Day Trips from Padua: Venice, Verona & the Veneto's Best Cities

Padua (Padova) sits at the hub of the Veneto rail network — Venice is 25 minutes east, Vicenza 20 minutes west, Verona 40 minutes northwest, and Treviso 30 minutes northeast. It is, arguably, one of the best-positioned day-trip bases in all of northern Italy.

Venice (25 km east, approximately 25 minutes by train)

The most popular and obvious day trip. From Padua, take any regional train to Venezia Santa Lucia (approximately 25 minutes, approximately €4–6 as of 2026, trains every 15–20 minutes). Arriving before 9am avoids the worst crowds at the main sites.

Priorities for a single day: Piazza San Marco (free to visit; the Basilica di San Marco interior is free but the Pala d’Oro altarpiece and museum require a ticket of approximately €5–7); Palazzo Ducale (entry approximately €30, book in advance at visitmuve.it); a gondola ride through the back canals (official rate approximately €80 for 30 minutes for up to 6 people as of 2026). Book Venice tours and skip-the-line tickets from Padua in advance — the Palazzo Ducale in particular sells out; the Rialto Market (fresh produce and fish market, best before noon). The Gallerie dell’Accademia (entry approximately €15, book at gallerieaccademia.it) has the finest collection of Venetian painting.

Many visitors base themselves in Padua and commute to Venice — accommodation in Padua is 30–50% cheaper and significantly easier to find in peak season.

Vicenza (30 km west, approximately 20 minutes by train)

The city of Andrea Palladio — the most influential architect in Western history. Palladio designed 23 buildings in Vicenza in the 16th century; visiting the city is essentially a Palladio tour. The Palazzo della Ragione (Basilica Palladiana, entry approximately €10 as of 2026) with its distinctive two-story loggia dominates the Piazza dei Signori. The Teatro Olimpico (Piazza Matteotti — entry approximately €11) is the oldest surviving indoor theatre in the world (1585) — Palladio designed it, but died before completion; the permanent stage set depicting a street receding into false perspective is extraordinary. The Villa La Rotonda (4km from the city centre by bus or 50-minute walk — entry approximately €13 for the gardens, approximately €16 to enter the villa as of 2026) is Palladio’s most famous single building, and the direct model for Chiswick House in London and the US Capitol rotunda.

Getting there: Trenitalia regional train from Padova Centrale to Vicenza — approximately 20 minutes, approximately €4 as of 2026. Trains every 20–30 minutes.

Verona (approximately 55 km west, approximately 40 minutes by train)

The Arena di Verona — a 30,000-seat 1st-century Roman amphitheatre still used for opera in summer (July–September, tickets from approximately €30 as of 2026). The Piazza delle Erbe (the old Roman forum, now a daily market) has a medieval cityscape. The Museo di Castelvecchio (entry approximately €8) is housed in a beautifully restored 14th-century fortress. Castel San Pietro (free) gives the best city views.

Getting there: Trenitalia regional train from Padova Centrale to Verona Porta Nuova — approximately 40 minutes, approximately €7 as of 2026. Trains every 30 minutes.

Treviso (30 km northeast, approximately 30 minutes by train)

One of the most charming small cities in the Veneto — a medieval walled city with navigable canals running through its centre, a vibrant covered market, and a lovely Romanesque-Gothic Duomo. Treviso is the home of tiramisu (the original recipe was created here in the 1960s at Il Ristorante Le Beccherie — now a café, via Collalto 4) and the original radicchio di Treviso IGP (the wine-red elongated chicory used in Venetian cooking).

The Museo Civico di Treviso (Borgo Cavour 24 — entry approximately €5 as of 2026) has works by Tomaso da Modena and Lorenzo Lotto. The city walls (partially walkable) are 16th-century Venetian construction.

Getting there: Trenitalia regional train from Padova Centrale to Treviso Centrale — approximately 30–40 minutes, approximately €5 as of 2026.

Euganean Hills and Arquà Petrarca (20 km southwest, approximately 30 minutes by bus)

The Colli Euganei (Euganean Hills) are a chain of volcanic peaks rising abruptly from the flat Venetian plain — medieval villages, vineyards, olive groves, and thermal spas. Arquà Petrarca is the most visited village — the house where the poet Petrarch lived from 1370 until his death in 1374 is open as a museum (entry approximately €3 as of 2026). The village is tiny and perfectly preserved.

Abano Terme and Montegrotto Terme (spa towns at the base of the hills, approximately 20km from Padua) have thermal pools fed by natural hot springs — day access to hotel thermal pools from approximately €25–40 as of 2026.

Getting there: SITA bus from Padua bus station to Arquà Petrarca — approximately 45 minutes, approximately €3.50 as of 2026. Or drive (approximately 20 minutes).

Practical notes

• Venice: book Palazzo Ducale and Accademia tickets in advance — long queues at the door, especially May–September
• Vicenza: the combined ticket covering Teatro Olimpico and Palazzo della Ragione (approximately €15) is worth it if visiting both in a day
• The Euganean Hills are better visited by car for flexibility; the bus serves Arquà Petrarca but less conveniently for the spa towns and wine estates
• Padua is significantly cheaper than Venice for hotels and restaurants — staying in Padua and day-tripping to Venice is recommended for budget-conscious travellers
• Prices listed are approximate as of 2026

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Back to the full Padua travel guide for the Scrovegni Chapel booking and Basilica of St Anthony. For Paduan food, see the Padua food guide. For accommodation, see best hotels in Padua. Venice is 25–45 minutes by train — our Venice travel guide covers the city, and Verona is 1 hour away. For the full northern Italy circuit, see our northern Italy itinerary.