Italy
 

We are doing an inexpensive trip to Italy around Thanksgiving and are planning on concentrating on visiting Venice and town in the Veneto along with Bologna. I am leaning on Padua to see the chapel with the Giottos. anyone know of a nice hotel there and restaurants. any recommendation on Venice. I havent been back there in 30 years!
Thanks!

Jane Florence

Jane - seems like you should be going to Florence not Venice

but i'd take the train the 20 mins or so to Padua as a day trip rather than relocating for one night

Padua is not much after dark and dark starts early in late fall

Venice is always alive and magical

Padua's churches are neat - the town so-so IMO

For what it's worth, the sights in Padova can so easily be seen in a day that you might ultimately decide it doesn't make sense to relocate to Padova to see them. They are a very easy daytrip from Venice, or you can even fairly easily see them en route to your next destination (stow your luggage at the train station, walk or taxi to the Cappella Scrovegni, meander Padova's historic center, have lunch, meander some more, get back on the train, be in Bologna in plenty of time for dinner).

Hotel rooms can get scarce and pricey in Bologna, so don't fail to book soon, check out the B&Bs for cost savings, and consider Ferrara B&Bs as an alternative for more savings.

As you probably already know, you'll need to make a reservation to see the Giottos, and you are only allowed to be inside the Cappella for 15 minutes. (Yes, sad.) What I would recommend is that if you are very keen on them, book two time slots in a row so you can spend 30 minutes with them, instead of 15. Or book three!

Also, in November, it is advisable not to book a hotel in the San Marco area because of the risk of morning floods.

Have a great trip.

I know people who've even stayed in Padua to save money, and seen Venice by day trips.

In Venice I liked www.lacalcina.com very much.

In late November, I would be concerned about the shortness of the days, and therefore would be reluctant to use Padova as a base for seeing Venezia.

Thanks all for your recommendations. What section of Venice would be best to stay during late November to avoid the morning floods?

Away from San Marco, where flooding is the worst.