Italy Veneto October 2025

[AnneMarie]

Hello, a friend and I will be travelling from the west coast of Canada to participate in a one week walking holiday based in Bassano del Grappa. We’ll probably stay on in BdG for a few days since there seems to be much to explore in the town and nearby and we will have been walking in the hills most days.

Do you have suggestions for another town, accessible by train, where we could spend an additional week? Friends have suggested Trieste or Verona, but I’m sure there are other good possibilities. Advice on visiting Venice is welcome. We haven’t booked flights or made any others plans yet, so we are open to ideas.

Thank you for your help.
Anne

 

[GailS]

What are you interested in? More walking/hiking? Food, art, architecture, nature? Would you consider travel by bus in addition to train? Some more information will help with answers. For Venice, are you thinking of only doing a day trip there or staying a few days?

 

[JMichael]

We will be returning to Venice for a couple of weeks this fall and will be happy to make suggestions once we know your likes and dislikes. For Bassano del Grappa, I imagine you're looking at flights in and out of Venice (VCE). Be sure to also check flights to Milan (MXP). There have been times when we realized substantial savings flying from the west coast of the US to MXP and then taking the train on to Venice. You can also look for open-jaw fares, flying into VCE but departing from MXP. It works really well if you think you'd like to spend a day or two in Milan. Other towns of interest in the Veneto might be Vincenza and Padova.

 

[AnneMarie]

We won’t be walking after the Bassono del Grappa segment. That part is all organized for us. After that we’ll be focussed on coffee, restaurants, architecture, museums, markets and wandering the streets. We have a lot nature here, so it’s not a priority.

The last time we were in Italy we walked in Piedmont then spent a week in Turin. We found lots to interest us even though some friends suggested Turin wasn’t worth a week. What we don’t want to do is to pack up bags frequently. We’re open to buses but given the choice of a complicated bus or train journey or staying put somewhere to explore more deeply, we’d stay put.

Thanks for the airport advice. I’d definitely be open to staying for a day or two in Milan at the beginning or end of the trip. And I’ll take a look at Vincenzo and Padova.

I was originally thinking of a day trip to Venice but if we fly in to Venice we’d probably arrive a day or two early.

 

[Ian Sutton]

I'm told Trieste has a wonderful reputation for coffee / cafes, perhaps only rivalled by Torino.

We liked Trento, perhaps best described by some friends who said "like Verona but before the tourists descended on it". Easy routes up into the mountains and even a cable car behind the train station. Super markets, lovely wide pedestrianised streets, good food and wine (and one very good coffee roaster I recall).

Although we only stopped overnight, Vicenza felt appealing (we like less touristy cities and that passed our 'sniff test' in that respect)

 

[AnneMarie]

Trento sounds appealing. As does Trieste cafe culture. We loved the cafes in Turin. And the lack of tourists, even though we, of course, were tourists. Thank you.

 

[Fioridave]

Hello, a friend and I will be travelling from the west coast of Canada to participate in a one week walking holiday based in Bassano del Grappa. We’ll probably stay on in BdG for a few days since there seems to be much to explore in the town and nearby and we will have been walking in the hills most days.

Do you have suggestions for another town, accessible by train, where we could spend an additional week? Friends have suggested Trieste or Verona, but I’m sure there are other good possibilities. Advice on visiting Venice is welcome. We haven’t booked flights or made any others plans yet, so we are open to ideas.

Thank you for your help.
Anne

Venice is one of the great cities in the world and the most picturesque that I have seen in decades of frequent travel, which is why it is so crowded, a price to bear, at least once. It also has too much to see for a short trip. Trieste is great. One of the few major cities in Italy that isn’t swamped with tourists, so it has a real old-time Italian feel. Treviso, also in Veneto is also great. Far enough from Venice and enough out of the regular loop to be less spoiled. Drink some grappa for me and enjoy.

 

[JMichael]

The crowds in Venice pretty much stick to a few souvenir lined calles between Piazza San Marco, Rialto and Piazzale Roma. You can avoid the crush by getting up early or staying up late and by staying off the well-worn arteries. If you wish to see the Basilica or the Doges Palace, make reservations ahead of time and for the first tours of the day. To avoid the crowds, explore the Canneragio, Arsenale or Dorsoduro neigborhoods. Grab a vaporetto to San Giorgio and ride the elevator to the top of its campanile to get a fantastic view of Venice. Consider having lunch or just cicchetti canal-side in Zattere. Venice has so much to offer and most folks miss it because they're stuck checking off boxes in guide books.

 

[AnneMarie]

Thank you. We have been to Venice but a long time ago (only once for me but friend has been multiple times) and worry about the crowds. So this advice on how to avoid crowds and enjoy the city is very welcome.

 

[JMichael]

Likely, there are many more visitors than on yours or your companion's previous visits. Venice is our favorite city and we have been amazed at the increased crush of people in certain places and at certain times of day. I believe everyone should experience Venice at least once. However, if you've already been, maybe other, less visited towns in the Veneto would be more to your liking.

 

[Alpinista]

I believe everyone should experience Venice at least once. However, if you've already been, maybe other, less visited towns in the Veneto would be more to your liking.

Fulle agree -- we've been to Venice several times, beginning about 40 years ago when it was a delight (last visit was pre-COVID). We will never go back again given the tourist crush and the increasingly hostile reception from restaurants, shops, and other service providers. "Give us your money and get out" seems to be the common approach. However, as noted, the uniqueness of the city is worth one visit.

 

[AnneMarie]

Thank you for these perspectives. They are active in my mind. Increasingly I too am travelling to smaller, less known places.

 

[CityScrolls]

I would argue that you can find 'smaller, less known places' even in Venice, as soon as you steer away from the crowded spots. The advantage is that these places hold a significant historical depth that will surely captivate.

At the edges of Cannaregio, Dorsoduro and Castello, near the perimeter of Venice, there are some delightful surprises waiting to be discovered. Here are 7 random picks:

Church of Madonna dell'Orto: gothic church adorned with 10 impressive paintings by Tintoretto, who is also buried within.

Jewish Quarter: the historic jewish neighborhood that coined the term 'ghetto', once an overcrowded, restricted area.

Parco delle Rimembranze: a rare, expansive green space with waterfront benches offering sweeping views of the lagoon.

Zattere: sunlit waterfront on the southern edge of Dorsoduro, ideal for soaking in the local atmosphere.

Church of Saint Sebastian: a votive plague church adorned with vibrant paintings by Veronese.

Scuola Grande dei Carmini: the last of its kind, with lavish, luminous, painted interiors by Tiepolo.

Church of San Nicolo dei Mendicoli: a church with a history of helping the less fortunate that gave its name to one of the infamous gangs, the Nicolotti, who were involved in epic clashes with their rivals, the Castellani, on the so-called "bridges of fists". One such bridge, located very close to the church, is aptly named Ponte dei Pugni.

I hope these suggestions help you reconsider Venice, which – subjective disclaimer – I absolutely adore!

 

[Ian Sutton]

I presume the advice of old holds true even stronger these days, that if wanting to see places like the Rialto bridge and Piazza San Marco, to do so as soon after dawn as you can manage, and very much before the day trippers arrive / cruise ships disgorge?

I was also very much tickled by the old advice about Venice ... to 'get lost'. In the sense that one heads away from tourist thoroughfares, and see where those quieter routes take you.

 

[AnneMarie]

Wonderful. Thank you. Venice is still in the picture. And all these informed perspectives are very helpful to me.

My friend is skiing with her kids so I haven’t had a chance to share them with her. But I will.

 

[LindaSV]

Hello, a friend and I will be travelling from the west coast of Canada to participate in a one week walking holiday based in Bassano del Grappa. We’ll probably stay on in BdG for a few days since there seems to be much to explore in the town and nearby and we will have been walking in the hills most days.

Do you have suggestions for another town, accessible by train, where we could spend an additional week? Friends have suggested Trieste or Verona, but I’m sure there are other good possibilities. Advice on visiting Venice is welcome. We haven’t booked flights or made any others plans yet, so we are open to ideas.

Thank you for your help.
Anne

Asolo is charming; once the home of E.Barret Browning and her husband and many other writers gathered here. Very near Bassano. Also you are not that far from lake Garda and many villages along the lake (some on the eastern side have a walkway from village to village; also the cable car to mt Baldo)

 

[AnneMarie]

Thank you. A town with a literary connection! I will do some Lake Garda investigating.

 

[AnneMarie]

We’ve made a few decisions:
- Four nights in Venice, starting September 23. If anyone has any accommodation recommendations, in the moderate price range (moderate for Venice, I am realistic) they’d be welcome.
- Ten nights in Bassano del Grappa and perhaps one other town (to be determined) . The hotel is booked for BdG as we have a week of walking, so adding a few more days might be more relaxing than packing up.
- Seven nights in Trieste. Again, accommodation recommendations are welcome.

We are thinking of AirBnB or VRBO for Trieste and hotel or bed and breakfast for Venice.

Additional advice on what to see or do in those centres or the surrounding area is welcome.

Thank you,
Anne