseum in Rome and the amphitheatre in Capua, the Roman arena in Verona is the third largest Roman amphitheatre. It's in great shape and amazing to tour. They still perform operas there. There is also plenty of other things to see there as well. Great restaurants and a fun market in the square. If you go, invest in the RS book - it was worth the investment for us when we went there.

I'm going to throw out the Cinque Terre, as its easy to get to by train from Milan. If you're looking for something that's oceanside, small towns, good food, hikes, etc. it's beautiful!

Will definitely consider Verona ! Any favorite restaurants there? Or regional specialties? I love the planning stage but can get bogged down wanting to do too much too! Becky, thanks for the thought of the Cinque Terre -I will be going there on my tour. Thanks to everyone for your great input.