Italy · City break

Verona City Guide

A Roman amphitheatre stands in the middle of town, pink marble underfoot, and behind the bend of the Adige the hills begin. Verona fits into a single day. From Piazza Brà across the old squares up to the Castel San Pietro viewpoint and back to the castle by the river. One ready-made day route has that mapped out.

🗺️ Open Verona interactively with map & navigation

Our walking tours of Verona

Ready-made routes from the station guide you through Verona, to the right spots from the very first step, with no planning needed.

Arena, squares & Castel San Pietro

From Piazza Brà with its pink marble Liston to the Roman Arena, on to the balcony of Casa di Giulietta and out onto Piazza delle Erbe. Up the Torre dei Lamberti, through the archway to quiet Piazza dei Signori, across Ponte Pietra to the Castel San Pietro viewpoint and back to Castelvecchio castle on the Adige.

Piazza Brà. Verona's largest square is the natural starting point, with the Arena on one side and on the other the Liston, a broad pavement of pink Verona marble lined with cafés. This is where the city takes its evening stroll. You come in through the Portoni della Brà, the archway with the clock, and take in the whole square at once. From Porta Nuova station it is about 15 minutes on foot, or a few minutes by bus.
Arena di Verona. The Roman amphitheatre has stood in the middle of town since about AD 30 and is better preserved than the Colosseum. And, more to the point, it is still in use. Inside you simply sit down on the ancient stone steps and let the scale sink in. Around 30,000 people once fitted in here. Buy your ticket in advance or you will be queueing. In summer the opera festival takes over and parts of the Arena are closed by day while the stage is built.
Casa di Giulietta. The most famous balcony in the world. And, to be honest, a 20th-century invention, added later so the Shakespeare story would have an address. In summer the courtyard is packed tight, plastered with notes, padlocks and raised phones. The courtyard itself is free; only the museum inside the house costs. If you want the shot without strangers' heads, take it from the museum shop window.
Piazza delle Erbe. The old market square sits exactly on the Roman forum and is still the city's living room. Around it stand painted façades, medieval towers and the fountain topped by the Madonna Verona, a figure that began life as a Roman statue. The stalls mostly sell souvenirs these days, but the ensemble around them is still magnificent. Stand at the north end and you get the whole row of houses with the fountain in front.
Torre dei Lamberti. At 84 metres this is the city's tallest tower; a lift takes you almost to the top and you climb the last stretch on steps. From the platform you see the whole old town, the bend of the Adige and the hills behind. And straight down onto Piazza delle Erbe. The lift costs one euro extra and is not covered by the Verona Card. Half an hour here buys you the best overview Verona has.
Piazza dei Signori. Just behind Piazza delle Erbe everything falls quiet in an elegant square framed by arcades, with Dante's statue in the middle. You enter through the Arco della Costa, where a whale rib has hung for centuries. Nobody quite knows why. Around it stand the Palazzo della Ragione, the Renaissance Loggia del Consiglio and the palaces of the Scaligeri. A good place to sit down for a moment before moving on.
Arche Scaligere. In a lane between Piazza dei Signori and Santa Maria Antica stand the Gothic tombs of the Scaligeri, Verona's ruling family. Sarcophagi on tall columns crowned with equestrian statues, all behind a wrought-iron screen bearing the family's ladder crest. You see the whole thing from outside, for free. Shoot through the ironwork. The pattern gives the picture a frame.
Ponte Pietra. The Roman arched bridge over the Adige is the city's oldest. It was blown up in 1945; afterwards the Veronese fished the original stones out of the river and put them back piece by piece. The pale marble of the ancient arches and the red brick of the later ones still show what was built when. From the north bank you get the bridge with the cypresses on the slope behind it.
Castel San Pietro. Verona's viewing balcony sits on the hill above Ponte Pietra, where the Romans and later the Scaligeri built. The building you see up there, though, is an Austrian barracks from 1852. You get up by the long staircase or on the little funicular that starts by the bridge and takes two minutes. From the terrace you see the whole bend of the Adige with Ponte Pietra and the old town below, and there is a café up there. Loveliest in the late afternoon, when the light hits the houses head-on.
Castelvecchio. The 14th-century brick castle of the Scaligeri now houses the city's most important museum, with medieval sculpture and Venetian painting. The conversion itself is just as worth seeing. In the 1960s Carlo Scarpa turned the building into one of modernism's most famous museum designs, using concrete, steel and precisely placed sightlines onto the old walls. Closed Mondays. The battlemented bridge in front, the Ponte Scaligero, is free to walk and the loveliest way to end the day.

Planning your visit

One day is enough. The route from Piazza Brà runs four kilometres and starts at the Roman arena, which is still in use today. Then come the balcony of the Casa di Giulietta, the Piazza delle Erbe, the Torre dei Lamberti with its view over the roofs, the Ponte Pietra and the Castel San Pietro on the slope. The pink marble under your feet comes from the area and lies everywhere here. Five evening tips are ready, and Lake Garda is half an hour away by train.

Going out & nightlife

Rooftop bars

Terrazza Arena Sky Lounge. A rooftop terrace looking straight onto the Arena, with nibbles served alongside your aperitivo. Worth booking. Seatings run in one-hour slots. It gets chilly up there in the evening, so bring a jacket.

Nightlife quarters

Via Sottoriva & Piazza delle Erbe. Beneath the low arcades of Via Sottoriva sit the old osterie, while Piazza delle Erbe offers terraces facing the painted façades. The two are a short walk apart, and the Verona evening happens in between, with an aperitivo on the square first, then wine in the alley.

Food & restaurants

Antica Bottega del Vino. In business since 1890, with one of Italy's biggest wine lists. Amarone and Valpolicella from the hills behind the city take centre stage, alongside classic Veronese cooking. The list is a whole book, so just ask for a recommendation, that's what the staff are there for. Do book ahead.

Bars & clubs

Osteria Sottoriva. One of the last genuine osterie in the centre, with regional wine and small plates served under the arcades of Via Sottoriva. Inside it's cramped and loud, outside you perch on narrow benches right along the alley. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Stage & concerts

Opernfestival in der Arena. From June to September, opera plays under the open sky inside the Roman amphitheatre. A tradition since 1913, and Aida is almost always on the bill. The ancient stone steps call for a seat cushion; you can rent one on site. The cheap seats have a clear view but no backrest, and the evening runs long.

See all stops for Verona in the app →

Practical information for Verona

Public transport

Operator. Everything that runs on public transport in Verona belongs to ATV Azienda Trasporti Verona. The company runs the city lines within the municipal area, the regional lines into the province as far as Lake Garda and into the Valpolicella, as well as the Airlink airport bus, line 199. Fare-wise these are two different worlds. Within the city boundary the Urbano fare applies with a flat price, outside it the Extraurbano fare by distance. The city network consists of around twenty daytime lines numbered 11 to 74, which converge at the bus station in front of Porta Nuova and at Piazza Bra. From 8.30pm a separate evening network runs with lines 80 to 85, operating in this form since February 23, 2026. It is supplemented by the Scipione on-demand bus, a minibus bookable via app that serves the outer areas of the municipality, for which normal city tickets apply. ATV announces timetable changes on its own news page, the current summer timetable is valid until September 9, 2026.

Network. Buses only, but the centre is small enough to walk.

Modes of transport. City bus · Evening bus lines 80 to 85 · Scipione on-demand bus (app booking) · Airlink airport bus line 199

Operating hours. The day belongs to lines 11 to 74, almost all of which meet at Stazione Porta Nuova and around Piazza Bra. This network runs until around 8.30pm, after which it switches to the evening network. There are separate network maps and separate timetables for weekdays, for Sundays and public holidays, and for the evening, with different numbers and routes. The current summer timetable is valid until September 9, 2026, and the weekday timetables note that they do not apply on December 25 and January 1. How early the individual city lines start in the morning is only published by ATV in the PDF timetables of each line. As a reference point for early service at the station, the airport bus serves as a guide, making its first run from Porta Nuova at 5.15am. Anyone needing to catch an early flight or train is therefore better off planning around the Airlink or walking, rather than relying on a city line.

Night service. Since February 23, 2026, Verona has had a continuous evening network. Six lines numbered 80 to 85 run between 8.30pm and midnight and together cover the most important routes. Line 80 runs from San Massimo via the station, Piazza Bra and Porta Vescovo to Madonna di Campagna, line 81 from Chievo via the stadium, Piazza Bra and Porta Vescovo to Borgo Santa Croce, line 82 from Adigeo via Borgo Roma and the station to Piazza Bra and Lungadige Capuleti, line 83 from Ca' di David via the station, Castelvecchio and Ospedale Maggiore to Ponte Crencano, line 84 from Santa Lucia via the station and Castelvecchio to Saval, and line 85 from Marzana via Poiano, Porta Vescovo and Piazza Isolo to Valdonega. In the center this gets you around as often as every 22 minutes, in the outer districts every 40 to 50 minutes. In the summer timetable from June 8 to September 9, 2026, line 85 runs past 2am. Where no evening line reaches, the Scipione on-demand bus steps in, covering nearly the entire municipal area in the evening, booked via app, with normal city tickets valid. After midnight, generally only a taxi remains.

Buying tickets. The most convenient place for a first purchase is the bus station right in front of Stazione Porta Nuova. The ATV counter stands in the middle of the facility there, machines stand at the platforms, and a Tabaccheria in the station hall also sells tickets. At the airport there is a machine in the arrivals area. In the city, many Tabaccherie and newsstands carry ATV tickets. Online, ATV sells through its own shop, plus the Ticket Bus Verona app. For the airport line there is also the option via Trenitalia, where train and Airlink are booked as a single ticket. Purchase on board from the driver is possible, but costs 2.00 euros there instead of 1.50 euros and only entitles you to one ride without transfer. On the airport line 199, there is no surcharge for purchase on board by bank card. In every case, validating the ticket remains essential, a paper ticket is only valid once it has been validated on the bus.

App and payment. ATV has two digital options. The first is the Ticket Bus Verona app, through which single tickets, group tickets and season tickets are bought. The second is Bip&Vai, paying directly at the validator with a contactless Visa, Mastercard or Europay card or with a smartphone wallet. The red validators on the bus recognize the card, and no paper receipt is issued. Anyone needing receipts registers the card on ATV's Bip&Vai portal and downloads them there. On the city network, each ride via Bip&Vai costs 2.00 euros and is valid for 90 minutes, and from the third ride within 24 hours no more than 5.00 euros total is charged. On airport line 199, 7.00 euros is charged, with a cap of 11.00 euros within 24 hours. Up to five people can travel with the same card, either by tapping the card multiple times or by increasing the passenger count on the display. For the Scipione on-demand bus there is a separate app of the same name for iOS and Android, paid for with normal city tickets.

Which ticket. The city network has had a straightforward fare since July 14, 2023. The regular single ticket costs 1.50 euros and is valid for 90 minutes from validation across the whole city network, transfers included. Anyone buying on the bus pays 2.00 euros and may not transfer with it. A ten-pack costs 12.50 euros, that's 1.25 euros per ride, and several people can validate it one after another. The day ticket costs 5.00 euros, is valid for 24 hours from the first validation, and covers one adult plus one child under 14. Mathematically it corresponds to 3.3 single tickets, three single tickets cost 4.50 euros, below that, four single tickets cost 6.00 euros, above it. So from the fourth ride of the day, the day ticket is the cheaper option. For four people together there is a group ticket for 8.00 euros, valid for 90 minutes per person, available via app or counter. During off-peak hours from 9am to noon and from 3pm to 5pm there is a ticket for 1.00 euro. Contactless payment via Bip&Vai costs 2.00 euros per ride and is capped at 5.00 euros after 24 hours, which comes out to the same amount as the day ticket. Anyone visiting museums anyway should weigh up the VeronaCard, which costs 27.00 euros for 24 hours and 32.00 euros for 48 hours and includes free travel on the city lines, but explicitly not the airport bus.

Fare zones. A single city fare applies across the entire municipal area, there are no zones. As soon as you cross the city boundary, for example toward Lake Garda or into the Valpolicella, the Extraurbano fare by distance applies, and the city ticket loses its validity.

Tip. Porta Nuova to Piazza Bra is fifteen minutes on foot.

Getting there

Main station

Location. About twenty minutes' walk from the Arena; buses run directly.

Long-distance trains. Verona Porta Nuova lies at the crossing of two main axes, the east-west route Milano-Venezia and the north-south route over the Brenner to Bolzano and onward to Austria and Germany. The departure board therefore lists Frecciarossa and Italo trains to Milano Centrale, Venezia Santa Lucia, Bologna Centrale and Bolzano side by side, regional trains to Brennero, Trento, Mantova, Brescia and Rovigo, and international trains, including a through connection all the way to Munich main station. The latest long-distance train of the day is the Intercity Notte to Roma Termini at 11.36pm, the last Frecciarossa leaves the station at 10.20pm toward Brescia, before that at 10.03pm toward Venezia Santa Lucia. Early risers can depart from 5.18am, first with regional trains to Bologna, Bolzano, Venezia and Milano. The station has nine platforms, ticket counters, machines, a bar, a bookshop and a pharmacy, plus bicycle parking, bike-sharing, car rental and electric car charging points right in front of the building. In front of the station is also the bus station with the ATV platforms and the airport bus.

Opening hours. The first trains depart shortly after 5.15am, the last long-distance train is the Intercity Notte to Roma Termini at 11.36pm. The elevators run from 5am to midnight, left luggage from 8am to 8pm, the Sala Blu assistance service from 7.45am to 10.30pm.

Airports

VRN

Into the city. 15 minutes by the Airlink bus, line 199, to Verona Porta Nuova, with no intermediate stop. The ticket costs 7.00 euros and remains valid for a further 75 minutes on the city lines after arrival.

Frequency. From Porta Nuova from 5.15am to 10.50pm, from the airport from 5.35am to 11.10pm. Every 20 minutes during peak times, every 40 minutes at other times. The bus stops at the station at bay E-1, at the airport at the exit of the arrivals level.

Local quirks

The opera season. From June to September, performances take place in the Roman Arena. Anyone with a tiered seat ticket brings a cushion.
From half past eight, an entirely different line network applies. At 8.30pm the daytime network ends and six evening lines numbered 80 to 85 take over. They follow different routes than the daytime lines, as often as every 22 minutes in the center, every 40 to 50 minutes in the districts. Anyone who remembers the number of their daytime line will look for it in vain in the evening. There is a separate network map for the evening, available as a PDF.
The airport ticket keeps working in the city. The 7.00 euros for the Airlink, line 199, don't just cover the ride to the station, but remain valid for a further 75 minutes on the city lines afterward. So no second ticket is needed from the station to your hotel. Anyone arriving by train can book the train ride and the airport bus together as a single ticket with Trenitalia.

Good to know

Currency: EUR €
Emergency number: 112
Plug type: C · F · L
Time zone: Europe/Rome
Driving: right

Speed limits. built-up areas 50 km/h, outside towns 90 km/h, 110 km/h on expressways, motorway 130 km/h

In rain, the motorway limit is 110 km/h instead of 130, and 90 instead of 110 on expressways. Drivers who have held their license for less than three years may drive at most 100 km/h on the motorway and 90 km/h on expressways. Within built-up areas, 50 km/h is the rule, though signposted city roads allow up to 70 km/h.

Tipping. Not expected. Bills often carry a coperto or servizio. If you were happy, round up.

Tolls. Most motorways are tolled. Take a ticket on entry, pay on exit. No vignette.

Access restrictions. Many historic centres are closed to non-residents. Cameras read the plate and the fine arrives home months later. Hours and boundaries differ from city to city.