Northern Italy - Grouping city together
 

I'll be in Italy with my wife in mid-September. Our style is to wander around a town, go to the odd museum and just enjoy the sights.

Our trip starts in Venice and we'll be there for 5 days. Since we've been there twice before I'd like to focus on day trips. Four cities in 3 days. We'll spend the day we arrive, one other day and a few evening in Venice.

The four cities I've selected are Verona, Vicenza, Padua and Ferrara.
Of the five evenings it would be nice if we could eat dinner away from Venice on at least one of those evenings. It appears that Padua makes the most sense due to its proximity to Venice and evening trains.

Of the four places I've selected I would like to group 2 in one day.

I'm thinking that since we'll probably eat dinner in Padua, that should be the 2nd of two cities visited the same day. Unless it has so much to see that it would take up an entire day.

I'd like some help grouping two cities together for one day.

Thanks.

One day: Venezia to Verona (0:58 by train), from Verona to Vicenza (0:25), back to Venezia (0:44).

The other day: Venezia to Ferrara (1:26), Ferrara to Padova (0:55), Padova to Venezia (0:23 - the last train departs at 23:17).

All connections are direct.

We spent the best part of a day in Padua and really only saw the Scrovegni Chapel ( reservations strongly recommended) and museum. There is a whole complex of stuff around the Basilica and what I remember to be the largest piazza in Europe that we will have to go back to. The station is an easy walk to the Scrovegni Chapel., but you have to take a tram or bus to the St Anthony shrines.

Verona and Vicenza can be a good day, though the stations are enough of a hike from the sites of interest that I would probably save time by taking a taxi. The tough part in Verona is going to be deciding between the museum and the church of San Zeno. Both are fabulous, but I don't think you can do both. Otherwise, the stroll from Piazza Bra to Piazza dei Signori is very pleasant along upscale pedestrian ways. Mahe sure you go to Vicenza on a day when Palladio's Teatro Olympico is open. Otherwise, it is pretty much a stroll amongst [absolutely unbelievable] buildings by Palladio. Verona is a good place to try horse or donkey meat since it is a local specialty.

It will be warm or hot and humid pretty much everywhere.

I spent a week in Padua and another in Verona (different trips) and think there is a lot to see in both those cities so I think they deserve a full day each. Vicenza and Ferrera I did as day trips and think you could combine them, although the train connections will not be quite as clean as the ones suggested above. But you are only talking about an extra fifteen minutes or so and the total train time for all of it is pretty minimal.

Here's some photos of all those cities: http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/italy__the_veneto
http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/image/145707085

Thanks all who responded.

I think, as Isabel wrote, the connection from Ferrara to Vicenza is not as convenient as the others.

We probably don't have to see specific sights in too many places. Just wandering thru historic areas, passing sights and buildings wouldn't be so bad.

Padua is right on the line from Ferrara to Venice. So it might be possible to stop there twice.

I'll have to spend some time on it.

Thanks again.
Or, maybe skip Ferrara (which I probably don't want to do) and a day in each.

Vicenza is lovely and has so many beautiful buildings and good restaurants, I would make that a whole day trip. Teatro Olympico is amazing.

Padua is so close, you could visit Scrovegni Chapel in the afternoon, have dinner and still have plenty of walking around time, so you could do something else that morning.

Thanks.

With Padua so close to Venice I'm hoping to squeeze it in twice if necessary.

It doesn't appear to be a good idea to group Ferrara with Vicenza or Verona due to train changes.

Maybe Ferrara and then Padua the same day.

Since I've allowed three days, we could also stop in Padua for a few hours after one of Verona or Vicenza as well.

This looks like a plan with some flexibility.

Thanks to those who responded.