Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Lagoon Islands or Verona

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Lagoon Islands or Verona

I will be staying for 4 days in Venice. I am trying to decide between spending a day at the Lagoon Islands or a day and night at Verona. Anyone have a recommendation of one over the other?

The following is a common reply of a question of this type but it applies to your situation: It depends! If you are the sort of person who would like to explore small islands, who would enjoy the boat ride, by all means go to the lagoon islands. I recommend Burano (lace, lovely bright colored houses), Murano (glass-making, shopping, fun, but a little tourist-y), Torcello (wonderful very old church on this small island). If you are a fan of Opera, a Romeo & Juliet enthusiast, and you don't mind seeing a town all in one day, go to Verona. Verona has an interesting Roman Amphiteater, some nice churches like St. Zeno, some nice cafes, and has lovely streets to walk around and window-shop. I'm sorry that this isn't a specific recommendation of one place over the other, but I truly enjoyed both.

Hi Rhonda, I spent five days in Venice in January (my first visit) and had loosely planned to make a day trip to Verona, but found that there was plenty to keep me busy in Venice (including visits to Murano, Burano and Torcello). I didn't visit any glass factories on Murano (I live in Seattle so glass-blowing is something I see often here), but I did visit the glass museum, which I loved. If you go, I found a great little hole-in-the-wall place for cichetti (sp? the little Venetian bar snacks) a few doors beyond the glass museum (towards the cathedral--if you come to the church, you've gone too far). No tourists, just a few stools, and tasty food. I did Burano and Torcello as a separate day trip and enjoyed both. The cathedral at Torcello really is stunning, and the pastel houses on Burano are charming.

Rhonda I have never been to Verona, hope to get there next time. My sightseeing notes on Venice include some info on the popular lagoon islands (I especiallly loved Torcello) and if you would like them, please email me. good luck

Hi Rhonda, I've done a one-day visit to Verona and felt short-changed. It's a beautiful city with more than a day's worth to see. I think it would be much more fun and relaxing to do the lagoon islands.

Hi, Rhonda As Ralphie says, it depends :-) There's a piece of info missing to get the complete picture. From your other posts, we learned that: a) you're on a tour ending in Venice; b) you've got 4 nights on your own before getting the flight back home; c) you're leaving from Marco Polo airport (meaning that your last night has to be in Venice) The piece of info that's missing is: How many nights will you be in Venice on the tour's account? At what time of day will the tour arrive in Venice? You say that you'll be staying 4 days in Venice ... have you already chopped some of the 4 nights on your own to that account? Personally, I consider the lagoon islands (and the Lido) as part of Venice. In other words, I would never say I've done a "daytrip" to one or more islands. For me, daytripping out of Venice means ... beyond Mestre :-) I agree with Carol that a day trip to Verona is a no no ... you should spend at least a night there. On the other hand, the minimum I find acceptable for visiting Venice (city and at least one of the lagoon islands) is 3 full days (2 1/2 days visiting the city and a 1/2 day visiting either Murano or the Burano/Torcello combo - the latter of which would have my preference - I would also not consider the Lido). So, if I had exactly 5 nights in the area, things would depend on the time of day of arrival in Venice. If this is before or around noon, I would consider the Verona trip seriously. I would probably leave Venice in the next morning, planning to be back around noon the next day, and the laggon island visit would be restricted to a half day. I would ask the hotel to keep most of my luggage. If, on the other hand, my arrival in Venice would be schedulled for mid afternoon or evening, I would certainly leave Verona for a future trip. Paulo

Thank you everyone for all of your helpful feedback. In answer to Paulo's question, our tour arrives in Venice two evenings before it's conclusion. The tour spends a whole day in Venice and then concludes the next a.m. Meaning that I could potentially be in Venice 5 full days. Sounds like I might want to plan on staying in Venice yet keep the option of going to Verona for 1 and 1/2 days open. Could I get a hotel at Verona at the last minute if I so decide?

When are you travelling, Rhonda? If you're travelling during the Opera season you have to book well in advance. Otherwise you should be able to get a hotel on the run. The Opera season starts with Nabucco, on June 30th and ends with Aida, on September 3rd. If anybody's interested, the program should be the following: Aida: July 2, 8, 14, 23, 26, 30; Aug 1, 4, 8, 15, 23, 26, 31; Sep 3 Nabucco: July 9, 16, 21, 25, 29; Aug 6, 10, 13, 18, 24, 27, 29; Sep 1 La Traviata: July 22, 27; Aug 2, 5, 11, 20, 22, 25, 30; Sep 2 La Forza del Destino: July 1, 7, 15, 28; Aug 3, 9, 12, 19 IMO, the best to see in Verona's Arena is the Aida ... Paulo

I will be in Venice May 29-June 3 (before opera season). Does that mean I shouldn't have any trouble booking a room in Venice on June 1 or June 2 if I make a last minute decision to do so?

I was referring to Verona, Rhonda. Should you decide to spend a night there, considering the days you're travelling you won't have to worry booking hotels in advance. The last time I ws in Venice end of May I didn't have any troubles finding a room on the run. But that was a long time ago. It appears that last year it was crowded. I certainly wouldn't risk it this year, during the jubilaeum. If I understood correctly, you should spend your last nightin Venice to catch your flight ... is that correct? If so, I would book in Venice for all nights. Once in Venice, if you feel an urge to visit Verona and spend the next to last night there, I would deal with my hotel and drop the reservation for that night, keeping the last night secure. Paulo

What is the jubilaeum?

The year 2000 has been declared a Jubilee Year for the Catholic church From a secular standpoint, it means more crowds

Rhonda, I will be in Venice until May 31. Please post here if you would like to arrange a Fodorites meet! I don't have a computer right now, so will check back later. See post - Fodorites in Italy - May 2000.