Venice and Padua (maybe?)

Hello all!

For years I have loved reading this forum for just to read people's experiences and give their 2 cents. Thanks everyone for all your contributions!

My wife & I will be traveling to Europe in Sept., and plan on stopping in Venice for 3 nights. We will be arriving in Venice @ 6:15pm (18:15h) on Sat. Sept. 16th, and will be leaving for Croatia on Tue. Sept. 19th @ 3:30p (15:30h).

For both of us, this will be our first time to Venice. I am the researching type, and have a general feel for what we are going to do (a bunch of walking around Venice; seeing churches; visiting San Marco's, Doge's Palace, etc. ....seeing the Accademia if time allows). Going to the other islands (like Murano and Burano), would be cool but I just don't see us being able to squeeze it in (but I'm very much tempted by Torcello!).

One thing I have really been pushing for is for us to wake up super early and take a side-trip to Padua. Would LOVE to see the Arena Chapel (and the rest of Padua, if possible, but definitely the Arena Chapel above all else). But the more I think about it, the more I'm starting to think a Padua side-trip would essentially wipe out an entire day in Venice. I was also thinking maybe we could wake up really early on that last day and visit Padua and get back to the airport in time for our 3:30p flight (my wife says not a chance...that's cutting it too close, but I would LOVE to say she's wrong!!! Haha!)

So my questions are:

1) How long would a side trip take to visit Padua (from Venice)? Could I get most of Padua in a half-day, or does it really take a full day to enjoy?

2) Given our 3-day schedule (which really works out to 2 full days, and then a 1/2 day), is it feasible to do a side-trip to Padua? Could I cram it in on that final 1/2 day before our flight??

3) I have no idea of what to expect w/ San Marco. The crowds seem to be crazy. So I have scheduled out a full day for San Marco's and the Doge's Palace. I definitely could use some advice on this. What's the best time to "avoid" (relative term, I know) the long lines? I was thinking right when it opens, but now I'm starting to think it might be better to do it as late as possible. Any advice?

Thanks guys (& gals)!

The train to Padova takes 26 minutes, so easy to do in half day if necessary, not sure I would want to do it on a day when I was flying, too many things could cause you too miss your flight. St Marks Square is best seen early in the morning or early evening. Before and after the day trippers.

We too want to reach Padua as we are booked there for 6 days to visit Venice, Verona and of course Padua. Our flight is after midnight so we had to book an airport hotel (who knew that the Italians of all people would close down public transit early) Two question por favor, will it be any problem getting a taxi from the Marco Polo airport cab stand and, as we will have to be out of our airport hotel five hours before checkin in at Padua, is there a checked luggage area at the bus station in Venice?
Thankyou,

Thanks richiavo! But I guess my question is, given all the things to do, the walking, the getting lost, the churches, the artwork, the palaces, etc. (and yes all those things are things we want to do and enjoy seeing), how feasible is it to do Padua? I'm torn between wanting to enjoy Venice and not rush things, and really wishing I can make time for the Arena Chapel as I doubt I'll be able to come back to Italy for quite a while.

Alternatively, how about Torcello? I'm always hearing about Murano & Burano, with rarely a mention of Torcello. In my opinion, Torcello seems the most appealing, but is it really a distant 3rd when compared to other two?

Re the Scrovegni Chapel, make sure that you reserve in advance, if you do plan to make a quick trip to Padua. You have to reserve for a specific entry time. Fortunately the Chapel is very close to the train station; you are only allowed an hour in the chapel. My wife and I are planning to make a quick trip from Bologna to see the Chapel when we are there next month.

you are only allowed an hour in the chapel.

No, You are allowed 15 minutes in the chapel:
"Groups of maximum 25 people wait at the door to the air-conditioned waiting-room for 15 minutes, the time needed to stabilise the interior microclimate. They then enter the Chapel for another 15 minutes. Visits last a total of about 30 minutes."
[http://www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it/index.php/en/book-now/information-on-ticket-reservation]

However, it looks like for the duration of the late hours "Giotto Under the Stars" offer, you can buy a turnaround ticket that allows you to stay in the chapel for 40 minutes.

You'll also want to time your travel carefully. That 26-minute travel time can cost anywhere from 4 to 18 euro. That 4 euro price can be for longer travel times, too.

So yes, you could do a half-day (or even less--or evening) trip to Padova. The question is, is it worth it for a meager15 minutes in the chapel? Opinions will probably vary.

Padova is pleasant enough to walk around, and has a couple other attractions: a very pleasant if touristy piazza, a huge cathedral, a large public park, plus a civic museum (about which I remember nothing) included in the cost of the chapel. But given your very limited time, maybe the question is: what will you miss in Venice in order to accommodate this side-trip?

In all fairness, it should be noted that a trip to Torcello and back will cost 15 euro per person on the vaporetto--more than a trip to Padova--and probably take as much time. Unless you were already planning on buying vaporetto passes. Torcello has less art than the Arena Chapel alone, but what it has is about 900 years older than the chapel and quite stunning.

Your ticket to the Doge's Palace is a "combo ticket" that also includes admission to the Correr Museum in Piazza San Marco, and that's worth a look. There's a small cafe in the museum that is the cheapest place to sit down and eat with a view over the piazza (in the piazza proper, you will be stopped from sitting down to eat takeaway food).

Some people seem quite enamored of the "Secret itineraries" tour of the Doge's Palace that costs a few extra euro.

So I think you're quite right to schedule a full day in Piazza San Marco, with the basilica (and its upstairs museum with access to the "horse balcony" and better views of many interior mosaics) your first stop.

Also, The Accademia opens early and if you get there within 45 or so of opening time, you can pretty much have the place to yourself.

I would do the half day trip to Padova(not on last day though)..it sounds like that is what you really want to do.Early start,early finish and back to Venice....or else a later visit? Its open until early evening,that could be an option.If you have the budget then take the fastest possibke trains.

Onviously your timeframe is brief and you won't be able to see everything of interest in Venice itself.Something has to give....

You could see two or three highlights of Padova in half a day, but not "most of the city". It would be a rush, and you would have to make sacrifices in this time. The city is worth most of a day - it's a very pleasant place to wander round and see "real" life (there's large student population centred on the university). I tend to agree that given your relatively short time in Venice Padova is best saved for another occasion, and that the islands would be more rewarding - a trip there gives you a great feel for the lagoon, and Venice's place in it. Torcello has fewer tourist sights than Murano and Burano, but I've always found it much more atmospheric, a kind of ghost island. There are good views across the lagoon from the top of the cathedral tower.

IMHO it's impractical to attempt this trip on your last day. Allowing two hours to check in at the airport, an hour to get to the airport from your Venice accommodation, and hour back from Padova (including to/from the railways station at wash end), and you would have to leave Padova by 11.30.

Should you decide to visit Padova, book tickets for the Scrovegni Chapel well in advance. You usually get 15 minutes there, certainly not an hour.

The best time for the Doge's Palace is first thing in the morning. I don't usually recommend "must sees", but on this occasion I strongly recommend that you pay for the extra Secret Itineraries tour (in English). This gives you access to the private parts of the Palace from which the Republic of Venice was run, and it's fascinating. You can usually walk across the inside of the Bridge of Sighs to the new prisons. Also accessible are the old prisons where some of Venice's most notorious prisoners were kept, and from where Casanova escaped. Book tickets online in advance. You will need several hours for the whole Palace, so don't leave your visit till very late in the day.

P.S. I've just been thinking about this "Giotto Under the Stars" option. I see that the last entrance to the Chapel is 9.20 p.m. If the Chapel really is such a priority to you, then I would do it as an evening trip. You can stay in Venice till early evening, take a train to Padova in less than half an hour (there are trains every few minutes), walk to the Chapel for your visit (pre-book tickets), have dinner in Padova (it'll be cheaper than in Venice anyway), and take a late train back (last train 23.21). All you're then sacrificing is an evening in Venice - but you have two more of those anyway. I stand by my advice to try and get to the islands, and all I would say is not to attempt Padova on the same day as the islands - start from Venice itself. I think this could work quite well for you if you stick to the Chapel in Padova.

Oh man. Thank you SO much guys (& gals)!!! This is so much info to take in!!! Torcello sounds AMAZING - just up my alley! And the Giotto Under the Stars sounds like a great idea in order to see the Arena Chapel. I'm getting excited just talking about it!

Question: Does the "Secret Iteneraries" tour include San Marco? Or is that free?

Also, we wanted to do a walking tour of the city. And doing some research, it certainly appears there are a lot of "free" walking tours (not including tip). And I found it surprising that many of them got some fairly good reviews. They all sound legitimate. Does anybody have any in particular they would recommend? Maybe some to avoid? Thanks everyone!!!!!

The Secret Itineraries is just the Doge's Palace complex (including the prisons). San Marco basilica is separate. Entry to the latter is free (hence the queues - try late afternoon), but backpacks need to be stored in a place nearby (3 minutes' walk). There's an admission fee for the upstairs museum, some of which is a bit dull (IMHO), but it's really worthwhile for a closer look at the ceiling mosaics, the original four horses and the balcony view over the Piazza.

There's also a charge for the campanile (bell tower) in San Marco - more queues. It's good, but bear in mind that bizarrely you can't see any canals from the top. My own favourite, and arguably the best view in Venice, is the white church of San Giorgio Maggiore, on its own island directly opposite the waterfront. Take the vaporetto across, and inside the church at the back pay the few € to take the lift to the top of the bell tower for superb views back to Venice and across the lagoon. If you can time your visit so that you're up the tower for the midday bells, you won't forget the experience. :-)

One of the joys of Venice is simply wandering off under your own steam. Personally I would prefer this option - it's good fun getting "lost" (there are always signs back to Rialto or San Marco). This is a great way to get the atmosphere of the place.

I have a minor quibble with thomajd.

It's my experience that day-trippers to Venice don't like to pay admission fees. For anything.

That's why I've never seen the queue for the Doge's Palace anywhere remotely as long as the queue for the basilica, where entry is free. And why I'd encourage you to visit the basilica first (do not forget the upstairs museum!), Doge's Palace second, Correr Museum if time permits.

As for Padova: I understand the temptation of "Giotto Under the Stars." Especially if you want to spend more than 15 minutes in the chapel. But if you want to see other sights in Padova, you'll be limited to the outdoor attractions, given the time. Unless you leave for Padova early enough to take a pretty big bite out of your time in Venice.

Plus, trips to both Padova and Torcello, and a morning and afternoon in Piazza San Marco will greatly limit your time simply wandering Venice. And wandering is the best way to avoid the Beaten Tourist Path.

If you decide on Torcello, you might as well stop at Murano. Not for the glass shops or glass-blowing exhibitions, but for the church of SS Maria e Donato with its beautiful floor and apse mosaics (and alleged and partially hidden dragon bones mounted on the right side wall under the apse. It must have been a baby dragon). This church is only about 200 years younger than the ones in Torcello.

Whatever you decide, please do get off the Beaten Tourist Path in Venice. There are areas in northern Canareggio (north of the Ghetto, for example), where you can be the only people on the street. And that's the closest I've ever been to being in a time machine.

While you're there, and to bring you kicking and screaming back to the 21st century, consider taking a free gander at Scotland's entry to the Venice Biennale, Rachel Maclean's divisive film "Spite Your Face" in the Church of Santa Caterina on... Fondamenta Santa Caterina.

So many choices, so little time...

A half day trip to Padova is easy if you stay in a hotel close to Venice railway station but always impossible if you stay somewhere at the other end of the city.

I have a minor quibble with thomajd.

It's my experience that day-trippers to Venice don't like to pay admission fees. For anything.

That's why I've never seen the queue for the Doge's Palace anywhere remotely as long as the queue for the basilica, where entry is free. And why I'd encourage you to visit the basilica first (do not forget the upstairs museum!), Doge's Palace second, Correr Museum if time permits.

Yes, I see where you're coming from on this. By the time the OP came out of the Palace, the daytrippers would have descended on the Basilica in their hoards. It might help to do the Palace and the Basilica on separate days, but the OP isn't awash with time.

Also agree that with just 3 days the Correr Museum is a "nice to" rather than "need to".

I think you mean "almost" impossible.
And I think that may be over-stating it.

But if you do the night trip, and you want to take the vaporetto from the Venice train station back to your hotel, you should check when the regular service ends and the "night service" (about once an hour) begins. I think it's later than your return, but worth checking.

There's no place in Venice proper you couldn't walk to, eventually, from the train station. On the other hand, it's very easy to walk in circles in Venice, especially at night. I've done it. Campo Santa Maria Formosa--again???

So walking might take longer than you think. Unless, as noted, your hotel is close to the station.

And as I said, thoma, a minor quibble. But I'm also less keen on the Doge's Palace than most. From the inside, the Bridge of Sighs seems like a short hallway. Kind of like it does from the outside. The prisons and some other interiors are interesting (my, what big globes you have!), most of the art isn't.

After all the very detailed and amazing advice that has already been given, I feel a bit "nervous" to join this post so late and give my meager advice ;-). I was in Venice last year for a week (not my first time there, and certainly not my last time, as I really really like Venice), and I still havent been to all the places I would like to see. So yes, with 2.5 days, you wont be able to see it all and you will have to make choices, and you know yourself what you feel most attracted to, and what is most important to you.

Yes there are some wonderful palaces, museums, buildings, exhibitions, churches etc. in Venice. But for me, what makes the city really unique and special, is the lack of road and cars and traffic noise. The only way to get around is on foot and by boat, and that makes for such an unique experience. By all means visit places like the Doge`s palace, but also allow enough time to simply wander around and get lost. Even from a very very touristy place like St. Marks it doesnt take more than a 5 minutes walk and there wont be many other tourists left. I would also recommend to get a 3 day Vaporetto pass, so that you can have unlimited use. Spending 1-2 hours on a Vaporetto is one of the best and most relaxing way to see Venice in my opinion. Maybe take the Vaporetto to the Lido (not because you want to spend time there, but because the boat trip back to Venice is quite spectacular) and then onward on the Canale Grande to the train station.

If you like food (like I do), Venice is fantastic. Yes, there are many horrible tourist traps, but they are also quite easy to avoid, and especially if you like fish and seafood, you will be in for a treat. You might also consider doing a guided "eating tour" around Venice. You will eat plenty of great food and drink wine, and have some interesting comments about life in Venice etc. But of course it wont be free.

"I think you mean "almost" impossible"
Of course! Thanks for the correction.

BTW: I like to stay at hotel Stella Alpina, in a quiet area, less than 10 min from the railway station platforms (no steps, no boat transfers with all the luggage).

Thanks for all the advice!!

My wife and I are staying at a AirBnB in San Polo fairly close (but not too close!) to the Rialto Bridge. Really good price too. Like 115 euro/night and its the entire apartment!

I absolutely agree with you all that just walking around is really the way to go. That is definitely on the agenda. And you're right, there are just SOOOOO many places to go see and you can't do it all, and the hard part is figuring out what you're going to leave out. Thanks nathalie2, for your advice! I haven't considered getting a vaporetto pass, but thanks for bringing it to my attention. I will definitely consider it, at least a 24-hour pass!

I'm thinking I agree with the idea we might want to split up San Marco & the Doge's Palace. One of the things that I'm trying to figure out is what to do on that last day - the 1/2 day before our plane leaves (at 3:30p). I'm thinking an early visit to San Marco's might be the perfect fit, no??

Lastly, given my affinity for art, history, and churches (and less crowds, the better.....I get it, it's Venice, but you know what I mean), and given my time constraints, is Torcello skippable? Just from reading what everybody has posted, I think I would love Torcello....but.....I'm thinking that in order to make it happen, I'll most probably have to skip the Accademia. So which is it?

Oh and Padua, I think if we do it, we will have to do the evening visit. I just don't see another way of fitting it in. Which is unfortunate, b/c I've heard that the University tour is really excellent as well. And that's to say nothing of the churches and the piazza, etc.

All good advice from nathalie2, I would say. :-) It has taken me six visits to Venice to tick off everything on my "to do" list. OK, there have been some repeats, and only once did I stay for more than three days. But it confirms what you say (and why I always recommend a stay of four days - two for the tourist stuff, one for your own stuff, and one for the islands - and all before day trips to other places).

Good advice on the vaporetto pass. Good routes to experience are those which include the full length of the Grand Canal and/or the full circuit of the city.

As an "either/or" choice, I would put Torcello ahead of the Accademia - because I prefer outdoor buildings and atmosphere to inside art. And as well as the masterpieces, there's a lot of pretty mediocre stuff in the Accademia too... Others would choose the opposite, according to their choices. But if you get to Burano, you're ¾ of the way to Torcello, and it might be a long time before you come back. :-)

On this trip, I think you're wise limiting your time in Padova. The piazza is nice, not as touristy (IMHO) as someone suggested earlier in this thread, but it doesn't compare with San Marco for architecture, sheer scale or atmosphere.

Good luck with your planning. It's encouraging to see somebody taking the time to think things through and do some decent research.

I think that you have long since realised that you could be spending a month in Venice without getting bored ;-).
Torcello "versus" the Accademia is indeed a difficult choice. I mostly also prefer sights outside, but I also like the Accademia a lot. Yes, there are some not so spectacular paintings there, but there also very very amazing pieces of art there (in my opinion of course). If you dont mind getting up fairly early, I would be there when it opens at 8am and allow at least one hour for the main Highlights (which are at the very beginning and very end of the "suggested itinerary around the Museum"). With one hour you wont have enough time to see it all of course, but it will still be better than nothing in my opinion.

Thank you all for all your suggestions!!! This is so much to take in, but it has definitely given me a bunch to think over! We are going to Europe to visit my brother-in-law in Germany, and both of us were like, hey, while we're in Europe, why not go somewhere else, like, say, Venice? So I feel, this is kind of an unexpected side-trip.....and so I definitely want to get as much out of it as possible!!! I'll let you all know what we decide!!! Thanks again for all your help!!!! :-)

#22 You're most welcome and have fun further planning your unexpected side-trip

There was an interesting documentary about Venice on tv here last night....Venice by night.Its great at 3am..no tourists at all ;-)

That sounds very interesting Luca. I guess the documentary was in Italian ? If not, do you know the name of it ?

Yes,its called 'Stanotte a Venezia'.The presenter is Alberto Angela.

Its not available on video yet,maybe later....

Thanks Luca, I will wait and check again in a couple of weeks.

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