My wife and I are attending a wedding in Milan on 9/14/03 and then will be spending 4 nights in Venice. We will later be flying from Milan on 9/21 to Moscow for a week's visit there. This leaves us with 2 nights to spend somewhere between Venice and Milan. We won't have a car so proximity to a train station is probably key.
We're interested in a less urban setting than Milan and we are considering Verona but I don't know if it will just be a letdown after Venice. Any thoughts? Recommendations on accomodations would be great as well. Thanks in advance...

John R

I enjoyed Verona more than Venice!!!

Have fun.

Ross.

If you want a slower-paced, charming, smallish place, try Vicenza.

I second Verona. It will not be a letdown after Venice, just different. The food is great and the city is known for its wine bars. The are many sites to see, including the intact Roman arena. Verona is a train hub, so if you do get itchy for something else to do, you can daytrip easily by train to Padua, Vicenza, or Mantova, all worthwhile stops.

Bologna. Not too big, not too small. And not too many tourists, either.

For a change of pace from big cities, train to Lago Garda--I believe the train stops at Desenzano but I would stay at Sirmione about :10 away.

I stayed at the Palace Hotel in Milan which is absolutely beautiful and elegant. Be sure to see the Duomo in Milan (take the elevator up to the roof and walk around) and the Last Supper.

Boy this Italy forum is pretty active... thanks for your replies so far. I will spend tonight checking out the relative merits of Verona, Vicenza, Bologna, and Lago Garda. One place that I've seen mentioned in other posts is Marostica... it sounds intriguing with the castle and giant chessboard... is it worth a night or two?
Thanks again,
John R

By all means stay two nights in Verona; it's wonderful. And if you care to splurge a little (maybe about $200-$250 a night) stay at the wonderful small Gabbia d'Oro, in the heart of town. It is simply wonderful.

I would suggest Soave, another walled town. It gets you closer to Milan than does Marostica (a perfectly fine walled town but if they aren't doing their chee thing, it's just a big plaza with colored stones!).

Soave is quiet but has a lot of charm.

Ask me for more info if it becomes a possibility.

Lake Como: www.varenna.net
Very relaxing and diff than the 2 cities you'll be visiting.

How about a day in Verona and a day in Padova? If you go to Padova, you can make a reservation to see the Scrovegni Chapel, which is fabulous if you like Italian art. Check out their website:
http://www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it/

Bologna and Verona are great small cities, not much "industrial tourism".

For a more small town experience, Parma and Modena are charming. Especially if you're a foodie.

All of these places have great train connections between Venice and Milano.

Well, after deciding on Verona (the Arena there sounded interesting) we found that there are seemingly no hotels available for the night of 9/19 (I gave up after contacting 10 of them). I think the problem might be that there is an international interior design conference going on there that week. Oh well...

We are thinking of just going to a travel agency in Venice on the 16th or 17th and seeing if they can find a vacancy or perhaps help us make arrangements for somewhere else. Does that plan sound plausible to you folks?

Thanks again in advance,
John R

Another possibility, try for hotels in Padova or Vicenza. Both are worth visiting and are close to Verona by frequent trains.

John, if you want a "less urban" setting, I highly recommend GARDONE RIVIERA on Lake Garda's western shore, famous for the Villa of Gabriele d'Annunzio, IL VITTORIALE. Stay at the Grand Hotel Gardone Riviera or the even more exclusive Grand Hotel Fasano nearby, or at the extremely exclusive Villa Il Sogno. You should be able to find accommodation at one of these properties on a moment's notice, in mid September. You can very easily reach Gardone as follows:

1. Train from Milano Centrale to Brescia (45-60 minutes). Trains are extremely frequent.
2. Bus from Brescia to Gardone (70 minutes). Buses run every 30 minutes from the SIA bus station, 200 yards from the Brescia train station.

From Gardone to Venice, you can take a bus or ferry boat south to Desenzano del Garda, and a train eastward from there.

Gardone is very elegant and relaxing, and a tour of the Vittoriale is worthwhile, particularly if you're into modern Italian history and literature.

I might propose adding Bergamo to your list of possibilities.

Best wishes,

Rex