caliptak

Greetings Fodorites! I’m planning a trip for July 2013 to the Veneto with a stop in Milan and Cinque Terre, and I would love some advice. I’ve been to Italy twice before, and have seen all the big cities (Venice, Rome, Florence) and have spent some time in Tuscany, as well as Sorrento and Naples. Here is my current itenerary:

4 nights in Venice with trips to Murano, Burano, and maybe Torcello and the Lido
3 nights in Verona with day trips to Padua and Vicenza
3 nights in Bologna with a day trip to Ravenna
1 night in Le Cinque Terre
1 night in Milan

Now for the questions.
Should I stay in Padua or Vicenza instead of Verona? I’ll be 18 when I go, and while I LOVE art, history, and soaking up the culture, good nightlife is a must. Will Verona be too quiet in the evening?
Any cities I should cut out? Or, are there any cities that I should cut time from?
Have I missed anything? I don’t want to travel any farther south than Bologna.

All feedback is welcome

HappyTrvlr

Re: Torcello. It is right next to Burano so you should visit it when you leave Burano. You should visit there as it's very historic, beautiful church. If you have some spare time, go out to the Lido, but I wouldn't put it too high on your list.

bobthenavigator

Overall, a good plan.
I would stay with Verona, but I would drop a day from Bologna and add it to the CT. You are very lucky to have this opportunity at your age--in 2 college towns as well.

mamcalice

I would try to find a way to spend 2 nights in the Cinque Terre. It is a fairly long trip there from Bologna so that won't leave you with a full day in CT. As for Lido, unless you want to swim, I wouldn't go. The beaches aren't all that nice in any case. You can swim in Monterossa (CT) if that is an interest.

pizzocchieri

If you are 18 years, Bologna is THE student town, with plenty of people your age and it is a great deal of fun, even in summer. Nice shady porticoes for breeze. Ravenna is a total joy.

If you've already seen Venice and want to go back for 4 days, don't let me stop you. For me, Torcello is the only island of real interest, but that's up to you. However, as surely you know, there is next to nothing in the way of nightlife in Venice.

In July, I would definitely want more time on the Riviera, but I would probably not want the really steep hills and tourist mobs of le Cinque Terre -- which has ZERO nightlife other than tourists drinking beer and gabbing to each other, mostly families or retirees. SESTRI LEVANTE is the youthful place to go on the Riviera. Check out Albergo Marina. You can visit le Cinque Terre by boat or train.

Milan is a great place for nightlife, but in July you'll need to dig around a bit, especially if you are there on the weekend. Try the website "Spotted by Locals" for tips on Milan.

Pack very cool and breezy clothing. You are going to be in some very hot and humid places.