europeannovice

Things were put on hold for a long while. Now I am starting to resume planning again.

Back to deciding whether to use Padua as a base to see Padua and Vicenza or just stay and do both as day trips from Venice.

The list of interests in Padua are the Scrovegni Chapel; the University tour; St Anthony's Basilica; the botanical garden; Prato del Vale and the Palazzo della Ragione plus the squares. This list doesn't leave much time to just sit in a cafe and enjoy some time that way or to stroll through the markets if we only have the one day.

So if limited for time, what do you think can reasonably be accomplished in one day if leaving in the morning from Venice?

Is Padua worth spending more than just a day trip? Still pondering and welcome additional thoughts and suggestions.

Traveler_Nick

The disadvantage of Venice is it will likely be the most expensive lodging for your trip. IMHO stay in Venice to see Venice. If you want to day trip you might as well stay elsewhere.

It may be only a 30 minute train ride for Padova but that ends up being 1 hour round trip plus the waiting time plus the time to get to the station.

Sassafrass

In some cases, day trips from a base work great, but sometimes it is better logistically to visit one place on route to another. What is your itinerary before and after Venice?

TDudette

If you leave early enough, I think you can make it work, europeannovice. Timing for the Chapel and University tours would have to be perfect, and you'd have to remember siesta closing times. It would be a busy day. Oh, Caffé Pedrocchi is worth a look drink also!

europeannovice

Hi Traveler_Nick and Sassafrass,

Yes that is why I am leaning on staying in Padua rather than doing a daytrip from Venice. However it would require an extra check in and check out and an added day for travel thus having to eliminate a night from someplace else. The overall itinerary is to go from Venice to Milan or Milan to Venice depending where we start with numerous stops in between including a dip into Emilia-Romagna for a visit to Ravenna for the mosaics.

These are the places we want to visit
Venice--for a few days
Ravenna--thinking of basing here a few days for Ravenna itself and a daytrip to Bologna or Ferrara or Faenza--can't do them all but the options are there to pick one maybe or just relax in Ravenna--quieter than Bologna unless the cruise ships converge like they did in Florence!
Padua--debating on using this as a base for Padua and Vicenza or visit Padua as a daytrip from Venice
Vicenza--day trip from somewhere
Verona for a few days--using as a base for Verona and Mantova--can also visit Bologna from here too instead of Mantova
Milan a few days

There seems to be enough to do in Padua itself to warrant more than one day's worth. If doing as a daytrip would have to streamline and limit the activities to be able to fit those selected comfortably in a day. So realistically probably would only be able to see the Scrovegni Chapel; and a couple of other things rather than all the things I listed above.

neckervd

Venice as a hub for day trips can make sense if you stay in a hotel close to the railway station (Calle Priuli or Calle de la Misericordia, but far away from noisy Lista di Spagna). Otherwise you would waste a lot of time with intracity transport.
Bologna would be a good base for Ravenna, Faenza, Ferrara, Padova, Mantova, Verona and other places arund, but again if you stay close to the railway station. Not all areas around the railway station are noisy.
Verona makes sense for trips to Lake Garda, Dolomites, Lake Iseo and the prehistoric rock carvings at Capo di Ponte, as well as Cremona, Mantova and Vicenza.

HappyTrvlr

We were in Venice for two weeks on the third time we traveled there. Our favorite day trip, all on a train, was to Bassano de Grappa, a charming town with a Palladian bridge and a distinctive Alpine feel.

Sassafrass

A hub and spoke trip where day trips are in different directions from the base make sense. Venice, however, with both Padua and Vicenza in the mix, and considering you will be coming from Verona or going there from Venice, does not work as well. Plus, that route passes right by or very close to Vicenza, so this is one place that a more linear route (even checking into another hotel) is logistically a time saver. Being able to stay late, have dinner and be close to your hotel rather than getting back on a train is nice.

Padua is a good day trip from Venice. You could also stop in Padua on the way to Venice from somewhere South, spend the night and on to Venice.

Vicenza is not, IMHO, a great day trip from Venice. It takes more travel time than you might think. It is an OK day trip from Padua or Verona or as a stop between Padua and Verona or between Venice and Verona. I hope this makes sense. If you are going from say, Venice to Verona, stay a night in Padua (I would have loved one overnight in Padua) and make Vicenza a stopover on the way to Verona from Padua. Stash your luggage at the train station if they still offer that. If not, there are lots of places that have left luggage nearby. You could also make Vicenza a stop on the way to/from Verona. If you make Vicenza a stop on the way between places, it will save extra travel time and is just as convenient. There are also hotels very close to the station in Vicenza if you do wish to stay over, and since it is a smaller town, it is easy to walk around from the train station.

In Verona, I would stay closer to the Amphitheater area because it is nice for walking in the evening and there are lots of restaurants. Take a taxi from the station. Yeah, costs a bit more, but worth the convenience.

Be sure to check days and hours for things you want to see in Vicenza. Do not miss Teatro Olimpico! That was my number one thing to see there and met every expectation. It has the most perfectly formed space inside of any building I have ever been in and the stage is amazing. See if any events, concerts or plays are taking place. That would be a highlight. Try to go to Vicenza on market day. It is right in the city center and has a lot of local food products. We did not see the Rotunda (missed the hours) and work was being done on the cathedral, tons of scaffolding at the time.

In Padua, I thought the city center was wonderful in the evening, but have no REC’s for lodging. Be sure to get tickets for Scrovigni chapel. For personal reasons we were five days in Vicenza, so did Padua as a day trip from Vicenza. It was tiring and I wished we were staying over.

europeannovice

TDudette--You and I must have been typing at the same time so I missed your post earlier. As you say for a daytrip to see the highlights regarding the Scrovegni Chapel tour and a University tour the timing would have to be considered so they don't overlap in any way.

Neckervd--Yes I agree lodging would have to be near the train station for daytrips from Venice to make sense timewise.

HappyTrvlr--That's great you were able to go three times to Venice. It's interesting some people don't view Venice highly and say once was enough and others really enjoy the atmosphere and go back often for longer stays. Probably those who say "been there done that" are daytrippers? I read about Bassano de Grappa--sounds like another great place to visit but will have to wait for another time for us. We have a long list as it is lol.

Sassafrass--Your post does make sense. I think I am leaning more towards staying in Padua as another base even though it means checking in and out again but logistically moving in the same relative direction. Absolutely on my list is Teatro Olimpico! It sounds amazing. In Venice San Giorgio Maggiore was also designed by Palladio. Did you get to see that in your past trips?

Now I probably need to cut out a night from somewhere--Ugh! Wish I could just add another night to the overall itinerary but I can't. It will probably be either Milan or Ravenna. The more I read about Milan it does offer plenty to occupy a tourist besides the Duomo and the Last Supper. The Ambrosiana sounds great as does a tour of La Scala. Then again there is probably a tour of La Fenice in Venice. Don't know how the two opera houses compare. Milan is more expensive too I believe.

Can you see all the major mosaic sights in Ravenna in one day? Or do you need more time if you want to go to Classis too?

Thanks all for your comments!

dreamon

I'd consider basing yourselves in Vicenza, from where you can do day trips to Padova and Verona (and Bassano should you find time). We enjoyed our stay there a few years ago. However, it's more time consuming to visit Bologna or Mantova from there. You could also visit both Vicenza and Padova from Verona (on separate days) if you wished but it sounds like you have quite a list of places to visit in Padova so you'd have to make the most of your day (dawn to dinner is always possible). I don't think there are really any bad choices here.

We saw all the main mosaic sights in Ravenna and Classe in one long day (travelling from Ferrara where we were staying). More time would have been nice but we did fit in a lot without feeling ridiculously rushed. With hindsight, I might consider visiting Classe first so as to end in Ravenna. Note that if you consider staying in Ferrara, the train station is a longish walk from the centre of town or a short bus ride.

Peter_S_Aus

Padova is half an hour from Venice, Vicenza mabe 3/4, Verona 1&3/4 hours, Bassano del Grappa I think also 1&3/4.
So all pretty easy from Venice.
In Padova, get a tram ticket from the booth on your right as you exit, maybe get two - three hour tickets. Tram stop is outside McDonalds.
In Verona, the walk from station ton downtown is boring so a cab makes sense.
Moving hotels to avoid a relatively short train trip does not make a lot of sense.

In Padova, the central market is fun, but very quiet on Mondays and Tuesdays.

In Venice, a hotel just over the Scalzi bridge would locate you well for train trips.

europeannovice

Peter_S_Aus--That is my dilemma. A good dilemma to have. While it seems to make sense to do a daytrip to Padua from Venice because it is only a 30 minute train ride and doesn't appear to make sense to check in and out of a hotel, I have a long list of things to see in Padua and not sure how much of that list can reasonably be accomplished in just one day--having to factor the travel times there and back. What is a reasonable amount of things that can be done in just one day in Padua? I know Venice has a greater wealth of "things and places to see outside the main tourist route" but Padua has its fair share of sights too.

neckervd

Ravenna and Classe together in 1 day is perfectly possible