Verona, Italy - general info please

[SWnewstart]

I'm almost beside myself with excitement as DP and I have the opportunity to stay in an apartment in Verona next year, near piazza Erbe) for a month next May. Any suggestions on what I need to do / know to get the most from this experience? Have holidayed in Italy many times, but never longer than a week and as a tourist, whereas hopefully we'll get to live more "locally".

Day trip to Venice, it's really easy by train. Enjoy yourself

Lots of day trips - off the top of my head Venice, Padua, Bologna, Bassano del Grappa, Vincenza, the lakes etc are all easy on the train (as well as a host of other places!). Plus negotiating Trenitalia's rail replacement bus services can be an adventure all of its own!

I'd also go out to some of the vineyards (an organised tour might be easiest) and there are sections of the city wall you can walk alongside if you fancy a bit of greenery.

Thank you for those suggestions. Any ideas about day-to-day living - supermarket chains (fruit and veg from markets hopefully) but the "normal" stuff - I'll need to get washing tabs and loo roll! Public transport system good? Trains to Venice and Milan are already planned but what about local buses? How to semi-retired Italians spend their days I wonder? Just like me in the UK I guess, pottering about! I just don't want to do touristy things every day.

You really should but tickets for the opera if it’s on whilst you’re there, even if it’s not something that appeals to you immediately. The atmosphere and music is like nothing I’ve encountered anywhere else. Tickets are very reasonable and can be bought for about €20

There’s a lovely green park just over the river which is a very formal garden with lots of statues and ponds and a big house to mooch about in. My top tip for this one would be to make sure you have plenty of mozzie protection on!

You’re also very close to the lakes on the train or bus but we loved just spending a long weekend in the city wandering around the old town.

I second getting tickets for the opera: not expensive, great fun. Take a cushion

OPERA!!!!!!
I saw La Traviata years ago and it was beautiful.
And book it early as the tickets go fast.

Verona is really close to Lake Garda, go up the lift thing in Malcesine area.

You're over worrying. You've got a list of a few things that you'd like to do, that will start you off, you'll discover more that you want to do as you go along. Finding supermarkets and bus times will be easy when you get there (or else google). Just enjoy it, it's a wonderful place, in a wonderful region, and you're going in what is probably the best time of year to visit. A month will fly by, make the most of it.

It might be worth doing a little Italian course while you're out there. They usually discuss the area and do little excursions, you'd gain twice..

Definitely go to the opera in the amphitheatre.

We're just back from that area, we definitely would recommend a trip to Lake Garda. Lasize and Sirmione are lovely old towns in easy reach of Verona, Limone and Riva are nice too but you would probably need to use the ferry to get to them.

I wouldn't bother with the cable car at Malcesine, the queues are crazy and it isn't that amazing, the cable car on the pordoi pass though is absolutely incredible so if you can arrange a trip there or hire a car I would recommend that, the south tyrol is so different to the rest of Ital it is really worth a visit.

The Zeni wine museum at Bardolino is a good place to visit for a bit of wine tasting that you don't need to book. Although there are other places that are nice too this is free and interesting with fairly cheap wine available to buy.

Bassano del grappa is worth a visit, go to the Poli distillery as well as seeing the bridge.

We visited quite a few smaller towns for a walk round, Parma, Castelfranco, Arco, but I am not sure how easy they would be to get to without a car.

Beautiful area though, you will have a fab time!

The opera only runs from 21st June to 7th September, so OP won’t be able to go!
Which is a shame, because it is absolutely wonderful. It would be well worth you going back again during the season in future, OP. Or could you move your holiday dates?

The Pam supermarket is best for general stuff but the markets will be best for fresh stuff.
For ice cream try Gelateria La Romana and beware walking on Via Mazzini when it's wet! It's marble and gets very slippery

There is an Aldi in Verona (not far from the square, just outside city walls- probably a 5 min walk). It has fresh croissants, delicious pasta etc- we bought lots of stuff there.

Thanks for all the brilliant info and recommendations. It will be a great experience and I can't really believe we're actually going yet and I'm sure the month will just fly by!

Hire a car and explore the Strada del Vino in Trentino. Incredible scenery and wine, there’s great walking routes there as well.
Verona is incredibly busy, and I think it will be lovely to be a (temporary) resident rather than a visitor.