swalter518

We are planning some day trips from our stay in Venice to Bologna, Padua and Vincenza(one day) and Verona. I'd like to spend Sunday outside of Venice to best avoid crowds. Is there a downside to visiting any of these places on a Sunday?

PalQ

except for stores being closed no - there is an upside - these cities will have far less vehicular traffic on Sundays than normally, thus are much more enjoyable to me. Everything tourist oriented will be open save regular stores. Transportation runs frequently on Sundays.

StuDudley

Yep - like in most larger European cities, most of the shops will be closed. And often, they will pull down louvered shutters or bars across the store windows so you can't even window shop.
I loved Venice on a Sunday. Stay east of San Marco past about 10:00am, or spend your time near the I Frari area to avoid the crowds. I didn't find them that bad in mid/late Sept when we were there a few years ago.

Stu Dudley

LoveItaly

Hello swalter, I have always found Sunday's to be extra special in Italy. I agree that generally speaking the stores are closed but families are together and you will find them in parks and also in restaurants enjoying a leisurely Sunday meal.

I have been in all the cities you have mentioned but I cannot remember if I was in any of them on a Sunday. Well actually all cities except for Vincenze, for some reason I have never visited there.

What I would do is make reservations with restaurants that I wanted to enjoy as again Sunday seems to be a time that Italian families enjoy going out to eat so making reservations ahead of time would ensure you a table.

And Stu Dudley has given you good advice regarding Venice. Enjoy your visit to Italy, I am sure you will.

Eloise

I would add only one small warning: Most churches do not allow public visiting on Sunday in the morning while there are services, so try to plan your church visits, if any, for the afternoon.

But I also agree that Dorsoduro is very unlikely to be crowded on Sunday.

Donna_in_Tuscany

Actually Sat and Sun are considered change over days and the tourist traffic flow is much less on the weekend than during the weekdays...big cities are really nice when the everyday traffic is cut in half by the weekends...

In bigger cities it is very possible to find shops open in the AFTERNOON on Sundays - however the smaller the town the less like, especially when you are outside of high season (July & August).

Museums close on Mondays - so you covered there.

Living in Tuscany and loving it!
www.tuscany-villas.com

rex

While my answer is not "Sunday-specific", let me make a case to you to NOT make day trips from Venice at all. It doesn't make sense to me, with the possible exception of having a phenomenal deal (free?) on an apartment there, with a one-week minimum.

It always takes at least an hour to get into or out of Venice, each way. And your lodging dollar buys about half the size/quality/features that you would get elsewhere. Thus, it seems to me that you stay IN Venice to see Venice.

And if you are thinking to day trip from Venice on a Sunday, that suggests that your stay there starts on Thu? or Fri? and ends on Mon? or Tue? or after?

I'd say stay away from Venice on the weekend altogether. The "day trip destinations" you mention are quite worth while - - why not stay in one of them for the weekend, and then head to Venice on Monday (you'll have a short journey to reach Venice that way, and can arrive mid-morning, if you so choose - - thus maximizing your time there, while minimizing your number of exorbitant Venice-priced lodging nights).

Best wishes,

Rex

swalter518

Rex,
I tend to agree with you from a practical standpoint but my DH really wants to have one home base for this trip and seeing as how I'll be about 6 months pregnant-he'll be lugging the luggage about! We did find a reasonable hotel that gave us a discount for 7 nights though so our lodging is not going to be any more expensive than we spent on our last trip to Rome, the AC and Tuscany. As for making dinner reservations, how far in advance should they be made?

elaine

I'll suggest to check the train schedules before you make final plans
In some cases Sunday train frequency can be limited.

donco

Agree with Elaine. Connections on Sundays can leave you waiting longer.

Eloise

With regard to dinner reservations: I think what LoveItaly suggested is that you make lunch reservations for Sunday. If I recall correctly, you are arriving in Venice Friday evening. Making the reservations then should be sufficient.

For dinner (i.e., evening meals) in Venice, you can generally make them the day before or even the same day.