Village of Italy tour--Venice to Padua

Yes, it will not be a problem. It is short trip.

If you have not purchased your fights and have not been to Venice add another day or two there. It's more than worth it. I'm not fond of the area near the train station, but, Venice is small so you can take a water bus or walk to wherever. The train is easy and frequent. The tour is fabulous!

We went on the Venice, Florence, Rome tour a couple of years ago, that is why we are spending our extra day there. We have a few things we missed, and a few places we want to go back to.

The best trains are the Regionale Veloce which do it in the same time as the Freccia trains at a fraction of the cost, 4.15 EUR. They generally go every 30 minutes at 12 and 42 past the hour, but there is a mid morning break between 8:42 and 10:42. The Freccia trains cost 18 EUR and they aren't any faster over this short stretch, and the regular Regionali make a lot of stops along the way, so they are a lot slower. They go at 5 and 35 past the hour. Regional trains are always the same price and there are no reserved seats, so no point in buying ahead of time.

Edit - And there is nothing wrong with the area near the train station, just a bit busier due to the foot traffic to/from the station.

We read it was a lot busier, but they are going to hold our bags between checkout time and when we get on the train and it's only one night so I'm okay with it.

Venice is not large. I agree with suggestion that you not stay near the train station.

Many of the folks who have taken the Village Italy tour (including me) suggest allowing more time for Padua. Please try to get there early on tour day to enjoy the city.

We bought our Venice>Padua tickets on the day of travel from machine at the station -- easy!

I agree, spend as much time in Padova as possible. Lovely city.

Another vote for Padova! We went several days early before our VI tour, spent them all in Padua, and didn't see half of what we wanted to see. The Padova Card easily paid for itself.

I bought my ticket from a machine just before I got on the train. I used the machines just outside the ticket office as I believe the machines found just as you enter the station are for the faster trains only and much more expensive.

It was just a few euros. Since it's a regional train, there is no savings buying the ticket early.

Get reservations to the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua in advance.

We did this tour a couple years ago (It was Awesome!!), and we started in Venice, too. Yes, you can get your tickets when you get there. The train is so frequent that it's more like a city bus. Having said that, we bought tickets for the afternoon train we wanted in the morning when we were close to the train station. I'm glad we did this because it took a bit of a weight off my shoulders. The first machine we tried wasn't working and there were short waits (1-2 people) everywhere, so I would have been worrying about time, plus we didn't have our luggage to fuss with while we planned our attack.

You don't need to make reservations at the Scrovegni Chapel. A visit is included in the tour.

Frank II, you're right, but some of us needed more than one visit!

You should travel a little further past Padova to spend some time in Vicenza, the centro area is more compact, prettier and more enjoyable.

I have been to Italy 9 times and spent months there - I speak Italian so it is a great opportunity to practice! Venice is a magical city and I would agree to spend a full jet lag day there - you will have another opportunity to go to Padua.

The advantage of staying near the train station is that you don’t have to drag your suitcases all over the city. The area is nice and you won’t be spending much time in the hotel. I have learned in my travels to Italy to stay near the main train station - that way you don’t spend time and money getting to your hotel and you can use that savings to buy a nice souvenir! I would buy the map MapEasy’s Guidemap to Venice ($7.95 Amazon Prime). They are really fun maps with pictures of locations and descriptions.
The first thing you could do is get an all day ticket for the Vaporetto (make sure to validate it in the little box before you load - otherwise it is a hefty fine). It will take you all around the Island (Rick Steves has a terrific audio tour). You can get off and on as you like. It will give you an orientation to the city.
Some sights you might like to see:
1. Theato La Fenice - the Opera House of Venice - absolutely beautiful.
2. San Zaccaria with the Bellini Altar
3. And nearby is the Chiesa della Pietà - to the back is the orphanage that houses the instruments that Vivaldi used in teaching the little orphans and some of the books, music and clothing - it is very touching. You will need to ask your hotel to assist with a reservation to visit. It is one of my favorite sites.
4. Campo San Giovanni e Paolo and its enormous Church. It is an interesting area, out of the beaten path and lots of fun cafes.
5. The Jewish Quarter - a stop on the vaporetto and site of the original concept of a Ghetto.
6. S. Maria dei Frari - a beautiful Church with art that will dazzle! It was a Franciscan Monastery - Mass is stil held, as at most of the Churches in Venice.
7. Santa Maria della Salute - gorgeous.
8. And of course PIazza San Marco - you will have a tour of the Basicllica but its fun to just sit and have something to eat or drink. Be SURE to visit Cafe Florian - one of the original cafes of Venice - so very elegant.

And if you are free for the evening buy tickets to hear Interpreti Venieziani - you can find their website online - arrive early but any seat in the Church is good. They are astonishing and when I heard them play Vivaldi’s Four Seasons they played so fast you could actually see the bows’ arc - almost like a time-lapse. I go to hear them every time I am in Venice. They play in Chiesa San Vidal in Campo San Stefano.

Just wander and meander the streets and canals if you have extra time - there is a surprise every few steps!

So have so much fun and remember you can’t see everything. Italians are very relaxed and if you get into the tempo of their lives you will enjoy so much more.

We are doing this tour next May.....when is your tour? At this point we haven't purchased airfare yet so we are unsure of when we will arrive in Italy. I toyed with the idea of spending a night in Venice (we were first introduced 2 years ago and would love to return) but more and more people suggest spending an extra day or two in Padua which is something we are leaning towards.

Our tour is late May, we have already booked hotel and air. We have been to Venice before and have a few places we would like to visit and since it's not our first visit it puts less pressure on our jet lag day.