6 Days: Venice and the Veneto
Six days adds a car to the mix. This plan builds on the 5-day rail-and-bus route through Padua, Verona, Vicenza, Lake Garda and the Dolomites with a self-drive day through the Prosecco hills, the one trip on this list where public transit genuinely will not get you there. Shorter trip? Back up to 2 through 5 days. Have a full week? See the 7-day version with Ravenna added.
Book these before you go:
- Padua’s Scrovegni Chapel: book a timed slot at cappelladegliscrovegni.it days ahead, there is no same-day daytime ticket.
- Your Prosecco road car: reserve a rental at Piazzale Roma ahead of summer weekends, when Veneto rental stock runs short.
- The Dolomites bus from Piazzale Roma: only a handful of ATVO or Cortina Express departures run daily.
- Vicenza’s Villa Rotonda opens on limited public days, commonly Friday through Sunday, April through October.
| Day | Focus | Distance/Train Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Padua, Scrovegni Chapel | 25 to 30 min, EUR 4 to 9 |
| 2 | Verona, the Arena | 54 min, EUR 9 to 12 |
| 3 | Vicenza, Palladio | 45 to 50 min, EUR 5 to 8 |
| 4 | Lake Garda, Sirmione | 1h15 to 1h30, change at Verona |
| 5 | Dolomites, Cortina | 2h45 to 3h10+ by bus from Piazzale Roma |
| 6 | Prosecco road, self-drive | About 1.5h drive to Valdobbiadene |
Day 1: Padua and Giotto’s Frescoes
A short regionale ride, 25 to 30 minutes, roughly EUR 4 to 9, to your timed Scrovegni Chapel slot: 15 to 20 minutes with Giotto’s 1305 fresco cycle after a mandatory anteroom wait. Full price is about EUR 15 plus a EUR 1 presale fee. Round out the afternoon at Piazza dei Signori and the Prato della Valle.
Day 2: Verona and the Arena
Roughly 54 minutes out, EUR 9 to 12. The Arena, a first-century Roman amphitheater seating around 15,000 for summer opera, is worth the trip on daytime entry alone, roughly EUR 10 to 12. Wander Piazza delle Erbe and skip “Juliet’s House” if pressed for time, it is a manufactured 20th-century tourist add-on.
Day 3: Vicenza and Palladio’s City
Just 45 to 50 minutes, EUR 5 to 8. The Teatro Olimpico runs on a normal schedule; Villa Rotonda is limited to Friday through Sunday, April through October, so check first. The City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto listing has the wider network.
Day 4: Lake Garda and Sirmione
Change at Verona for Peschiera or Desenzano, roughly 1h15 to 1h30 total, fares in a similar band to the Verona leg plus a short extra hop. Sirmione’s peninsula is under 30 minutes further by local transport. Our Lake Garda page has the detail.
Day 5: The Dolomites and Cortina d’Ampezzo
This day starts at Piazzale Roma, not the station, since no direct train reaches Cortina. The ATVO or Cortina Express bus runs roughly 2h45 to over 3h10 depending on stops, with a handful of departures daily. Jagged Dolomite peaks and real alpine air are the payoff for the long ride. Our Dolomites page covers Cortina in more depth.
Day 6: The Prosecco Road, Self-Drive
Pick up your rental at Piazzale Roma, since driving stops there and starts nowhere else in Venice. The UNESCO-listed hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene run about 90 scenic kilometers of terraced vineyards and small stone villages, with driving time from Venice to Valdobbiadene around 1.5 hours. A designated non-drinking driver is a legal requirement here, not a suggestion, so plan who is behind the wheel before the tastings start.
Set your Prosecco road stops around Conegliano’s own train station if you would rather not drive the whole loop, it sits roughly an hour from Venice and works as a walking-day gateway into the hills on either end.