Verona
Verona, in the Veneto region of north-east Italy, is one of Italy’s loveliest towns, famous for its summer opera season. This has been a thriving and successful town for most of its history, and today smart shops and cafes fill the attractive medieval lanes of the historic centre. Verona is a popular day-trip from Lake Garda, and an appealing destination for weekend breaks or longer stays. There’s a lot to see here, from Roman ruins to the so-called ‘Juliet’s balcony’, and the town is also well-connected for exploring the surrounding area, including destinations like Lake Garda, Vicenza, Padua and Venice.
How to get to Verona
By plane
Verona Villafranca Airport, named after Valerio Catullo, is located 9 km south-west of the center of Verona. Other nearby airports include Bologna (BLQ) (103 km), Milan Bergamo (BGY) (103.4 km), Venice (VCE) (106 km) and Milan Linate (LIN) (133.1 km).
By train
Verona is located at the intersection of the Milan – Venice (east-west) and Bologna – Brenner (north-south) rail lines, with frequent trains departing every hour. More information on destinations and schedules are here or here.
The station of reference is VERONA PORTA NUOVA. From here, you can reach the city center quickly on foot (approx. 20 minutes), by taxi, or by public bus.
To reach Verona City Center
By taxi it takes about 15-20 minutes with a cost of around € 25-35. Taxis are parked just outside the arrivals hall of the airport. The Aerobus allows you to reach the city center in about 15-20 minutes at a cost of € 6. The stop is located just outside the arrivals hall. It is the cheapest way to get to the center and takes you to the Verona Porta Nuova train station. The ticket is valid for 75 minutes, so that’s more than enough to take another bus from the station to your hotel. Car rental agencies are located inside the terminal.
The main station of the city is Verona Porta Nuova. Located 1.5 km southwest of the historic center, it is on the high-speed route and serves international connections to Germany, Switzerland and Austria. At the station you can find newsagents, shops and restaurants. From here you can easily reach the hotel by taxi or bus, or by renting a car.
Moving around
The historic center of Verona covers an area of about 3 square kilometers and can therefore be easily visited by foot. Some of the main monuments are very close to each other, such as the Arena, Castel San Pietro and the Castelvecchio Bridge. The center is full of interesting shops and boutiques, as well as great restaurants and nightclubs where you can have fun late into the night. For longer journeys, Verona offers an excellent transport service, both by public and private transport such as the Verona public transport service, managed by the ATV , Verona Transport Company. The bus lines cover the entire city and neighboring municipalities.
Verona is a safe and well-equipped city for those who love to move around by bicycle, with many cycle paths in and out of the historic center. The municipality runs a bike-sharing service called Verona Bike. To use it just register on the website. Registration for 24 hours costs € 2. The first 30 minutes of use are free and then the cost is € 0.50 every half hour..
Language
The official language is Italian but most of the restaurants and coffee staff speak English and German.
Weather and time
Verona is located in the north-east part of Italy and it is 59 meters above sea level so the city experiences hot summers and cold, humid winters, even though tempered by Garda Lake influence. The climate in September is usually dry (13-24o C). In September, the Italian local time is UTC + 2.
Telephone
Italy country code is 0039. For international calls, dial 00 + national code + area code + personal number.
118: for sanitary emergencies or dangerous situations
112: Carabinieri (Italian military police)
113: Police
115: Fire department
Smoking
Smoking is forbidden in all the indoor public areas, such as bars, restaurants, hotels, offices, shops, etc. except for the places with reserved smoking areas, provided with a suitable ventilation system.
Banks, credit cards and currency
Banks are open from 8.30 am to 12.30 am and from 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm. There are many ATMs 24 hours a day – 7 days a week. All main credit cards are accepted. In case you do not provide a PIN number for your credit card, you could be asked to waive an ID.
Taxes and tips
In Italy all the services and goods are usually subject to VAT tax that is 22% of the value of the goods. In restaurants VAT is 10% and is usually already included in the bill. In all restaurants, bars, taxis etc. the service is included in the price.
Hospitals
Ospedale Civile Maggiore Piazzale A. Stefani, 1 – Verona
Policlinico G. Rossi Piazzale L.A. Scuro, 10 – Verona
Pharmacies: www.farmacieverona.it
Pharmacies are easy to recognize by a bright green cross. They are open: Monday – Friday, from 9.00 am to 12.00 am and from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm.
Duty pharmacies are open also on weekends and bank holidays. A list of the chemists is available on the site above or outside every chemist.
Touristic information:
VeronaCard is an all-inclusive ticket that allows to gain free access to museums, churches and monuments in the city and travel for free on ATV bus services. VeronaCard can be purchased at museums, monuments, churches, tobacconists and tourist information points in the city centre and at Garda lake surroundings and at all the sales points which participate in the initiative.
Two VeronaCard are available:
- VeronaCard valid for 24 hours (after the first validation) at the price of € 15,00
- VeronaCard valid for 72 hours (after the first validation) at the price of € 20,00