Oh Neo, I am very pleased that I was able to add something to your next trip to Italy! And I have not, for various reasons, ever attended an opera in Verona so I will be there with you in spirit. I am glad you can pay by credit card rather than having to wire a deposit, that is good. Wishing you and Lee a lovely weekend and hope the play is coming along to your satisfaction. Take care!!

I guess one must really be getting old to be looking at booking two nights at a hotel and Aida, the opera at the Arena before realizing it will be his birthday on that night! Anyway, it looks like my birthday may now be a little more special.

Oh, Neo, noooo!!!!!!!!!! I've heard of forgetting somebody's birthdays, anniversaries, but to forget YOUR OWN birthday! :))

Hotel Accedemia in center of town...very nice. We were upgraded to a suite. We only stayed one night in Sept 06 but would love to return to Verona.

ttt Patrick where did you end up staying and how was it? I am going to Verona in Oct.

Wow. This is old. I had to look in my journal to figure out why we DIDN'T go to Verona last summer. Our itinerary changed in order due to some apartment availabilities and we ended up in Venice the last week of June. That was basically too early for the opera in Verona, so we never did it. On the days in question here, we were in Amsterdam!

I'd still stay at Gabbia d'Oro if I could swing it. Actually in October with no opera, I think it might be much more affordable. It's really a lovely little hotel.

I did a search on Vernona Hotels and it came up. :-)

I will see what the rate is at Gabbia d'Oro - I am not spending over 500.00 a night either...

When are you going? I see the prices drop dramatically on October 8th.

Here's the website:
http://www.hotelgabbiadoro.it/

I just looked thank you! I see that it is not bad at all - I will be there Oct. 24 - just one night on the way from Venice to Salzburg. I have always wanted to visit Verona.

I will let you know what they come back with - it looked like they had availablity.

From Venice to Salzburg the most direct route does not go through Verona at all. You go via Udine and Villach straight to Salzburg, missing the Brenner Pass.

Interesting. I used the German site and saw that I could train from Venice to Vernona and spend the day/night and then go to Salzburg the next day. No?

You can do that - it just takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours longer than going via Villach. It's about 6 hours from Venice to Salzburg, and it's still 6 hours from Verona to Salzburg. Instead, you might be able to go to Verona before you go to Venice.

On the other hand, I find the train trip from Verona through the Brenner pass and Innsbruck to be FAR more scenic and interesting. Sometimes for me it's not "how quick I can get there", but how beautiful the route is to do so. I'd personally stick with the plan you have.

In fact if I were you, I'd consider leaving Verona on the 8:59 train, stopping for lunch and a stroll at 12:33 in Innsbruck (putting your bags in storage at the station), and then 3 hours later taking the 15:30 from Innnsbruck to Salzburg. Or at least I'd do that if I hadn't been to Innsbruck.

Neopatrick THAT is exactly what we shall do!

I heard back from Gabbia d'Oro - WAY too much money. Not what is on their website for that time period. 280 Euros for the night - 439.00 USD. Not in my budget.

I did also hear back from Hotel Colomba d'Oro - it is 161 E - around 270.00 USD - more then I wanted to spend but I am making up for it with other less expensive lodging through out the trip so it will work in the over all budget. Sounds lovely as well.

Thanks so much for this 2006 thread!

Mom, all I can say is WOW. I just looked up what we paid at the Gabbia D'Oro -- one night in HIGH opera season. Granted it was in 2000 and in lira, but it amounted to $129 US. I would suspect that in October then it was about $79 or $ 89 -- not $439.00.

Patrick - I thought on the website (granted they are all blurring together) it was around 180 E for that time of year. They added another 100 E.

I guess they can.

Oh! I just went back to their website and looked again at the rates. Actually the rates for a double room at the end of October show 130 - 140 euro. But if you look below, you'll see that is per person -- so that's where they get the 280. They also show single room use at 196 to 310.

there you go. I was wondering. Oh well. Too much cash for one night.

And it just sunk in. That means during the opera season a standard double is now 380 euros per night. That's pushing $600! I love that little hotel, but I clearly have had my last two stays there!

Wow - that is a LOT of cash - is it "that" nice???