Hi friends,

I was originally going to spend 3 nights in Venice (we arrive at 9 am so 3 basically full days) and head to Lake Como afterward. I'm wondering now if I should do 2 nights in Venice (so 2 fulls days), morning train to Verona for one night (would give us almost a full day and a night), and then take the train to Lake Como and continue our trip. I've always wanted to do Verona and it's on the way to Lake Como.

So trip would be:

Arrive in Venice 9 am
2 nights Venice
1 night Verona
3 nights Lake Como
3 nights Alba

I love Venice but feel like 2 days might be enough of meandering, cicchetti, etc.

Thoughts? Also, any Verona hotel reccos near city center would be great.

Thanks!

Note: Carmen is playing the night we'd be in Verona. That might be really fun.

It sounds like you've been to Venice before, but IMO the first day is probably not a "full day" if you arrive at 9:00 a.m. You still have to get to the hotel and drop your luggage. Unless you arrive by train and the hotel is around the corner, you'll lose some of that morning. And will you be jet-lagged?

The fact that your dates coincide with Verona's opera season could make hotel reservations difficult and expensive if you want to stay near the arena. Have you checked to see whether you could get tickets for the night you're considering? Before you get too invested in this idea, do some research into lodging and tickets.

Hi Jean!

Yes, tickets are available for Carmen on the night we'd be there. And the 2 hotels I wanted to stay at (Rome and Juliet and Academia) based on research are available and within our budget.

I should add that my husband isn't a big traveler and my goal is to get him to enjoy traveling (Italy, in particular), as much as I do. I wonder if he'll think that Venice is a little too crowded/touristy, though I will try to keep him away from St Marks during the day.

Just always weighing the pros and cons -- see more but be more rushed. We did Wyoming this summer and while changing hotels every 2 days with little kids in tow was a hassle, we sure did see everything there was to see in Yellowstone.

Anyway, thinking I should pull the trigger on Verona. A day and a half in Venice should give him a good feel for it. I think the opera in Verona would be magical, though I've read very mixed reviews.

And at least Verona is on the way to Lake Como...so we're not going out of our way. You can see I'm talking myself into this

Thanks as always for your input!

What are your husband’s loves and interests? Focus on those.
Architecture? History? Water? Cooking?
Would your husband actually enjoy Carmen?
Has he not been to Venice before?
One reason people seem to not like Venice is too little time, being there mostly in the day. There are so many quiet areas, and at night, for me, it is pure magic and romance. A vaporetto at night down the Grand Canal, when all is still and quiet and the old palaces are aglow with light leaves me speechless. Perhaps your husband will love it away from the crowds in Dorsoduro or touring the old Synagogues in the ghetto. Also, why not spend a day out on the lagoon visiting islands like colorful Burano? Rather than go up in the bell tower at San Marco, go across to Giudecca and go up in the bell tower there. No lines usually and fabulous views.
As you are thinking to do, we spent a day and night in Verona on our way to Rome. Pretty? Yes. Nice arena? Yes. OK. Done. Personally, I would never, ever trade a day in Venice for time in Verona. However, Carmen might make the difference for you. As an extra point though, I would trade a bit of time in Venice (if I had plenty) for an afternoon in Vicenza just to see Teatro Olimpico.

I don't know what it would take your husband to become a big/happy traveler, but 4 hotel stays in 9 nights (plus a single night at the end near your departure airport making 5 stays in 10 nights) would not make me a happy traveler. Your husband may view the travel experience differently.

Would the tickets to Carmen be for actual seats or seats on the stone steps? I would find the stone seats uncomfortable for all those hours. You can rent pads to sit on, but there are no seat backs.... The performance can be delayed, but rarely cancelled, if it rains.

All of what Jean wrote.
We took a “taste of Italy” trip once and I was so sad, frustrated and miserable, I broke down in tears. We saw a lot of cities and towns, but little in any of them. I realized I wanted to walk on the bridges and along the rivers, smell the bakeries and eat pastry, linger at paintings in galleries, sit in churches and feel the atmosphere and smoke of candles and music, sit on stone steps in moonlight, walk on back streets with only the sound of footsteps, etc. I want to feel a place has become part of me, even if that means seeing only a few special places. My wonderful DH decided to spend five to ten days from then on in one town or city or area. From childhood, I loved archeology so when we visit archeological sites, I can now roam at will. When we did not rush trying to see everything, we allowed time for experiences to happen. We were invited to English Tea in a village manor house because the owner saw us resting on a bench. An artist sent wine to our table and invited us to his studio when he noticed my paint box and brushes. So many, many things like that made me love travel. Of course, I do understand the feeling people have that they need to see everything. It is exciting and exhilarating to explore a lot of places and that is fine too, but is that what will make your DH love travel? What will make his heart stand still, what will bring his senses alive and what will feed his soul? Another thing that can be fun in travel is seeing places you have read about in a book, or seen in a movie, not just history, stories too. People go to Bath because of Jane Austen. Lord Nelson is a hero of great interest to me and I have been to many places and islands where he sailed and fought battles. Does your husband have an interest that might be indulged during the trip? Fishing? Cars? Whatever it is, someone here could tell you how to do it. Hope he becomes the ultimate travel companion.

If you are not committed to opera in Verona, consider doing Verona as a day trip from Venice. Train is about 1hr 40 minutes, and take a cab to downtown Verona from the station, as it is a boring 20 minute walk.

It means you can decide on the day if you want to visit Verona, or maybe not visit at all.
OK, I will be burned at the stake for this. In Venice, just give the Doges Palace a miss, ditto the Basilica, campanile and Piazza. Do the second rank things and discover how Venice works as a town and a community.

<<It means you can decide on the day if you want to visit Verona, or maybe not visit at all.
OK, I will be burned at the stake for this. In Venice, just give the Doges Palace a miss, ditto the Basilica, campanile and Piazza. Do the second rank things and discover how Venice works as a town and a community..>>

I like Peter's approach and actually have done it. I've also stayed in Verona for a language course and visited several other times overnight.

I have also taken five intensive mosaic courses in Venice and I love Venice--the evening strolls, the aperitivo hour, the Vaporetto, especially at night, music in the Piazza evenings (ok it is in Piazza San Marco but in the evening without quite the crowds). The architecture, the art, all so remarkable. Being on the water amid all of that beauty. Family run cafes and bars over in Cannaregio. Walking the Zattere with a view to Guidecca.

I like the idea of seeing how it goes in Venice and considering a day outing--which we also did once--to see the beauty of Verona. BTW we prefer Piazza del Erbe, a walk past some swanky shops from the piazza by the Arena. You can skip the Juliet kitch I think!

I do think opera in the Arena sounds amazing, but the reality of stone benches --and would the children be there too? -- makes it sound like a long long evening to me. (If you ever watch Inspector Morse, there's an episode partly set in Verona and party in Vicenza, another nearby town to see when you return!

You certainly won’t be burned at the stake by me. It is great advice. I like those things, but they are not really Venice to me. There are so many, many incredibly beautiful things to see in Venice that after a half dozen visits, I still have not made it to the Academia. Actually, I do love the exterior of the Basilica and would not miss seeing that. I would get up to see it early before crowds or in late afternoon or early evening after crowds. Each visit, I like to walk away from it, to the far end of the piazza, then turn for my first look. Don’t try to navigate Rialto Bridge in crowds either.

Also agree that the walk from the station in Verona is boring. For me, Verona is not worth a three hour round trip anyway. Vicenza and Padua are both interesting and closer, shorter day trips if you must do one. OTOH, the arena in Verona is a great one, but not if there is an event that prevents you from really seeing it.

Verona is an amazing place... I am mean personally I enjoyed it a lot I had a plan for 5 days there, I do not believe in clustering my visit so I took 2 activities max in a day...I planned for a Wineries Tour, Churches and Cathedral, Sightseeing, Joined a small bike tour, Opera and I am big time foody so I went to many local eating joints .... so, in short, it's an amazing place.

I like Verona too, but you can't see/do every great thing in 9 days... I'm Team Less-is-More.

As for skipping things in Venice, I wouldn't tell anyone to skip the basilica's amazing interior. But I'm a nut for mosaics and cosmati floors, and St. Mark's has some of the best of both. To me, seeing them is a reason to visit Venice.

It feels more like you’re trying to make yourself happy, rather than him.

"But I'm a nut for mosaics and cosmati floors, and St. Mark's has some of the best of both. To me, seeing them is a reason to visit Venice."

Jean, I once sat down to rest in the basilica while my husband was wandering around, Suddenly I was "trapped" when the interior was enclosed by temporary gates and the lights were turned full on for a service. The mosaics were amazing under full light, One of my most memorable experiences.

Basilica mosaics are indeed incredible! IMO that is the one "tourist" thing to do in Venice, more than a gondola or any of the museums, though I love the Peggy Guggenheim.

If you are willing to sit through a church service/Mass you can get in through the small door to the left of the main entrance (you'll want to dress "for church" i.e., modestly/cleaned up) vs. front entrance/line.

Jean there's a book on the floors (pavimienti) of Venice--an enormous coffee table book which of course as a mosaicist I had to purchase and schlep back home.

You have obviously traveled, but just in case, you might have forgotten, in Italy, especially in Venice, make a reservation for dinner. It does not have to be a spectacular restaurant, but everywhere the chef and staff really do plan for the number of people they expect. They may seat you anyway (or maybe not), but even if you just see a place you like as you are walking around, stop and make the reservation, I found that in the same restaurant, when we made a reservation even just an hour before, we were greeted with such warmth and given a better table than those who just walked in. This would be a much nicer experience for your husband, to be greeted as a friend. There are a some nice, more local restaurants in Dorsoduro.

Love this post, Sassafras! You, along with other here, have convinced me to stay put in Venice. Thank you for such a thoughtful post...you really helped me out.

Perfect suggestion, Peter. If for some reason we are stir crazy, we can always do a day trip. Thanks so much for responding!

No children this trip but I still think we'll stay in Venice and do a day trip to Verona if we feel the need. Thanks so much for your input!