Venice as My Base: Where Should I Day-Trip (Milan, Florence, Bologna)?

I suggest looking at Google Maps to see the travel time required for these proposed day trips. You can check for both car and train times. Further, look at Trenitalia's website for train times and fares. Adjust your plans accordingly. You may decide to look at places closer to Venice. You might look at Verona, Padua, and Ravenna for starters. And remember how short the daylight hours are at that time of year.

You can look at historical weather averages for Venice on several different sites, using Google. Here's a link to the one I often use:
https://weatherspark.com/m/72429/11/Average-Weather-in-November-in-Venice-Italy

Pack and dress according to the predicted weather.

Are you staying on the lagoon or in the city? If you’re staying in the city, find out what train station you’ll be closest to.

Bologna is 1 1/2 hours by Freccia train, and 2 hours by regional train. Since regional trains price is always the same and pretty cheap (14.35 EUR) and every hour, taking these will be more flexible. The Freccia trains are only cheap if you buy them well in advance and nonrefundable.

Other day trips closer would be Padua, Vicenza, Verona, and Ferrara.

Also Treviso --- half an hour by train, and a very nice center for walking around and for eating (often canal-side). I second Ferrara, given your interests, for the same reasons.

hey hey Rigpa Power
are you staying right in venice or the outside of island? have you been before?
your travels sounds like what i like. here's a few suggestions you can check out with short train or bus rides
visititaly.eu/ explore pordenone
what to do and see in a day.
visitjesolo.it
jesolo sand nativity 11/29/2025 at piazza brescia. other christmas activities happening. even though lido de jesolo is a summer beach playground, other things so see & do
rossiwrites.com/ grotte del caglieron
caves, waterfalls & cheese. this is outside venice in the prosecco region. we did a private tour of the prosecco road & small towns along the way, with tasting and lunch. we had a fabulous driver/guide, oriana (owns the company and born/raised/still lives here)
orianancc.it [email protected] her english is great
rossiwrites.com/ treviso
ultimate travel guide, "birthplace of tiramisu", known for radicchio, and prosecco, many pretty canals, statues, just roam around and eat good food.
schezzini.it
bar tour "cichetti" for history, wine, and appetizers with alessandro. email him in contact page if interested
camacana.com
how to make venetian masks
crepes house of pepe fondementa de giobbe 548 B in canareggio district
sweet & savory crepes made to order, patience counts when a line.
isoladiburano.it
take a vaporetto to either burano or mazzorbo (stop here for walk around small island then cross wooden bridge to burano, my favorite. look at the shops open (check days/times open) many close 2pm and reopen after 5-6pm. eat seafood risotto, get burano cookie/bisquit: bussola & esse.
buy your vaporetto pass (highest hours you can and validate before getting on boat, you want no fines.
have a great and fun time, enjoy
aloha

Hi all

thank you for the tips they are helpful

princess pupule ... It is my first time ever to Italy and I will be staying in the Island Giudecca. :) I read it will be cold and chilly but less tourists and crowds which is a big plus for me .... I like your suggestions they are great ..... Thank you.

When considering out-of-town excursions, keep in mind that you must first get from your lodgings on Giudecca to the Venezia Santa Lucia train station. You can't simply walk--there's water in the way. Vaporetto 4.2 takes 18 minutes to get from the Palanca stop (not necessarily the closest to where you'll be staying) to the train station. It runs only every 20 minutes. To that time you must add walkng to Palanca and then from the train-station stop to the station itself. When all is said and done, getting to the train station to begin your journey will probably add at least 30 minutes to your travel time in each direction.