Verona anyone?

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

We’re off to Verona next week for four days. We’re planning a trip to Venice but what else should we be doing? What about eating/drinking? We’re staying in the old bit so pretty central. Thanks.

We went to Verona a couple of years ago, we did a two centered trip - Venice for 4 days and then 10 days at Lake Garda, we had a car to travelled around a fair bit.
Of course we visited Juliette's balcony and the amphitheatre - go to an opera!

No opera on at this time. The art gallery and the modern art gallery are both worth a visit.

The archaeology museum up the hill is excellent, even if lumps of white marble bore you. A picnic in the amphitheatre is good especially if they are preparing for the next production. Lake Garda is nearby so a visit to say Sirmione and a Scaliger castle would be good. Verona itself is small but enjoyable if the opera and school trip crowds aren't there.

The Piazza Bra (the square in which the Arena sits is very pretty - the restaurants there though are more expensive as you’d expect. However it’s a nice place to eat on a warmer evening! The arena hosts not just opera so there might be other events on - not great Euro-pop when we were there last year. The Piazza Erbe is lovely and has a day time marker and lots of places to eat - it does get a lot of tourist traffic so again a bit more than you’d pay elsewhere. I’d just wander, you’ll find cheaper eateries off the main tourist routes. There isn’t a great deal to see at the Castelvechio (excluse possibld spelling mistake!) but worth a look and walk over the beautiful bridge and down to the Roman theatre. There are steps (lots and it’s a bit of a climb) up to an old castle right next to the theatre and it’s well worth doing for the views at the top. I think there’s also a cable car you can get if you don’t fancy the walk.

There are buses at the airport that take you into the city - these are much cheaper than a taxi and drop you off at the train station. If you are going to Venice, book in advance on Trenitalia as it’s cheaper than an on the day ticket. Outside the train station is the bus station where you can catch the bus to the towns on Garda. These run very frequently, do a quick Google for the times. You only have 4 days so hard to fit much else in but Vicenza on the Venice-Verona train line is nice.

The Juliet balcony is always rammed and a bit of a let down but when in Verona it’s something you have to do really. If you are wondering why people are having their pictures with her statue taken stroking her breast, it’s supposed to bring luck (said some sad man a long long time ago and it’s now common practice!)

Please excuse multiple typo’s above - just off a plane & very tired!

The views are great from the castle. The kids loved going up in the cable car, no queues in summer, people don't seem to have heard of it. It's called Funicolare de Castel San Pedro and is only €2 return (half price for under 10s).

Great - thanks very much all