Where to go from Venice by train for amazing day trips

Venice itself is one of the most interesting cities in the world, but if you stay long enough in town, you may want to use this time to visit other surrounding destinations. If this is your case, then we bring you good news: there are many wonderful day trip destinations just a train ride away from Venice! In this article, we have selected our 9 favorite day trips from Venice where you only have to spend 2 hours or less on the train or boat.

To make a perfect candidate for a day trip destination for us, the location has to fulfill two basic criteria: be located close by and be small enough to be fully enjoyed in a day. If it wasn’t for these criteria, we could easily sit here listing 20, 30 cities you could visit from Venice, but we don’t want you to fall into the trap of spending half the day traveling or ending up in a place that is too big for just one day.

All of the cities we have included in the list below are places that we think could be fully enjoyed during one single day. On some of them, you will see a note that we suggest extending your stay, but this is optional, as you will still have an amazing experience if you choose to stay only for the day. 

Without further ado, let’s start! Click on any of the links below to skip to a specific destination or continue scrolling to read the full list.

1) Murano & Burano

Murano & Burano are two islands located in the Venice Lagoon. They are very easily accessible using the Vaporetto, which is the water boat that constitutes Venice’s public transport. Murano is the first island, located only a 20-min boat ride away, while Burano is further away, requiring a 1-hour-long boat ride.

You can combine the visit to both islands in one day, especially if you will be in Venice during the summer when the sun sets later and the days are longer. However, we strongly recommend planning the trip ahead and having control of the Vaporetto timetable so you won’t be stuck in Burano for too long between rides.

Pro tip: If you time it just right, you can catch the sunset from the Vaporetto on your way back from Burano to Venice. It is just magical.

To get to Murano and Burano, you will need a Vaporetto ticket. You can choose between buying single tickets or purchasing the daily option (check all Venice transport options). For this specific day trip, purchasing the daily option is definitely worth it.

2) Chioggia

Chioggia is known as a mini version of Venice. Picture the canals, the colorful buildings, and narrow alleys, but in a smaller location. The major difference between them is: there are almost no tourists. The authenticity of Chioggia is what I love the most about it, and the main reason why it definitely deserves a place on this list of the top day trips from Venice.

Originally a fisherman’s village, Chioggia is located on the edge of the Venetian Lagoon. It is accessible by car through the continent, but if you will be staying in Venice, we recommend going with the Vaporetto. During the summer months, between June and September, there is a Vaporetto line that connects St Mark’s Square with Chioggia directly. If you visit in any other month, you will have to make your way through Lido (in this case, it is much faster to go by road).

Chioggia is small, so you can easily visit the entire town within a day. The thing we loved the most about our day in Chioggia was the food. Make sure to visit the fish market for some fresh local produce and find yourself a quiet local restaurant that serves the catch of the day. You won’t regret it.

Read more: What to visit on a day trip to Chioggia

3) Dolomites – Cortina d’Ampezzo

Located towards the north of Venice, the Dolomites Mountains are a must-see for travelers visiting the Veneto region. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage, the Dolomites host not only stunning landscapes and incredible outdoor sports sites but also a lot of history.

If you choose to go on this day trip from Venice to the Dolomites, we recommend using Cortina d’Ampezzo as your base. Cortina is one of the most well-structured cities in the Dolomites for tourists and it is located at a short distance from many sites with incredible views. During winter, it is a hub for winter sports lovers, with several ski resorts located nearby.

We recommend visiting the Dolomites either with your own car or with a tour. If you prefer to use a public transport option, we recommend buying a ticket with the bus line called Cortina Express that departs from Venice Mestre and will take you up to Cortina in 2h30. See the timetable here.

Our most recommended day tour departing from Venice and spending a full day exploring the Dolomites is called “Cortina & Dramatic Dolomites”. The tour is organized in small groups of up to 8 people and includes a lot of stops in breathtaking locations. Check here the availability and more details.

The Dolomites is one of the few destinations on this list of day trips from Venice that we recommend staying longer if you have the time. If you plan on staying longer, see our list of the 4 best hikes in the Dolomites.

4) Bassano del Grappa

Bassano del Grappa is a beautiful medieval city located in the province of Vicenza, and one of our favorite options for a day trip from Venice by train. From Venice’s main train station, it takes less than 1h30 to get to Bassano. Since this is a relatively small city, one day is quite a good amount of time to explore the town on foot and still visit some museums, if this is your kind of thing.

One of the many reasons that make Bassano del Grappa special is that it is the place where grappa was invented. Grappa is a distilled drink made out of grape skins, seeds, and stems left over from the winemaking process, and it is one of the most typical things from the Veneto region when you walk into a bar.

The best place to know more about it is the Grappa Museum, where you will learn its history, how grappa is made, and even get a taste at the end. We definitely recommend a visit.

5) Padua

Our 5th suggestion for a day trip from Venice is Padua, a town located only 30-min away by train. Padua made its way to our list because it is an extremely important cultural city of the Veneto region. It is home to multiple museums, important churches and landmarks, and authentic restaurants.

One of the most interesting things to visit in Padua is the iconic coffee shop called “Caffe Pedrocchi”. Built at the end of the 18th century, when coffee houses were at their highest popularity, this place was known as the café without a door because it never closed. They worked around the clock, with constant crowds coming in. The café is still operational today, and they host a small museum that people can visit.

Padua is a very young city, mostly due to its renowned university. Founded in 1222, the University of Padua is considered one of the oldest in the world and a strong representation of the influence of science and knowledge in the city’s history. Important names such as Galileo Galilei have spent multiple years studying in Padua.

6) Verona

Verona is the second most important city of the Veneto region, coming only after Venice. Even though Verona is quite a big town, we believe is a perfect destination for a day trip from Venice because you can easily walk around the city center and visit the main locations within a day, having even time to stop for a nice lunch and coffee afterward.

The train ride from Venice to Verona takes around 1h15 with multiple daily departures. You can get the trains directly at Venice’s main station, but we recommend keeping an eye on the timetable and planning your day ahead.

Once in Verona, don’t miss the visit to Juliet’s house and to the Roman arena, two of the top attractions of the city, and both very worth their ticket price. Verona also has several incredible restaurants, often with more affordable prices than the tourist locations in Venice.

7) Trieste

Located only a 2h train ride away is the city of Trieste, a very interesting option for a day trip starting from Venice. Trieste is a city located by the sea, with a very important port connected directly to the routes in the Mediterranean. 

Understanding its location is key to understanding its importance over the years. The city belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, passing through the hands of Germans during WWII, being an independent territory and only being annexed back to Italy in 1954. Because of all this, Trieste is very culturally diverse and has extremely rich architecture.

Around the city, tourists will find multiple museums and attractions to visit, including the ruins of the Roman Theatre, the San Giusto Castle, and the Church of Sant’Antonio Taumaturgo. Nowadays, Trieste is a very young city, mostly because of the number of students from Italy and other countries.

8) Bologna

Bologna is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, but most people will associate the name with its most famous dish – the pasta Bolognese. You are right, the famous ragu sauce was created in Bologna, but trust me when I say that this city has much more to it than pasta.

Bologna is a medieval city, with the city center located inside a wall that is still standing in a very well-preserved state today. When you will be in town, don’t forget to visit the Two Towers of Bologna, Piazza Maggiore which is the main square in the city, and the Basilica of San Domenico. The University of Bologna is also worth a visit – it is a historical building, established in 1088 and is considered the world’s oldest university.

Going for a day trip from Venice to Bologna by train is very practical. The train ride takes only 1h30min and there are several departures a day. We recommend starting your day early and having lunch in one of Bologna’s amazing restaurants. 

In fact, if you are a foodie like us, you should save some time to visit FICO Eataly World, the largest food park, selling some of the best produce in Italy. It is a great place to buy delicacies to bring home.

9) Lake Garda

Last but not least, our final recommendation for a day trip from Venice is Lake Garda. A direct train will take around 1h30 to get to Lake Garda – you should look for the station called “Desenzano del Garda”. There are direct train options departing every 2h from Venice and also options with connections in Mestre, Verona, etc.

The best time to visit Lake Garda is when the weather is nice, between May and October. It is a very beautiful destination, with many luxurious villas and accommodation options around the lake. 

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, with over 50km in length from north to south. Within a day, you will only be able to visit a small part of it, but it is a great destination for nature lovers.

Looking for other tour options?

If you are still looking for other alternative tours of what to do in Venice, check out a few options below:

Bonus tip: Places to visit close to Venice

If you are looking for ideas of places where you can extend your trip after visiting Venice, we have put together our top suggestions of where to go.

1. Rovinj – One of our favorite cities of the Istria region, in Croatia. Rovinj once belonged to the Venetian empire and you can still see a lot of influence from that time in the buildings and museums. It is definitely worth a visit, and we recommend extending your trip for a few days to enjoy the amazing Croatian beaches if your trip will be during the summer months.
2. Ljubljana – The capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana is a great alternative for extending your trip from Venice. Located only a 3h drive away, this city will offer you a very different cultural scenario. Ljubljana can also be used as a base to explore other sites in Slovenia, such as Bled, Bohinj, the seaside cities of Piran and Koper, etc.
3. Milan & Lake Como – Even though Milan is located only a 2h train ride from Venice, we don’t think you should visit this destination as a day trip because the city has too much to see. We recommend spending at least 2 days in Milan and extending the trip to visit Lake Como, located less than 1h away from Milan. Check this blog to see what to do in Lake Como in winter.
4. Florence – The capital of the Tuscany region, Florence is definitely a city that deserves more than one day. We recommend spending at least two full days in the city, but consider extending it if you intend on visiting one of its many museums. Florence is also a great option to use as base for a road trip on the Tuscany wine area.

We hope these tips have helped you plan your trip to Venice! Let us know in the comments if you have any other suggestions for day trips from Venice, whether by train or car.

We wish you a great trip!

Fe & Edo