Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Train -- The main train station is at Piazza Stazione (tel. 049-875-1800; www.ferroviedellostato.it), in the northern part of town, just outside the 16th-century walls. Padua is well connected by frequent train service to points directly west and east: Verona (1 hr.), Venice (30 min.), Vicenza (25 min.), and Milan (2 1/2 hr.).

By Bus -- The main APS bus station is located east of the Scrovegni Chapel and the Arena Gardens area on Via Rismondo 28 tel. 049-824-1111; www.apsholding.it/mobilita). Frequent bus service to Venice and Verona costs approximately the same as train tickets, though tourists and locals alike seem to use this station principally for the smaller outlying cities such as Bassano del Grappa.

By Car -- Padua is located directly on the principal Autostrada A4 that links Venice with Milan. All the points of interest listed below are located in the city's historic center, which is closed to traffic. When booking at your hotel, ask about the closest parking lot. Hotels usually have an agreement with their neighborhood parking lot and pass those savings along to hotel guests.

Visitor Information 

The tourist office is in the train station (tel. 049-875-2077; fax 049-875-5008; www.padovanet.it or www.turismopadova.it). April to October, it's open Monday to Saturday 9am to 7pm and Sunday 9am to noon; November to March, hours are Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 6pm and Sunday 9am to noon. From the train station, bus nos. 3 and 8 head downtown (as do nos. 12 and 18 Mon-Sat and no. 32 Sun). There's another office on Piazza del Santo (tel. 049-875-3087). It's open April to October 9am to 1:30pm and 3 to 6pm. A third office can be found behind the Caffè Pedrocchi (tel. 049-876-7927). You can also visit the APT office at Riviera Mugnai 8 (tel. 049-876-7911) for information.

City Layout

Pick up a map from the tourist office and plan your attack. The train station marks the city's northernmost point, and the Prato della Valle and Basilica di Sant'Antonio mark the southernmost. The following sites of interest can be organized into three clusters and are all within walking distance of one other: The Cappella degli Scrovegni (also called the Arena Chapel) and the adjacent Museo Civico are across a small piazza from the Eremitani Church; the Caffè Pedrocchi can be found near the Palazzo della Ragione in the Piazza Cavour area (the Piazza della Frutta sits to the north and Piazza delle Erbe just to the south of the palazzo, with the Piazza dei Signori bringing up the west); and the Basilica di Sant'Antonio caps the southern end of town, with the enormous Piazza Prato della Valle just beyond.

Getting Around 

Hotels, restaurants, and major points of interest all fall inside the historic center and can be reached on foot. Public buses service many of the center's streets, which are otherwise limited to traffic (pick up a bus map from the tourist office). Single tickets cost 1€ and are valid for 75 minutes; a family ticket is 2€. March through October, a sightseeing bus runs about every hour, with a midday break (9:50 and 11am, noon, 2:45, 4, 5, and 6pm); it departs from in front of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, costs 15€, and includes a small discount at museums. Look for the red double-decker buses.