Where to stay
Stay in Montecchio Maggiore for quiet and good value below the castles, in Vicenza for trains and Palladio on foot, in Verona for the opera and nightlife, or on a farm in the Berici hills.
The areas
Quiet baseBelow the castles
Small hotels, B&Bs and apartments in and around the town, close to the castles and Villa Cordellina, with easy access to the A4 motorway. Good value, quiet in the evening and convenient for drivers.
Best for: Drivers, families and business travellers
Most convenientPalladio on the doorstep
Hotels and guesthouses in and around Vicenza’s historic centre, with the Basilica, the Teatro Olimpico and the restaurants on foot, and fast trains to Venice, Padua and Verona from the station.
Best for: First-timers and train travellers
Big cityOpera, bars and Roman ruins
A wide choice of hotels in a lively city, near the Arena, Juliet’s House and the station. More expensive, especially during the opera season, and about 45 minutes from Montecchio.
Best for: Opera lovers, couples and nightlife
CountrysideAgriturismi and villas
Farm stays, wine estates and villa apartments in the Berici hills south of Montecchio and Vicenza, with views, home cooking and pools. Peaceful, but you need a car.
Best for: Couples, food lovers and slow travel
Montecchio Maggiore and Vicenza have small hotels, B&Bs and apartments, many run by families. Rooms in Montecchio are good value and often have parking.
An agriturismo is a working farm or wine estate with rooms, often with home-cooked dinners made from its own produce. The Berici hills and the Lessini foothills have many.
Some historic villas rent apartments or rooms, a chance to sleep in the kind of house Palladio designed.
Prices are moderate for most of the year, and well below Venice. They rise in Verona during the summer opera season and in Vicenza and Verona during big trade fairs.
Good to know
Stay in Montecchio if you have a car and want quiet and good value near the castles. Stay in Vicenza if you travel by train, as the station has fast trains to Venice, Padua and Verona.
Not for the cities, which are well linked by train. A car makes it much easier to reach the castles, the villas, the wine country and the hills, and to explore around Montecchio.
A few weeks ahead for most of the year. Book early for Verona during the opera season, for trade fair weeks in Vicenza and Verona, and for Venice at any time.
Many towns in the Veneto, including Vicenza, Verona and Venice, charge a small tourist tax per person per night, usually paid at the hotel.
Plan your Veneto trip
Once you have a base, compare tours of Vicenza, Verona and Venice.