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Where to stay en route from Cinque Terre to Venice

Posted by (Pennsylvania) on

My husband and I are bringing our two teenagers to Italy in early March. We like hiking, wandering around cities, trying local foods, and visiting art museums. We are starting our trip in Cinque Terre and ending in Venice and are planning to rent a car to travel between (NOT IN!) the two cities.

Any recommendations for a good two-night stop on the way? I was considering Padua because a town full of university students sounded fun and the medical museum and botanical garden meet the interests of my two kids. . . but I'm open to other ideas.

Alternatively, I read about Franceschetta 58 in Modena and thought we might enjoy a stop centered around eating there, but I don't know anything else about the area.

Posted by
610 posts

We did this drive with two teens and stopped in Modena. We visited the Ferrari musem, which was pretty cool (even for a non-car person like myself.) It was exactly half-way between Monterosso and Venice.

Posted by
610 posts

We stopped for the day (we spent whole day there.) But after visiting, I wished we would've spent one night as we realized (once we were there) that there was more to do and see than we had thought.

Posted by
170 posts

Scrovegni Chapel and St. Anthony's Basilica & tomb are must see sights in Padua. The Chapel requires an advanced reservation, but well worth the effort.

Posted by
15965 posts

Bologna may be preferable to Padua . . . Bologna has fewer tourists generally and is a big university town. It has museums and the oldest university in Europe = more interesting than the one in Padua, be sure to see the old anatomical theatre there, where students watched autopsies. It's very walkable with some portico-lined streets (excellent choice in the rain), and is the food capital of Italy. It also has a well-preserved historic center and an art museum or two.

Posted by
443 posts

Padua is only 40 minutes from Venice by car and a short train ride, so it doesn't really break up your drive. If you want to visit there, I'd take the train from Venice and pick up the car leaving Padua.

Ferrera, Bologna, Modena, and Parma are all stops more in the middle that are rewarding for a two night stay.

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