Venice-Padua

Although it has been a few years, we were very impressed with Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo, which is quite near a vaporetto stop, and served a lovely breakfast.
I think you may really enjoy Venice the second time around with more time to take it all in which is hard to do with the crowds everywhere, and may indeed be ready for mountains and small villages next.
I went to Padova for a day trip only so can’t comment on staying there. Beautiful city.

Padua is about 20 minutes by train from Venice, so a really easy day trip. Maybe not worth changing hotels.
The Scrovegni chapel is special (you must book on line), the Orto Botanica is worth visiting, also the central markets, but visit them later in the week, they are quiet on Mondays and Tuesdays.

I agree with rachele about both the hotel, and enjoying a longer stay. We spent 5 days in Venice this past June, and stayed at the Al Ponte Mocenigo. We loved the hotel, and enjoyed the city so much we are hoping to go back in a couple of years for an even longer stay.

We spent 3 or 4 days in Padua in, I think, 2017, before the RS Village Italy tour. Once again, we loved it, and could easily have stayed longer had time permitted.

My husband and I spent nine nights in Padua in September 2019 and were surprised to discover that we would both love to live there. We've stayed in many, many Italian cities and towns and this was the first time we felt that way. There are three large, lively, and wonderful piazze, and lots of small ones. Plenty to do but few tourists. Plenty of bus stops for bus trips to other parts of the city or to and from the train station.

The Scrovegni Chapel was the main reason for going to Padua --- are you interested in seeing it? If so, I recommend booking an evening double visit, so you can spend a total of 45 minutes in the chapel. Well worth the time and trouble.

We also enjoyed the botanic garden and the Palazzo della Ragione, the medieval town hall, with its upper floor full of interesting frescoes. Below are busy delis, bakeries, coffee bars, and places where you can eat local food.

For restaurants, we really liked Osteria dal Capo and Osteria A Banda Del Buso. Our favorite gelato was at Gelateria Gnam Gnam in the Piazza dei Signori --- there are about five gelato places on this piazza. The caffe flavor was especially good, with tiny bits of coffee beans in it.

Many other things to do in Padova: https://rossiwrites.com/italy/veneto/padua-italy-reasons-visit/

The Scrovegni Chapel is indeed worth seeing. Since you are going in September, you should have no trouble. We arrived Sept 21, and went to the TI at the train station at about 4 PM. We booked the chapel at 9 AM the next day but stopped in anyway, and could have purchased our admission right then about 4:30. There were no crowds. The town is lots of fun with many students getting various degrees. The language of instruction is English, so we saw many US kids getting degrees. We walked around the town hitting as many of the sites on the ticket that we could.

Hi Carol, my husband & I love Venice and also our adult daughter who came with me in August. So I’m glad you’re giving it another chance. I like Hotel Ala - stayed there three times. It’s very close to the Santa Maria del Giglio vaporetto stop & no bridges from that stop to the hotel. The hotel is also handy to San Marco, Teatro La Fenice and the Accademia Bridge to head to the Dorsoduro neighborhood.

Even though it’s expensive, the last two times there, I’ve sat at the Florian outdoor tables my last evening and ordered a drink to enjoy the music, the ambiance and the fading light of day. It’s wonderful to see it busy during the day and then quiet down in the evening.

Be sure to take a walk and purposely get lost, wander the lanes, and just enjoy all of the “what’s around the next corner” moments. The Dorsoduro neighborhood is a good place to do it. Try to stay away from the main Rialto-to-San Marco route during the middle of the day when it’s full of day tourists. Burano is lovely; definitely do it.

We’ve stayed several nights in Padova. Other options might be to stay in Verona. It has the Roman Arena and also has very nice piazzas and a very nice city for tourists. From Verona, you could take a direct train for a day trip to Mantova to tour the Gonzaga palazzo, etc. I really liked Mantova - very authentic Italian and several adjacent piazzas. (I’ve stayed in over 30 cities in Italy.)

A few years back, we used the GoOpti van service from Ljubljana to Venice. It's a van-sized small group service, door to door. The drivers were prompt, courteous , professional, and spoke excellent English. It was a nice treat, and I felt the price was reasonable for the excellent service. I'm not sure what the current price structure is.

I'm glad you're giving Venice another chance. We stay in the Cannaregio area, which is quiet and on the smaller back canals, never any crowds. I have some incredible pix of this area during the "golden hours". Nothing in Venice is more than a 15 minute walk from this area, and there are always the vaporettos for transportation.

WE are heading back next spring, and I'm considering a day trip to Padua, so I'll be watching the input here closely.

Have a wonderful trip!

Padua is a nice comedown after Venice. I would not call it a city really, or at least it does not feel that way. Quite different from Venice, it is laid back and has its own elegance. I think Padua has the highest number of vintage Vespas per capita in Italy. As others mentioned the Scrovengi chapel is a can’t miss. The fact that it’s so controlled makes it a very stress free visit. St. Anthony’s Cathedral is amazing and seems to fall off the radar. Those sights aside it’s a pleasure to walk and explore with frequent cafe stops.

If this is your last stop before flying out, there’s an easy and frequent bus to Marco Polo that takes an hour and drops you right at the gates.

I've spent much of my professional life as an IT tech specialist/engineer but I've also got an art background both as an artist and as an art historian.

From an art history perspective, the importance of Giotto's work in the Scrovegni Chapel for western art can't be overstated. There's also significant Donatello work at St. Anthony's Basilica. The university town had several art supply stores that put ours to shame. I returned home with an embarrassment of watercolors, conti crayons and pastels. It's exciting mingling with the various students pursuing their interests and reminded me of my friend's time in Florence pursuing her MFA.

Several years ago we had the opportunity to see the Scrovegni Chapel "Under the Stars" which is an evening visit double the time normally allowed, a full 40 minutes with just one acclimatization period. We did that 2 evenings but then again I'm an art historian so probably overkill for a casual fan. I'm not sure if this is currently being offered but I recommend watching for it in the future.

There are some important Donatello pieces inside St. Anthony's Basilica (the high altar) as well as outside (the magnificent equestrian Statute of Condottiere Gattamelata is highly significant).

There are fun outdoor markets at several locations including the Palazzo della Ragione ( the medieval market hall). One of the vendors brought a wonderfully entertaining dog every day. As mentioned earlier in this thread weekends were best.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Padua and often think that we would enjoy living there more than any other place we've visited. Restaurant staffs were particularly patient with us and one presented us with a parting dessert after patronizing them so often. I really appreciated several kind restaurateurs who coached and encouraged my efforts with the language. I feel that Padua meets the criteria for a "destination with soul" as discussed in another thread. We've talked about it numerous times in the past several years as one of our favorite experiences.

We flew into Venice and took a taxi directly to our Padua hotel as we were exhausted. Days later we took the train back to Venice which places you in a most convenient spot. We stayed at the Hotel Patavium the last time we visited Padua. It's sort of northwest of the center of activity and while we enjoy a good walk some might find it a stretch south to St. Anthony's or even east to the Scrovegni Chapel. The hotel is quirky and we had an interesting private balcony and a huge bathroom. The breakfast variety and quality was amazing.

If the bus or van service does not work out, there is an easy train route involving a single change at Trieste. EC134 departs Ljubljana at 14:20, and with the one change on the way you arrive in Venice at 17:21.

I always like to arrive in Venice by train (rather than plane, bus, or boat) as there is something magical about that view of the Grand Canal, when you walk out of the train station and pause at the top of the steps.

I cannot suggest a hotel because we stay in apartments in Venice, booked through a reliable agency named Venice Red House. But I can “vet” a location for you, and will say that we like the Santa Croce neighborhood around Al Ponte Mocenigo very much. It is more of a residential area, less filled with tourists than the SanMarco—Rialto axis area. We also like the eastern portion of Dorsoduro for a longer stay (but it is not as convenient to the transport options).

I don't have anything new to add, but to reinforce points others have made:

• Cannaregio is a nice, laid back neighbourhood in Venice, close to everything but wonderfully free of crowds. I stayed in a rented apartment in an old palazzo and couldn't have enjoyed that more. Breakfast was available at several spots within a block or two from my front door. There were some very promising looking boutique hotels on the backstreets as well.

• The Scrovegni Chapel was the art highlight of an art packed couple of weeks in northern Italy. It is a must see.

• St. Anthony's basilica was also very worth the slight detour (a tram from downtown stops right in front of it). It is a major pilgrimage destination, which makes for a different, fascinating atmosphere compared to other churches, and in addition to the Donatello's, has one of the largest collections of relics I've seen.

• Padua is a student town, hosting the 2nd oldest university in Italy (after Bologna). In addition to the university itself as a picturesque stop, this means the assortment of reasonably priced eating and drinking establishments is what you'd expect.

Thanks for the suggestions for lodging in Venice, as well as things to do in Padua. So many places...so little time...
Thank you to the following for your Venice suggestions and input:
Rachel and Jane: you both mentioned the Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo, so I'll be sure to check it out. Jane, I remember reading your Trip Report on Venice. I'll have to do a search for it, to get more ideas. I know you and your husband did not have rolling suitcases, which we do, so a big concern of mine is navigating the streets and bridges of Venice with our rolling suitcases.
Jean: I'll keep the Hotel Ala in mind when I'm ready to book. Good to know no bridges to cross from the Santa Maria stop. People say to "get lost" in Venice, but that is so "not me." I think that is one of the reasons I found Venice not relaxing. I like to KNOW where I am at all times.
Pat and jturnerbc: both of you recommended the Cannaregio neighborhood. I have the Borch map of Venice, so I'll be able to get a clearer picture of neighborhoods.
Padua: Yes, we do plan on including the Scrovegni Chapel as well as the Basilica of St. Anthony (There are several Anthonys in our family).
nancys8: Thanks for the restaurant recommendations....as well as doing research on gelatos, an important element of our stay in Italy. We'll be sure to head to your favorite one. Now we don't have to try more than one gelato place per day. I also appreciate the link to "things to do in Padua." I feel that Padua is the kind of walkable city I enjoy just exploring.
Paul-of-the-frozen-North (You must be freezing right now with all the storms you've been experiencing): Good to know that the Scrovegni Chapel is more accessible in September. Especially since I haven't booked anything for our trip at this time.
Silas Marner: I love your enthusiasm and passion about the art found in Padua. I wish I was more knowledgable about art. I am a late-blooming art appreciator. The Hotel Patavium caught my attention, so I looked it up. It is only about ½ a mile from the Scrovegni Chapel. I haven't begun researching hotels in the city, but your suggestion is the only one received so far.

Silas Marner: I love your enthusiasm and passion about the art found in Padua. I wish I was more knowledgable about art. I am a late-blooming art appreciator. The Hotel Patavium caught my attention, so I looked it up. It is only about ½ a mile from the Scrovegni Chapel. I haven't begun researching hotels in the city, but your suggestion is the only one received so far.

@Carol, as long as you have your faculties you will continue to learn and develop your appreciation. Art history itself constantly adjusts it's tenets as knowledge increases.

Hotel Patavium seems to fly under the radar. It may perhaps be too quirky for the typical traveler but we were very comfortable there. The staff was very kind and assisted us with taxis and directions. We had one issue with a pocket door to the bathroom that couldn't be budged and an employee scrambled up the steps quickly and fixed it within minutes. The bathroom was much larger than we were accustomed to on RS tours. The breakfast was extensive but our last stay was in September 2018. There was an interesting old-school stationery store across the street from the hotel which had all kinds of interesting odds and ends. We walked nearly everywhere and found numerous places to eat. We did take a taxi from the hotel to the train station when we continued on to Venice.

As mentioned earlier, it's very easy to get back and forth from Venice to Padova. I'd suggest choosing a Regionale train as they're less expensive and the time difference is minimal on such a short route. If buying tickets locally (which I usually do), don't forget to validate (the same is true with the Vaporetti in Venice).

Staying in Venice is probably the best idea as most of the sights you want to see are there, and also you'll have a better selection of restaurants and hotels. There are certainly some worthwhile sights to see in Padova and you could do those as day trips rather than spending a few nights there.

Regarding hotels and restaurants in Venice and elsewhere, you may want to have a look at the newest edition of the RS Italy guidebook. Some things may have changed with hotels and restaurants due to the pandemic, and the guidebook will provide you with current information. I just received a copy of the new book and there's a wealth of information there!

Good luck with your planning!