Verona: a jewel nearby Venice and Milan
When staying in either Venice or Milan as your home base, it's both quick and cheap to travel between them by train. Frecciarossa and Italo high-speed trains from Venice to Verona take only an hour. It's also easy to get from Milan to Verona, taking less than two hours. On Frecciarossa high-speed trains you'll get to enjoy high-quality onboard services, including free WiFi, at-seat power sockets and a catering service called FrecciaBistrò which offers drinks and snacks, as well as breakfast and lunch menu options.
Venice and Verona both form part of the wider Veneto region, a diverse part of Italy with splendid coastlines, glittering cities, and rolling green hills. Well regarded internationally for its spectacular wines, you may well want to try them when eating at either city's fine restaurants. Shrimp and polenta, braised beef in an Amarone wine sauce, and fresh stuffed tortellini pasta are among the region's famous dishes.
Trips from Venice to Verona
Many travellers spending their holidays in Venice opt for Verona as a day trip destination. With the Doge's Palace, St Mark's Square, and gondola rides along the Grand Canal, Venice remains one of the world's most unique destinations. Verona is often noted for its calmer ambience and is a particularly attractive destination for couples looking for a romantic escape. Groups of friends and families interested in history, great food, and beautiful surroundings will find a lot to love about a weekend in Verona.
You may opt to do things the other way around. Verona has plenty of sights and an irresistibly romantic atmosphere, meaning you could choose to spend most of your trip here and then visit Venice on a day trip. This is an excellent way to take in one of the world's most famous cities, with its elegant architecture and unusual lack of cars, before heading back to the serenity of Verona.
Travelling from Milan to Verona
Milan is famous as Italy's fashion capital, and there are plenty of opportunities for high-end shopping on Via Montenapoleone, a retail paradise. The impressive Duomo di Milano is the city's Gothic cathedral, while the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie houses the world-famous Last Supper painting by da Vinci. When staying in Milan, you can easily take train trips to Verona, perhaps staying here for a tranquil retreat away from the crowds of the bigger city.
Depending on your tastes, you may prefer to spend more time in Verona than Milan. You can easily set up base in Verona and then visit Milan for a day or two, getting in some shopping and trying a plate of risotto milanese before heading back to Verona on the train.
Top sights in Verona
When researching what to see in Verona, you'll find plenty to suit any interest, from ancient history to popular shopping quarters, intriguing local museums and gorgeous surrounding nature. Verona manages to maintain a calm atmosphere while being full of fantastic places to discover.
The Arena is undoubtedly among the most famous of Verona's treasures. This Roman amphitheatre dates back over 2,000 years, having been opened in the year 30 A.D. Originally the site of lethal gladiator battles, today it's a place where you can catch world-class opera performances. It was originally built to hold over 30,000 spectators and remains one of the best-preserved Roman constructions in the world.
Taking a trip to the home of Juliet
Of course, Verona is most famous for its links to one of Shakespeare's best-known plays, Romeo and Juliet. At Juliet's House, you can see the house most associated with the legendary couple, including its balcony and a statue of the tragic figure herself. This is a site steeped in an atmosphere of romance for many visitors. You can read the many notes attached to the wall of the house, left by couples hoping to immortalise their own love stories here.
Via Giuseppe Mazzini is Verona's commercial core, a narrow shopping street brimming with trendy boutiques and cafés. Whether or not you're into retail therapy, this is a wonderful place to soak up Verona's modern ambience and relax with a coffee. Osteria Sottocosta is another popular people-watching plaza with beautiful architecture in Verona.
Verona's natural charm
Another popular trip in the Verona area is to nearby Lake Garda, the largest in Italy. Zip there on a Frecciarossa or Frecciargento train from Verona to Peschiera del Garda station in just 12 minutes. In the summer, it's an ideal spot for swimming or sailing, and throughout the year you can enjoy its beautiful shoreline and walk through the surrounding villages here.
Even if you're just staying within the city of Verona, there's plenty of natural beauty to be found in the town. Giusti Palace dates from the 16th century and invites visitors to explore its wonderful manicured gardens. Taking a walk here in the sunshine is an inspiring experience, as this is considered one of the world's finest Italian-style gardens.
Whether visiting from Venice or Milan or spending all of your trip in Verona with a side excursion to Lake Garda, train travel is an easy way to make the most of your time in this area. A region abundant with natural beauty and world-famous history, you'll soon fall in love with the magnetic atmosphere of beautiful Verona and its surrounding towns.