Italy - Verona day-trip from Venice

My family and I will be in Venice 15-18Aug. We're currently planning to do a day trip to Verona. I know there's a lot to see in Verona, but are we selling it way too short if we only do half a day? Truthfully, it'll be an extravagant trip mainly to see Juliet's balcony for my 14-year-old daughter.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

How are you planning to get there? Are you actually staying in Venice proper, with canal access? It's a long trip. I've driven from near Venice, but getting in and out of Venice will add complexity and hassle. Can you do this at the beginning or end of your Venice stay?

BTW, do not attempt a rental car if you're not accustomed to driving in southern Europe.

It's a long trip. I've driven from near Venice, but getting in and out of Venice will add complexity and hassle. Can you do this at the beginning or end of your Venice stay?
.

IMO VCE to Verona is hardly a 'hassle' From Venice, you take a vaporetto to the train station (Ferrovia) then take the train to Verona. Depending on the train, it takes about 90 minutes.

To the OP: take a cab from the Verona station to the Ancient Arena, have lunch at one of the many restaurants surrounding the arena and then head over to what is identified as "Juliet's house" If you are museum goers/art lovers, the Castelvecchio is great, its also interesting architecturally as it used to be fortress.

Given the travel time, I think you are looking at a bit more than a 1/2 day. Also, if you are thinking "we'll go in the afternoon, see Juliet's house, then have dinner around the Arena" - make sure that you are not going on an evening when they have Opera in the evening as there will be enormous crowds, etc...

Thank you both.

I was in a rush last night, I'm sorry I didn't say more about our stay. We (family of 4) will be in Venice proper and plan to take a train to Verona.

Bdemeria - thank you for the suggestions. I'll plan on a 6-8h round trip.

We did a day trip from Venice to Verona last year. I would suggest buying your train ticket a day before (if able). It was a quick train ride ( high speed). Once there, stop at the tobacco shop in the train station and purchase a local map. From the train station, it was a fairly straight shot to the main attractions. Probably 20 minute walk. We were there 5 hours and managed to see everything. The balcony is very busy. There are several street signs directing you to the balcony. A very enjoyable day and change of pace from Venice. Enjoy your trip.

I hope it's not too late!

Here I am, born and grew up in Verona!

A day trio from Venice it's a great idea, a couple of days with a car would let you see the real beauty of Verona (other then the city itself): Garda lake and valpolicella...

Anyway.. Trains take less than an hour, unless you travel on the slow "inter regionale" ones..

Don't get scared of the queues at the ticket desk, the ticket machines are easy to use and almost always empty.

Once you arrive in Verona you can either get a taxi to go in piazza bra (a 5 min ride) or walk for 25 min.
If you want to walk you need to follow the road outside the station on your right, go past the gates that you will find on your left (porta nuova) and straight down the big "corso" until piazza bra.

Once in Piazza Bra you have to take a look at the Arena, it's a slightly smaller version of the coliseum but in a much better shape.
If it's breakfast time there's a nice bar right before piazza bra (coming from the station) called caffe al teatro.

Then I recommend to walk down via Mazzini until piazza erbe (get lost in the small streets on your left and on your right). Piazza Erbe and the nearby piazza dei signori are the two most beautiful and authentic "piazze" of Verona. In piazza Erbe all the young crowd will get together for drinks at night filling the whole space, during the day the overpriced bars that surround it could be perfect for a quick drink or a coffee. If you like fancy bars and restaurants head to caffe mazzanti, otherwise go to osteria verona, the last one on the corner between piazza Erbe and corso sant'Anastasia.

From piazza Erbe you can walk down via Cappello to the Juliet's balcony (3 min), then ask directions for via sottoriva, a small and really typical street until the very end where you will find la kappa caffe, a small bar, with an outdoor terrace with a terrific view of the roman theatre on the other side of the river and the hill with his medieval castle.

From there you could take a quick look at sant'anastasia, one of the biggest and most beautiful churches of the city and then walk down corso di sant'anastasia and corso portoni borsari until an other roman gate, porta borsari.

I could spend the next two hours writing about Verona so I'll limit myself to this few paragraphs...

I hope they might be useful!

For some good authentic food look for:
Osteria duomo
Trattoria la vecchia fontanina
Osteria al bugiardo (perfect for a glass of wine and a quick bite at the bar)
Pizzeria du de cope

I hope it's not too late!

Here I am, born and grew up in Verona!

A day trio from Venice it's a great idea, a couple of days with a car would let you see the real beauty of Verona (other then the city itself): Garda lake and valpolicella...

Anyway.. Trains take less than an hour, unless you travel on the slow "inter regionale" ones..

Don't get scared of the queues at the ticket desk, the ticket machines are easy to use and almost always empty.

Once you arrive in Verona you can either get a taxi to go in piazza bra (a 5 min ride) or walk for 25 min.
If you want to walk you need to follow the road outside the station on your right, go past the gates that you will find on your left (porta nuova) and straight down the big "corso" until piazza bra.

Once in Piazza Bra you have to take a look at the Arena, it's a slightly smaller version of the coliseum but in a much better shape.
If it's breakfast time there's a nice bar right before piazza bra (coming from the station) called caffe al teatro.

Then I recommend to walk down via Mazzini until piazza erbe (get lost in the small streets on your left and on your right). Piazza Erbe and the nearby piazza dei signori are the two most beautiful and authentic "piazze" of Verona. In piazza Erbe all the young crowd will get together for drinks at night filling the whole space, during the day the overpriced bars that surround it could be perfect for a quick drink or a coffee. If you like fancy bars and restaurants head to caffe mazzanti, otherwise go to osteria verona, the last one on the corner between piazza Erbe and corso sant'Anastasia.

From piazza Erbe you can walk down via Cappello to the Juliet's balcony (3 min), then ask directions for via sottoriva, a small and really typical street until the very end where you will find la kappa caffe, a small bar, with an outdoor terrace with a terrific view of the roman theatre on the other side of the river and the hill with his medieval castle.

From there you could take a quick look at sant'anastasia, one of the biggest and most beautiful churches of the city and then walk down corso di sant'anastasia and corso portoni borsari until an other roman gate, porta borsari.

I could spend the next two hours writing about Verona so I'll limit myself to this few paragraphs...

I hope they might be useful!

For some good authentic food look for:
Osteria duomo
Trattoria la vecchia fontanina
Osteria al bugiardo (perfect for a glass of wine and a quick bite at the bar)
Pizzeria du de cope

Awesome post. We too plan a side trip of 2 days to Verona. You have indeed wet our appetites.