Verona, Italy

Verona would be a great place to stop. Lot's of midieval neighborhoods to wander, the Roman Arena and walking along the river. Tripadvisor is a good source of information on destinations like Verona that are not covered as thoroughly by Rick.

Brenda, Verona is one of my favourite cities in Italy. Just wandering in the narrow streets, admiring the colours of the buildings; the archeolgical museum ,theatre and the formal Giardino Giusti, all across the river; hiking up the scala to Castel San Pietro for the view, the Arche Scaligeri; Piazza Bra for evening drinks; climbing the tower. Such a shame you are off season for an event at the Arena. Happy travels. Pat

I stopped for one day en route from Milan to Venice and loved the town; there was too much to see in one day. Buy the Verona Card, admission to all the main sights and unlimited bus rides.

I just googled "carnival in verona" and found this:
http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=22645

Looks like what you are after. NOW I'm jealous :-)

Happy trails.

I wouldn't worry about the fair. It will either be at the festival grounds which are a mile or so away from downtown. Have fun. It is a beautiful city.

Hi Brenda,
I also think that Verona is a great stop. If you have Rick's Italy book the "Self-Guided Walk" is a great way to get an overview of the city. We also liked Hotel Torcolo and stayed 3 nights. A fun restaurant was Osteria le Vecete for pasta, bruschette, and fun crostini. For an off-beat wine experience try Oreste dal Zovo--Oreste's wife Beverly is from Chicago.

Verona is a great place!! 2 nights at a minimum - 3 would be even better. Many good resturants and sights. Stayed at Hotel Torcollo (sp?) and would do so again. Very close to Venice so you can spend most of the last day there before going on. Hope this helps.

Thank you so much everyone. I truly appreciate your input. It sounds like a great place to spend the weekend.

We loved Verona and and spent a very full day there. Also you may consider Vicenza...with 30 minutes by frequent trains from Verona. Smaller, very walkable, and a jewel. One of my favorites.

Brenda,

YES, Verona is a great place to stop! Although I haven't been there in January, I'm sure you'll enjoy the city.

It will probably be a bit "chilly" to sit at the sidewalk Cafes along Piazza Bra, but there are lots of restaurants there and in Piazza Erbe to choose from. Of course, most visitors to Verona make the "obligatory" visit to the Romeo & Juliet site (it's close to Piazza Erbe). There probably won't be much to see in the Amphitheatre, but it's still interesting to look at the way this was built. There's also a large Castle and Museum down by the river (can't remember the name, but it's in Rick's book).

Although the station is fairly close to the main part of town, I used a Taxi to get to my Hotel. I've used the Bus on occasion also.

Hope you have a great time in Verona!

Verona is wonderful...make sure you get the Verona Card. You'll save a bunch of money!

We just returned from Italy and spent 2 days in Verona last week. It was one of the highlights of our trip (which also included Venice and Padova), even though the weather was on the chilly side and rainy both days. We stayed at Hotel Torcolo and can't recommend it highly enough. Great location - just steps away from Piazza Bra and the Arena. Everyone was super-friendly at the hotel and it is very reasonably priced. Plenty of great restaurants, grappa bars and sites. Two days is perfect for seeing Verona.

Thank you Gene for your reply and to everyone else. I have booked that same hotel for two nights but was deciding if we should maybe spend time in Umbria instead. We will be in Florence and Tuscany for 6 nights, but was not sure. After reading your message, I think it will be great to see Verona.

I'd go to Verona! It's everything that Gene described and more.

Thanks Sharon for your messages. I will get the book and try the restaurant and wine too!
You don't hear much about Verona, so was not quite sure but you guys confirmed it.
Thanks again.

Another vote for Verona. We visited briefly. It was a pleasant surprise. We particularly enjoyed the medieval section of town and the Roman ampitheater.