Verona in Italy - anyone been?
Hi Guys - I'm thinking of a short break to Verona in mid-Feb (maybe 4/5 days). Would like recommendations for nice central hotels and restaurants. I might take a couple of day trips by train to Florence and Venice too. I've been to both these cities and love them - but flights to and hotels in Verona are probably a lot cheaper.
Thanks!
Verona is beautiful but not enough for 4/5 days solid. However you can do a day trip to Lake Garda which is fantastic. We also took the train to Bologna for a day, only an hour and a half.
We had no expectations for Verona but thoroughly enjoyed our stay there
The less busy Mantua is only 45 mins from Verona by train and that's also a lovely place to spend a day. Ducal palace and famous Mantegna frescoes for aesthetes, and the Tazio Nuvolari museum for petrolheads.
We spent a few days there in 2015, and did all the usual sites, walks and museums. Very pleasant, and some excellent food. We stayed at Il Sogno di Giulietta, which was decent enough. Food - Trattoria al Pompiere, Enoteca Segreta, Bottega del Vino and Ostaria del Bugiardo appear to be the ones I still have saved to my Google Map. The most bonkers place was a private museum, Fondazione Museo Miniscalchi-Erizzo. All sorts of weird things in a converted palazzo.
Last edited by Broussard; 10th January 2018 at 13:36.
I've only been there once...and I'd love to go again.
I booked a package and stayed in Hotel Leopardi which is not in the centre but gets a good review on TripAdvisor. It had a couple of local restaurants nearby (where I discovered lardo on my plate for the first time) and it was easy enough to walk into town past Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore, which should be on your itinerary. I was amazed by the age of the graffiti:
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Buses are available if you're tired after a day in town.
There's plenty to see in Verona and you might like the Associazione Chiese Vive itinerary as part of your trip.
I hired a car to avoid airport transfers and to take day trips. Venice was one day and Lake Garda another...I'd recommend taking in Sirmione:
Last edited by PickleB; 10th January 2018 at 13:48. Reason: insert ''lardo' info
A day or two at most.
Better to base yourself somewhere else, with other things to offer and day trip it. Easy to get about on public transport in Italy. We stayed on Garda. Nice to come back to village life on the lake after a hot day out.
Another vote for Sirmione. Italy how you expect it.
Thanks for all the input and photos! :)
Garda is easily reachable, so is Venice, Maranello for the Ferrari museum and Milan ain’t that far either. Great part of the world. As others have said a couple days in Verona is plenty
Verona features in the latest BA flash sale.
https://www.headforpoints.com/2018/0...pe-flash-sale/
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
We stayed in Garda for 4 days and had a day in Verona. Verona was lovely but More of a day trip place to me. It’s not what you’ve asked but I’d consider Garda and then getting the bus to Verona for the day.
Bardolino is a good place to stay and there’s loads of beautiful towns and villages that can be accessed across the lake - Sirmione as others have said is beautiful, Garda the town, Malcesine with its castle and Monte Baldo the mountain are all lovely. There’s loads more places I’m looking forward to exploring next time I go back.
If you are set on Verona and i'd agree it is great for a day or two but limited beyond that; Bolgna and Venice are easy day trips and cheap on Italian railways.
In Verona the Scavi Scaligeri underground museum is best appreciated in the winter and often overlooked by visitors.
Verona is a nice town, although my memories include long snakes of tourists following guides holding up flags. There is also one of those dreadful Choo Choo trains carting tourists around. One of my personal tests, if a place has a Choo, Choo train then best to avoid. Juliette's balcony is totally naff. One of my personal highlights - seeing black squirrels. Horse meat is a local speciality. I had pike with polenta, braised donkey tagliatelle and thinly sliced horse steak with truffle sauce. I don't cope with busy tourist cities that well, so when it got too much, retreated across the river to the quieter bank for some peace and a nice cold beer. The views from this bank across the city are nice.
Resurrecting this thread as just booked flights to Verona for the end of March for the mrs' 50th (surprise trip). Have done the usual places so wanted something different.
Have looked at some of the recommendations on this thread and have booked a cancellable place in Sirmione (just so I had something booked). However, debating just using Verona as a base, having a couple day doing stuff there, then a day to Bologna, Sirmione and Garda etc. I've wanted to visit the Lakes for a while but can't decide whether to just touch on it then go back there properly later in the year/year after.
So just wondering if any updated tips of info? I'm OK with digs as always book airbnb or vrbo apartments but thinking Verona may be a better option for the kind of trip we want to do at this time?
Stay in Bologna and visit Verona from there. It’s a proper Italian city with loads of life and very few tourists
Im flying to Verona so happy to stay there and travel to be honest (if not somewhere else nearby)Originally Posted by Rodder
Last edited by senwar; 13th October 2019 at 20:35.
Are you flying into Verona or Verona Brescia - 15 years ago I didn't know there was a difference. Very expensive taxi ride...
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Into Verona (VRN)
I’d stay at the lakes myself and just have a day trip to Verona which should be enough. Sirmione is a stunning town though it’s right at the bottom. We stayed in Bardolino which is a bit further up and so slightly more central and easier for accessing the lakes after posing the question on TA. Garda the town is also nice. Worth taking a trip up to Malcesine and going up Mante Baldo. All the towns on the lake can be accessed by boat. Stunning area to visit.
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