Venice and Padova?

Seems doable to me. We stayed in Padova once and took the train into Venice (its not a long ride). Padova is a great city with many good sites and an excellent transportation system.

Padova's Scrovegni chapel is the one thing not to miss in Padova. Make sure you reserve ahead of time. These paintings by Giotto are considered as being the birth of pre-rennaissance. It's the Sistine chapel 200 years before.
The rest of the city is nice, the cathedral, etc.
But doesn't compare in my mind to Venice where I feel you are maybe not spending enough time for your friend to really see what Venice is all about.
As you know, you've been there many times,(3 times here as well), the magic of Venice is in the back alleys, far away in my mind from Piazza San Marco and Rialto bridge where as you said, you will fins A LOT of tourists in june.
Of course, Palazzo Ducale, San Marco Basilica and piazza are must sees. But for me the magic is everywhere else: the others piazzas, the other churches where you find major paintings from major artists, loosing yourself by wnadering around.
Also going for a day in Burano, Murano could be part of that trip.
Accademia gallery is also a wonderful museum if you are into rennaissance painting
Hava great trip with you friend
Claude

Yeah, I feel like I am not allowing for enough time in Venice, where we will take a couple of walking tours so I am inclined to change my plans so that we staying in Venice and either take a day trip to Padova or stay one night. I know it is better to stay in one place for multiple nights than a night here and there -- Decisions! Decisions!

I think the idea of basing in Venice and taking a day trip to Padova is a better plan. Of course, Padova is a great destination, but for a single day, it's more doable than Venice. Definitely get tickets for the Scrovegni chapel in advance (you only get about 20 minutes inside) so you'd have enough time to wander the piazzas. Evenings are definitely more magical in Venice.

Thanks. I have decided to stay in Venice and visit Padova one of the days. My son-in-law (from Milan) agrees that Padova can be seen in a day, whereas Venice deserves more time.

Another wonderful site in Padova, not very far from the Scrovegni Chapel, is the food market at Piazza dell’Erbe, which has been going for 800 years, and is one of the most beautiful markets in all of Italy. There are sections both inside and outside. It is open every day but Sunday, from around 7:30 to 1:30.

I will add the food market to my list. Thanks!

Terri, in planning this, you might consider one other possibility: you could go by train from Milano (?), stop in Padova and store your bags at the train station, visit key sites in Padova by walking or local buses, then pick up your bags and continue into Venice by train. It would mean a long day, but would elim8nate the need to make a day trip back to Padova.

That is NOT a bad idea at all! Then, we could go on to Venice for the late afternoon/evening and have another day and a half just in Venice. I like it!! Thanks so much Larry