Italy, Venice

8 of the Best Day Trips From Venice, Italy

View of Verona from the city's castle. Verona is a great day trip to take from Venice

It’s highly unlikely you’ll find yourself stuck for something to do during your trip to Venice. The atmosphere and charm of the city on water is such that even days spent wandering aimlessly are days well spent – days spent perfectly, even. But, if you’re the type who likes to keep moving on your travels, I’d highly recommend you consider taking a day trip to a nearby city. Despite it’s secludedness as an island in the lagoon, Venice is also fantastically close, and well-connected, to other amazing cities in northern Italy. There are even numerous other Venetian islands which are well worth exploring too! Below I’ve put together my favourite day trips from Venice, Italy, all of which are easy to reach with plenty on offer.

More Venice Blog Posts:

Day Trips to Other Venetian Islands

1. Murano

The nearby island of Murano is most well-known for being the birthplace of the world-famous Murano glass. Murano is similar in appearance to Venice, with plenty of canals and bridges to cross. But, what makes it more special is the abundance of glass museums and shops, showcasing the incredible glass products that are created there. Whilst on Murano you can also attend a demonstration to see the highly skilled glass blowers work their magic. There are many glass workshops to choose from, and entrance to one of the demonstrations usually costs just a few euros. You can get to the island of Murano by taking a short ride on the vaporetto. The best/closest stop to take the vaporetto from Venice to Murano is Fondamente Nove on the north of the island.

2. Burano

Another island in the Venetian lagoon, and a definite must-see, is the colourful island of Burano. All of the buildings and houses on this little island are painted in bright colours. Burano is famous for its lace production so there are plenty of places where you can pick up a little lace souvenir of your own. The island also has plenty of shops and restaurants lining its canals, and is the perfect place to spend a day or even half a day wandering around and exploring.

Read the full blog post here: 10 Things to Do in Burano, Italy – Perfect Day Trip from Venice

Mainland Italy Day Trips

Though you might not expect it, Venice is actually very well-connected by train to the rest of northern Italy. The following cities are both easy and affordable to reach by taking the train from Venice’s Santa Lucia train station. I have visited these destinations for day trips myself, and loved them all for so many reasons. The prices below are approximate, just to give you an idea of what each day trip could cost. However, in my experience, Italian train prices don’t tend to vary much. For all of my day trips from Venice, I book my tickets on the Trainline website or on their app. This is super convenient as you can download the train tickets onto your phone.

3. Verona

Alongside Venice, the city of Verona is another highly popular tourist destination in the Veneto region. Verona is perhaps most well-known for being the setting for Romeo and Juliet. However, this is by no means the only noteworthy attraction the city has to offer. Located alongside the Adige River, Verona has many arched bridges, narrow streets and busy squares. The city also has a beautiful medieval old town centre, complete with a large Roman amphitheatre (Arena di Verona).

The train journey from Venice to Verona takes just over 2 hours, and a one way ticket costs around €10.

4. Padova

Padova is one of the oldest cities in northern Italy, and also one of the largest. It has a population of around 215,000, and is growing in popularity as a tourist destination. The city is famed for its university, and has a lively student population. Padova’s city centre is picturesque, with many beautiful squares, narrows arcaded streets and little bridges. Padova is even home to the largest square in Italy, the Prato della Vale. The Prato della Vale contains a circular canal lined with statues on both sides. There are bridges across this canal, leading to a beautiful green space on the island in the centre. Another of the city’s impressive attractions is the Basilica of St. Anthony (Basilica di Sant’Antonio di Padova). This Basilica features domes similar to those of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

Padova is located about a 45 minute train journey from Venice, and a one way ticket costs between €4-5.

5. Bologna

One of my personal favourite day trips from Venice is Bologna, the lively capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. Bologna has a big student population due to its excellent university. The city is also packed with impressive architecture. Perhaps the city’s most iconic structures are the Asinelli Towers (Torre degli Asinelli). You can even climb to the top of the tallest tower to enjoy spectacular views out over the city. Bologna is also famously a foodie’s paradise, as many well-known pasta dishes, meats and cheeses originate from there.

Bologna is a little further away than the other day trip destinations on this list. The train journey usually takes between 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 55 minutes. However, it’s definitely worth the journey time if you have a spare day to explore during your trip to Venice! A one way journey costs around €13.50.

6. Treviso

Treviso, an attractive little town home to around 83,000 residents, is one of the lesser-known gems of northeast Italy. It has a quiet and relaxed atmosphere, with many charming streets to explore. Similarly to Venice, Treviso has its own little maze of canals throughout the town. Though overshadowed by its proximity to Venice, Treviso has plenty to keep you occupied. Treviso also has a small international airport, just a short bus journey from the city centre. This is an alternative route of getting to Venice aside from the main Venice Marco Polo airport. Though a little further out, flights into Treviso airport can sometimes be a cheaper way for travellers to reach Venice.

Treviso is located just a half an hour train journey from Venice, and a one way ticket costs between €3-4.

7. Vicenza

Vicenza is a beautiful town with a population of around 112,000. It is located between Venice and Verona in the Veneto region of Italy. One of the most fascinating things about Vicenza is its fine architecture. Most of the city’s architecture is thanks to 16th century architect Andrea Palladio. The city of Vicenza is even a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Palladian Villas of the Veneto. Vicenza makes a beautiful, peaceful day trip from Venice – perfect if you want to escape the crowds!

The journey to Vicenza takes around 1 hour 15 minutes by train. A one way ticket costs around €7.

8. Ferrara

Ferrara is a city of a round 132,000 people, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The city is known as the ‘City of the Renaissance’ due to its architecture. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ferrara’s most impressive structure is the Este Castle (Castello Estense di Ferrara). It is an enormous red brick castle set in the centre of the city. This incredible building was constructed by the Este family, who were the former ruling family of the city. There are also many other historic, Renaissance buildings located within the city’s 6-mile walls. Overall, Ferrara is a fascinating historical city, and another one of the numerous great day trips from Venice!

It takes just over 1 hour 30 minutes to reach Ferrara by train from Venice. A one way ticket costs around €10.

I hope this list of the best day trips from Venice comes in handy with planning your trip. If you can, why not factor in an extra day during your trip to Venice? This will give you time to explore one of the many other magnificent cities northern Italy has to offer. I’m certain you won’t regret it. Thanks for reading!

Abbey x