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Table of Contents:
How to get to Verona from Verona Airport
How to get to Verona from Milan
When to travel to Verona
Verona is considered to be one of the most romantic cities in Italy. Shakespeare’s widely-known play Romeo and Juliet took place here, and curious tourists can still come to Juliet’s balcony in Verona to see her sculpture and to make a wish. Situated in the north-east of Italy, Verona is a haven full of surprises and attractions, and is also convenient for radial trips to such iconic Italian destinations as Lake Garda, Venice and the Dolomites.
I would like to recommend travellers booking almost everything for visiting Verona in advance! I mean plane tickets, hotels, transfer or car rental services, tickets for attractions, etc. This city gets packed with travellers. Some of them are staying in the city, some of them travelled around the region, but anyway the last thing you need is to waste time waiting in a queue for hours!
Verona is an all-year round tourist destination. During the period from April to October travellers can enjoy sunny days, long distance walking around the city and radial trips to surroundings. During summer time tourists can go, for example, to Lake Garda, where they can swim and relax on the beach. The period from November to March is also suitable for travelling to Verona. In that time, you can enjoy thermal spa relaxing, sightseeing, trying local gastronomy, visiting museums and theatres. Pre-Christmas period is wonderful due to city illumination and holiday markets.
How to get to Verona
Where do you fly into to get to Verona? Verona has its own international airport, which takes a lot of flights from all over the world. Valerio Catullo Airport is located 12 km from the city center. You can check the current flight timetable to Verona via specialized online services such as Aviasales and other similar ones. I truly like Aviasales and have used it a lot of times. It has a very convenient search, to my mind, so it is quite easy to find the best available flight option. Then, from the airport, you can use either public transport or taxi to get to the city.
How to get to Verona from Verona Airport
By bus: You can get from Verona Airport to the city by bus (during the daytime only); special blue and white ATV buses run along the route. You should focus on bus #199, which runs to the Main Train Station called Porta Nuova. The train station is located close to the city center. Buses depart from the airport 2-3 times an hour during the day. The travel time is about 40-50 minutes depending on the traffic.
By taxi: At night, the only way to get to the city is by taxi. You can order a taxi from Verona Airport upon arrival at the information desk, or in advance via various international transfer services, for example, via Kiwitaxi and others similar. In general, the travel time takes about 20 minutes. Based on my research, Kiwitaxi has a lot of positive reviews. For sure, there are a lot of other taxi services available at the airport.
By rented car: You can also rent a car at Verona Airport. This option will allow you to move not only around the city, but also outside it. For example, you can go to Lake Garda (40 km) or Venice (120 km); you can also easily get to Milan (160 km), Padua (100 km), Brescia (70 km) or Bergamo (120 km). All these cities are connected by high-speed highways. Car rental points can be found at the airport as well as at the city area. You can book a car in advance via different online services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings and others. Based on my experience, it will let you save your time on the spot and choose a car among a wide range of available options.
How to get to Verona from Milan
Travelers often come to Verona from Milan. Milan is a large city in the north of the country, and is also one of the busiest air hubs in Italy. Regular flights from all over the world to Milan operate many times a day. There are different ways to get to Verona from Milan. The distance between Milan and Verona is 160 km. You can use either public transport or a rented car to get to your travel destination.
By train: The most common way is to take a high-speed train. ES type trains depart on a direct route from Milano Centrale Railway Station and arrive at Verona Porta Nuova Railway Station. The travel time is 1 hour 15 minutes. Trains run every half an hour throughout the day. You can check the current train timetable and purchase tickets in advance at the Raileurope booking service. Raileurope is one of my favourite online services for planning upcoming trips. In my point of view, it has a convenient search with a lot of useful filters to narrow down the results and choose the best available one.
By rented car: As an option, you can also hire a car in Milan to travel to Verona and other interesting touristic spots around. Car rental offices can be found at the airport, at the train station and in different city areas of Milan. Travellers can also book a car in advance via different international services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings, etc. To rent a car, you need to have a passport, a driver`s license and a bank card. Milan and Verona are connected with #A4 motorway. The travel time is about 2 hours (see on the map). According to my experience, both online services are good for looking for available car rentals as they can compare a great number of available options.
Where to stay in Verona
Verona is a fairly popular tourist destination, so I would recommend booking your accommodation as far in advance as possible. According to my research, the most popular type of accommodation in Verona is apartments, followed by B&B hotels. But if you wish, you can find hotels of any star category in the city, as well as guest houses, holiday homes, hostels, and even villas or country houses.
B&B La Magia dei Sogni Relais 4* is located in the surroundings of Verona, a 10-minute drive from the city and offers its guests a cozy garden and an outdoor swimming pool. A private parking area and wireless internet are available for free. Guests can stay in rooms of different categories, including family rooms. Some rooms have views on the garden or outdoor terraces. Breakfast is included in the price. Rooms are equipped with TV, a minibar, a safe, a hairdryer, etc. The registration desk offers luggage storage services;
Park Hotel Elefante 3* is located in a villa and belongs to the country type of accommodation. The city center is 4 km away. It has an outdoor swimming pool, a garden and a relaxation area. There is an Italian restaurant and a 24-hour bar on site. The hotel provides free private parking for its guests. Tourists can stay in one, two or three-bed rooms. Breakfast may be included in the price or paid additionally. The rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a safe, a minibar, TV, a hairdryer, etc. The registration desk is open 24 hours a day and offers luggage storage services;
Sole Hotel Verona 3* is located close to the railway station, but in a quiet area. There is a bar at the hotel. Guests can stay in two, three or four-bed rooms. The rooms are equipped with everything tourists need. Breakfast is included in the price. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and is free of charge. Private parking is provided on site for an additional fee. As online booking services provide tourists reviews, I found out that the front desk is open 24 hours a day and offers luggage storage services;
Hotel Giulietta e Romeo 3* is located within walking distance of the main attractions of Verona. The hotel has a bar and a fitness center. Guests can stay in rooms of various categories, including family rooms. Breakfast, depending on the room type, may be included in the price or paid additionally. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and is free of charge. Private parking is provided on site upon reservation and at an additional cost. The front desk is open 24 hours a day and there is luggage storage area available;
B&B Valverde is one of the Verona hotels in the city center for a reasonable price. The hotel offers basic services and all the main attractions of the city are within walking distance. Airport transfers and public parking are available at an additional cost.
What to see in Verona
Verona is full of historical monuments and architectural attractions preserved here, but what really made Verona so popular among tourists is a Shakespeare’s immortal play about love, called Romeo and Juliet, which takes place in the medieval streets of the city. Since then, Verona has been secretly considered as the city of love. Top attractions in Verona that you can explore on your own include the Roman Arena, Lamberti Tower, Castelvecchio Castle with an art museum inside, Basilica Maggiore, Pietra Bridge, Giusti Palace and Gardens, Juliet’s House, Juliet’s Tomb, Romeo’s House and many others. I would choose exactly this route.
The historical center of Verona is beautiful, especially if you go up to one of the observation decks and see Verona from above. The old city is divided by a river, but connected by a medieval arched bridge, from which all the narrow streets of the city stretch.
The Arena di Verona, or Roman Arena, is the iconic site of Verona. This ancient Roman amphitheater was built BC and is the third largest arena of its kind in Italy. It is all the more surprising that the building has survived to these days, and not only has survived, but is also actively used, for example, opera concerts are held here, including the famous opera of “Romeo and Juliet”. You can visit the walls of the Arena either with a tour or attend one of the concerts held here. Please notice that the concerts are held only in the summer, since the arena has no roof.
The Lamberti Tower is considered to be the tallest building in old Verona. The tower is extremely popular among tourists, because from here you can see Verona at a glance. The height of the tower is 84 meters. The tower is located on one of the central squares of old Verona called Erbe Square, which is decorated with beautiful fountains and other architectural objects. By the way, you can climb to the observation deck either by stairs or by elevator, so the attraction is a must-see and is accessible to anyone. There is some useful information for visiting that I discovered:
- The tower is open from 10 am to 6 pm on weekdays and from 11 am to 7 pm on weekends;
- The entrance price is 6 euros.
The construction of Castelvecchio Castle dates back to the 10th century. Once it was just a defensive fortress, but later it was rebuilt with castle towers and cozy courtyards, and today it has become a truly top architectural attraction; no wonder the castle was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Inside the castle there is an art museum with a rich collection of paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages. The works were painted mainly by local Veronese artists. I found out detailed information for visiting the museum:
- The museum is open from 10 am t0 6 pm daily, except Mondays;
- The entrance fee is 6 euros.
If you want to take a walk in a picturesque place with beautiful views and hide from the sun, then you should go to the Giusti Gardens. Gardens appeared here around the palace, and soon became one of the most original landscape gardens in Europe. The gardens were built at the end of the 15th century, decorated with sculptures. By the way, the garden is also a natural observation deck as it is located on a hill; here you can find places with beautiful views of Verona. There is an entrance fee to both the palace and the gardens, but it’s worth it. I did some research to collect practical information for visiting and here it is:
- The Palace and the Gardens are open from 10 am to 6 pm daily;
- The entrance fee is 11 euros.
The most famous sights of Verona associated with Shakespeare’s play are Juliet’s house (the one with the balcony and statue), Juliet’s tomb and Romeo’s house. All these objects are located separately from each other, so to see them all, you will have to wander around the beautiful old Verona.
In Juliet’s house (on Capello Street) there is a museum now, but the most attractive part of the house is considered to be the courtyard. You can see the windows of Juliet’s room and the famous balcony, where Romeo confessed his love to the young girl there. There is a statue of Juliet in the courtyard; rubbing it is believed to bring good luck. Also, many people leave notes with wishes on the wall of the house. Juliet’s tomb is also located in the museum, but in another one – on Pontiere Street, the tomb is open for visitors. Romeo’s house is a restaurant now.
Where to go from Verona
As you can see, there are a lot of historical and architectural monuments that can be visited by tourists in Verona. Besides city attractions, Verona is also a good starting point for travelling around the region. I have mentioned before that there are a lot of travel destinations, including cities and towns, mountains and lakes. You can combine viewing natural landscapes with city attractions. The region is also well-known for its gastronomy so you can take part in food tours and try local cuisine and wine.
See some popular destinations from Verona and my tips how to get there:
Lake Garda is located just 30 km from Verona. The closest towns on the lake are Peschiera del Garda and Desenzano del Garda. Both have various attractions and beaches for relaxing. The swimming period on Lake Garda is from June to September inclusively. You can also explore other beautiful destinations around the lake, for instance, stunning Malcesine, Riva del Garda or Limone towns. You can move around by bus, by boat or by car. To reach Lake Garda, you can take a direct train to Desenzano or Peschiera. The travel time is about 15-30 minutes. Verona and Lake Garda are also connected with #A4/E70 motorway (see on the map);
The Dolomites are well-known UNESCO Heritage mountains, located in Northern Italy. Tourists usually fly exactly to Verona to get to the Dolomites. There are a lot of points to see here, but the most famous are Lake Carezza, Lake Braies and Tre Cime di Lavaredo mountains. To reach them you can use a combination of train + bus options (trains from Verona to Trento or Bolzano and then a change to a local bus). More convenient option is to hire a car. Verona and Lake Carezza are connected with #A22/E45 motorway; the travel time is slightly more than 2 hours. Verona and Lake Braies are also connected with #A22/E45 motorway; the travel time is about 3 hours 20 minutes. Verona and Tre Cime di Lavaredo are connected #A4/E70 and A27 motorways; the travel time is 4 hours (see on the map).
Venice is located just 120 km from Verona. You can use both public transport or a car to reach this famous travel destination. Venice is considered to be one of the most-visited cities in Italy and needs no introduction. There are direct high-speed trains running between Verona and Venice so you can get to the city within 1 hour 10 minutes which is super-fast. You can also use a motorway #A4/E70 to go by car; the travel time is about 1,5 hours (see on the map).
Take a note! When going on a trip to Italy, do not forget to take out travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerging medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie
Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more about the author…