Hi,

On May 2016 we will be visiting Italy, thrilling to see Venice and CT, and are now researching other places since 7-10 days are enough to explore other cities / villages than Venice and CT (like Verona which looks like it is definitely worth a day).

We'll have 7-10 days, depending on the plan.

I was looking into Bologna and Florence as optional stops between Venice or Verona to CT, but actually wasn't quite thrilled about them as I was when looking into Venice.

Therefore, I am considering taking the Train from Venice (or Verona if we visit it), to one of the CT Villages (since on May it's recommended to stay in the CT, as far as I read).

I see that the Train from Verona to Vernazza around 5:15 hours, 3 hours more than the one from Florence to Vernazza.

There's a 5hrs train that departs Verona Porta Nuova at 13:13 and arrives in Vernazza at 18:12, which means we could still enjoy 3 hours in Verona in the morning (9am - 12pm), and the late evening in Vernazza (8pm-10pm).

In your eyes, would it be a 'pity' to spend half a day (5-6 hour) on the train from Verona to CT (e.g. Vernazza)?

Thank you.

Well, how else would you get there?

Granted from Florence is faster - but it will also take time to get to FLorence.

Thanks, you're right.

A question please regarding it.

We are 3 active travelers (mom her children), no kids involved, and I am wondering if there is a more beautiful lake than Garda Lake that is worth including in a trip to CT and Venice.

We have 7-10 days.

Thank you very much.

All 4 big (and many smaller) Lombard lakes are somewhat similar (flora, architecture, climate, ferries), but everyone has it's particularities and it's lovers.
Impossible to make any rating.
Lake Como is popular with Americans, Lake Garda and Lake Lugano with Germans, Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore with Swiss people, Lake Orta and Lake Iseo with connaisseurs who hate crowded places.....

Lake Garda (Peschiera, Desenzano) is just along your itinerary whereas the others need sidetrips of 1-2 hrs OW.

"There's a 5hrs train that departs Verona Porta Nuova at 13:13 and arrives in Vernazza at 18:12"
Where did you find this train?
Anyway, I would rather leave Verona at 15.15 and arrive at Vernazza at 20.36. There is a lot to do and to see at Verona, whereas at Vernazza you can do almost nothing (than have dinner). For the hikes (if it doesn't rain) you will have to wait until next morning anyway.
A stopover at Parma might be a good idea too.

Whether " it be a 'pity' to spend half a day (5-6 hour) on the train" or not depends on how you have articulated what you want to get out of it.

Is this your first time in Italy?

For many people, it is a simple one dimensional decision. More than some fixed number of hours = never worth it.

Others might weigh what they get out it in light of the resources needed to achieve it. Only you can make this decision even though many first timers imagine there is a magic list of destination with amount of time to spend applicable to everyone.

Still other would compare the benefit, the resources, plus what you have to forego to make the trip.

You can do a rule based approach: sequence together places assuming a priori that you get what you wanted, irrespective of whether you have actually articulated "what" you are after.

Or you can do a scenarios approach. Allocate various amount of time in different locations of interest and for each ask yourself; What do I get out of this? What does it take to make it happen? What I like/don't like about each scenario?

And finally, while Bologna might not have top sites many first timer think of, Bologna offers a medium size mostly Italian city without the crushing number of tourists you see in Venice or Florence. Unless you spend time away from the recognized places in Venice or FLorence, you will be surrounded by tourists in both cities many toting selfie sticks.