Shellyl M

We will be in Verona for 2 days in May. <BR>I am having trouble finding any recommendations. <BR>Prefer a no nonsense pension - <BR>Clean, quaint and kind. <BR> <BR>Can anyone help? <BR>Shelly M

kay

Hi, <BR>I'm in the same boat...although I will be there in late June early July. I am looking for accomodations for 4 people. <BR>Thanks for posting! <BR>K.

Paulo

Unfortunately I don't have a recommendation, Shelly. I stayed in a nice pension some 30 years ago, when I was a student, but I don't remember any details. In all subsequent visits be went by car and only stayed in the city centre once. But this was the 3-star Residence Hotel Castelvecchio. <BR> <BR>Kay, maybe you're not aware of it but by no means you're in the same boat ... You're planning to be there at the time of Verona's opera festival season opener, when all rooms in town will be booked. I recommend you to secure ANY rooms as soon as possible and only then shop around for better options. If you have a car, you should also consider staying out of town (either in Lake Garda or one of the surrounding villages like Bussolengo where we stayed last time). <BR> <BR>Anyways, info on hotels in Verona is given at <BR>http://turismo.regione.veneto.it/alb...ni/023091_.htm <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR>

kay

Paolo,Thank you for the information. <BR>I will be staying in the Cinque Terre for a week before trying to make it back to Holland and we were hoping to visit there. I will follow your recommendation and try to stay outside of town! <BR>Thanks <BR>Kay

Paulo

I take it you're travelling by car, Kay. If you're staying only 1 or 2 nights, you may consider the ***Crocione Hotel Rizzi (no relation . This is in Bussolengo, a 15 min easy drive into Verona. You shouldn't have any problems finding space in any one of the big public garages thjere. The hotel is nothing really to rave about, but it's very clean, with big a/c rooms, very good breakfast, and much cheaper than hotels in Verona. It's also convenient for exploring Verona's countryside and Lake Garda. Bookings may be done on line at <BR>http://www.hotelrizzi.com/ <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR>

kay

Hi, <BR>I've been trying for days to post a thank-you for the information. I ended up making a reservation at Hotel Rizzi in Bussolengo. Do you know what the town is like. The hotel has a great website! Will there be places to wander for food, drink etc. once we're back from Verona? I will be staying for 2 nights there.. Hope this post goes through! Also, Paolo, you seem to have been around ...should I stay in S.Margherita any shorter than 4 days? <BR>Thanks <BR>Kay

Paulo

Bussolengo is a small town, like so many others in Veneto. We really never wandered around for food or drink there ... doing it in Verona is much more fun. The drive from the city centre to the hotel is very short and it's not a big deal doing it late at night (last time we drove to the hotel at 2:30am, after an Aida performance). Instead of going to Bussolengo, one night you may eventually go out (and dine) somewhere in Lake Garda (either Sirmione or Torri del Benaco). <BR> <BR>Regarding Sta. Margherita, don't know if I may stand as a good parameter We never stayed more than 2 nights ANYWHERE in the Italian shore. We have better beaches here in Brazil, just an hour drive from home, and we think that spending too much time in sea resort areas in Italy is kind of a waste with so much to experiment. When we want to take a break and relax we prefer the Dolomites area where I have a bunch of relatives. <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

kays

Hi again, <BR>Thanks for the "parameter" info on S.Margherita. I figured we could use it as home base for the Cinque TErre adventure, but maybe you're right, maybe it's best to head towards Siena and spend a couple of days there before heading to Verona! <BR>Any restuaranst )trattoria's you can recommend? <BR>Thanks <BR>Kay

wil

I will be staying at Pedemente about 5km fromVerona.Does anyone know if there is a decent taxi service in Verona or is the public transport facilities good enough?I expect we will travel into the city for some wine and some meals during the evening!

Paulo

You shouldn't have any troubles finding taxis in Verona, Wil. The only exception would be between 6 and 9pm and between 2 and 3am in July/August when there's an opera on. Taxis are relatively cheap and the trip to Pedemonte should take 15 minutes. Don't know how things are the other way round, though! <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

Paulo

There are a number of daytrips you may do out of Sta. Margherita, Kay. To the Cinque Terre I would go by train (and wouldn't go more than once). To explore the Portofino Peninsula I also wouldn't eat up more than a day. Pisa and Lucca to the southeast and Parma to the northeast are easy car daytrips. <BR> <BR>If you decide dividing your time between Siena and Sta. Margherita I would probably go to Siena first, from there to Sta Margherita (possibly visiting Lucca and Pisa on route) and from there to Verona (possibly visiting Parma and Mantua on route). <BR> <BR>Interpreting your question regarding Bussolengo more carefully, chances are that you really don't have a clear picture of the situation ... the hotel is a mile or two out of town, very near a crossing of two highways. It's not what one may call a "strollable" setting with very little in sight. There's a caffe some 300 meters across the highway, from the hotel, but that's about it. To go into town you'd have to use the car and if so, you may as well drive somewhere farther away, that is, to Lake Garda or Verona itself). <BR> <BR>Restaurants ... In Verona, for a splurge, you may consider the Il Desco (Via Dietro San Sebastiano 7, 045/595358; closed Sundays). On the inexpensive to moderate range, we like to have a fixed price menu lunch at the VeronAntica (via Sottoriva 10, close to the river, tel. 045/8004124, close Mondays and Sunday evenings), to sit down in one of the cafes of piazza Bra mid afternoon, and to dine in the medieval atmosphere of the 12 Apostoli, oldest in town (Vicolo Corticella San Marco 3, near the Piazza delle Erbe, tel. 045/596999, closed Tuesdays). For a splurge in the Portofino area, you may consider the Cą Peo in Chiavari (strada Panoramica, via Caduti 90; Tel. 0185 319696) <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR>

kay

Hi again, Paolo, what a wealth of information. thank you!!! I did notice from the satellite view and pictures on their website that it isn't near anything strollable. Maybe that's not so bad, because I want to be off the beaten path anyway..This will force me to drive somewhere. <BR>Kay