Verona or Vicenza?

Consider Padua, too. I haven't been to Verona, but Padua kept me occupied a lot longer than Vicenza (which I liked a lot, but I dom't think it's the right place to stay for 5 nights). You can get to Venice from Padua in 27 minutes, whereas it takes 70 minutes from Verona. Since i think you're more likely to want to make multiple trips to Venice than,to Milan, I'd prefer a base that is closer to Venice.

Vicenza due to it's location in the Veneto. It is a charming small city and we toured many places from there.

I stayed in quieter but charming Vicenza and daytripped from there to both Venice and Verona when I was there May 2017. When I was researching I found that the lodging close to the center is a little cheaper in Vicenza than in Verona or Padua. Verona I found was pretty crowded and more touristy (a lot of high end shops) than Vicenza

It could have been the weather, but I found Vicenza a much nicer and interesting place than Verona. And it's closer to Padua (Padova) and Venice as well.

Wow, thank you all for your quick replies - just the kind of advice I was looking for!!!

We stayed in Verona for 2 weeks and LOVED it. We did a day trip to Vicenza and were somewhat disappointed. Granted, it was off season and a week day, but Verona had so much more to offer.

I would choose Padova or Verona for transportation convenience.

Last October I stayed in Vicenza and liked it because it is smaller, less expensive, less crowded and less touristy than either Verona or Padova. Train service to those cities as well as Venezia is frequent, and fast. For a unique dining experience that won't break the bank, try Righetti in the Piazza del Duomo.

I'll be the odd man out on this one. I would find an apartment in Venice and do the occasional trip out to Verona, Vicenza and Padua if the crowds unnerved you.

Day tripping into Venice is not all the pleasurable (I say from experience).

• From Vicenza, it's a 35 minute/€16 fast train or a 65 minute/€7 regional train ride. That's after getting to the train station (Padua is half the distance/time, Verona is twice the distance/time).
• The Venice Ferrovia water bus station (in front of the Santa Lucia train station) is horribly busy in the morning with day-tripper traffic.
• Evenings are tempered with anxiety about catching the train back to the mainland...
• Finally, Venice is absolutely the most pleasant in the late evening after the day trippers leave and early daytime hours before they arrive. It's well worth staying the night(s) in the lagoon.

You can usually find an apartment in the lagoon for a pretty good rate. Our apartment cost about the same as a quality hotel in Vicenza or Padua and it had two bedrooms and two baths (and an elevator). This puts an apartment in the lagoon in the same price ballpark as a quality mainland hotel (located in a quaint area) and daily transportation into Venice.

Now, if Venice is purely secondary and your main focus is on the northern Italian countryside, I would go with Verona.

I agree that Vicenza is a better place to stay than Verona. My brother lives there and I have visited many times. It's very easy to reach Venice, Milan and Verona and everything in between by train from Vicenza. Verona is very touristy and Vicenza has a more local feel. Have fun!!!!

Again, thank you all for your good advice. What a great community!

I'm obviously biased but I am in love with centro Vicenza (the historic center). Vicenza has always been underrated because there are no hugely famous tourist draws like Verona (The Arena), Milan (Duomo), Venice (take your pick), etc. The beauty of the city is in the streets of the centro area and the buildings that line them. We live right in the heart of centro and we never get tired of taking morning or evening passagiatas and admiring the history and uniqueness of the city.

If you do end up in Vicenza, hit me up and I'll give you some suggestions on what to see here. We've been here off and on (mostly on) since 2000 and have been to Venice well over 100 times so I can give you some suggestions there as if you need it as well as other hidden gems in the area you might like such as Bassano del Grappa.

In bocca al lupo!

Hi Rik, We are leaning towards basing in Vicenza, so any advice you have as far as location within Vicenza, restaurants, sights and the "hidden gems" in the region would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I'm pretty sure there are walking tours, probably bookable through the tourist office. The historic area is rather small. Pick up a map from the tourist office and wander at will if you can't hook up with a walking tour.

I think the Teatro Olimpico is considered the #1 sight, but there are other Palladian buildings to be seen.