Sample Itinerary
Venice & the Veneto
7 days — Venice, plus Padua, Verona, Prosecco, and the Dolomites.
The route
Venice is the anchor, but don't spend all seven days on it. Padua for Giotto, Verona for opera and Roman ruins, the Prosecco hills for a day, and Cortina for a mountain finish. Train between the cities; a car for the hills.
6 stops
Town · Veneto
Venice
Venice is worth at least two nights. A day trip from the mainland sells it short — Venice at dawn and after the day-trippers leave is a different city. Stay overnight or don't bother.
Region · Veneto
Veneto
Venice alone justifies Veneto, and most travelers never get further. But the region rewards a second look: Verona for opera and Roman ruins, Padua for the frescoes and a real working city, the Prosecco hills for wine, and Cortina for the Dolomites. Pair Venice with one or two of these rather than rushing through Venice alone.
Town · Veneto
Padua
Padua is worth a half-day or a night, especially as a cheaper base for Venice. The Scrovegni Chapel frescoes by Giotto are the reason to come — book ahead.
Town · Veneto
Verona
Verona is worth one or two nights. It is a more livable, less overwhelming alternative to Venice for travelers who want a beautiful Italian city without the intensity. Pair it with Valpolicella.
Mountain · Trentino-Alto Adige
The Dolomites
The most beautiful mountains in the Alps — pale limestone spires, the 'Enrosadira' (the pink at sunset), the Sella Ronda ski circuit, and the rifugi. Worth a week for skiing or hiking; worth a few days for anyone.
Mountain · Trentino-Alto Adige
Dolomites
The Dolomites are worth three to five nights if you hike. Base in Ortisei or Cortina. A car is essential. Go in summer for hiking or winter for skiing; the shoulder seasons are quiet but lifts may be closed.
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