It is easy to visit Padua (Padova) on a day trip or stopover by train from Venice to see the top sights: Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel and the magnificent Basilica of St Anthony.
Padua (Padova) is only half an hour by frequent train from Venice, making this small town an ideal day trip or stopover when visiting Venezia and the Veneto region in Italy. The two top must-see sights in Padova are the Scrovegni Chapel, featuring Giotto’s proto-Renaissance frescoes, and the large Basilica of St. Anthony. Both are easily seen in less than half a day, but Padua is interesting enough to fill a day (or more). Advance ticket reservations are essential for the Scrovegni Chapel, so plan trips around the available time slot. Own arrangements are easy, but many guided tours are also available.
Time Planning for a Day Trip Visit to Padua from Venice
Padua (Padova) is around half an hour by very frequent train from Venice (Venezia S. Lucia). Therefore, the actual train timetable is of lesser importance for initial planning.
Plan a trip to Padua around the essential time slot for the Scrovegni Chapel tickets. Keep in mind you have to be at the museum entrance around half an hour earlier. Opening hours for the Basilica of St. Anthony (and most other sights in Padua) are long and admission is generally easy.
In Padua, walking from the train to the Scroveni Chapel (inside the Eremitani Museum) takes around 10 minutes. A further five to ten minutes walk takes you to the city center sights. The Basilica of St. Anthony and the Prato della Valle square are around a further 15-minute walk from the center. The tram is slightly faster.
→ Personally, I prefer to book the Scrovegni Chapel for late afternoon or evening as the last sight before returning to Venice. Train delays won’t ruin my visit, and frankly, after seeing Giotto’s frescoes, any other sight seems better left for another day.
Padua or Padova?
Padua is the common name in English and many other languages, but the Italian name of the city (and the train station) is Padova. Many apps and websites will recognize either version but some, including Trenitalia, only accept Padova (and Venezia).
Booking a Scrovegni Chapel in Padua Time-Slot Ticket
Time-slot reservations are essential at least a day in advance of visiting the Scrovengi Chapel in Padua. Getting time-slot reservation tickets is generally not very difficult, in stark contrast to The Last Supper in Milan or San Marco in Venice. However, book time slots as early as possible — a conference or tour group can book out all available time slots even in an otherwise quiet period.
→ See How to Buy Tickets to See the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua for an explanation of the process. It is a bit cumbersome, but do it online only at the official website. There really is no need to use a reseller unless planning to take a more comprehensive tour.
What to do if you arrive in Padua without tickets for the Scrovegni Chapel:
It is not possible to book a time slot for the Scrovegni Chapel on the day of the visit. However, if evening slots are still available, it is possible to book in person at the tourist information IAT office in Padua station (or after 17:00 at the Eremitani ticket desk).
Day-time tickets for the Scrovegni Chapel include a visit to the Eremitani Museum (and the Zuckermann Palace most days). Evening tickets are for the Scrovegni Chapel only. The museums are interesting enough but if on a longer tour of Italy, you are going to see better art (Veronese and Titian in Venice) and archaeological finds elsewhere.
Timing on the day of your Scrovegni Chapel visit:
- Be at the entrance to the Eremitani Museum around 30 minutes (20 minutes for after 19:00 visits) before the time slot. (45 minutes if you have to swap a voucher without a QR code.) Leave bags in the lockers. Cameras and photos are permitted.
- Be at the entrance to the Scrovegni Chapel (in the museum garden) around 10 minutes before the time slot.
- Tickets are again scanned as the group enters the acclimatization room. Once the automatic doors are closed, no further visitors are allowed in, and any unscanned ticket is canceled.
- After a 15-minute video, visitors proceed to the Scrovegni Chapel for the 15-20 minute viewing of the Giotto frescoes.
- Exit the chapel and visit the Eremitani Museum if desired. Returns to the chapel are not possible, although if booking a double 40-minute viewing in the evening, you’ll stay in the chapel for a second round.
Visit the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua
The Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua (Basilica di Sant’Antonio in Padova), Italy, is easy to visit on a day trip or stopover from Venice. Opening hours are long and admission is free to the church and cloisters.
The monumental basilica is a blend of the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Byzantine. The interior is filled with art, including important sculptures by Donatello. The Tomb of St. Anthony is, of course, a major attraction, but even the non-devout will enjoy the art and architecture of this marvelous church. Don’t miss the three large cloisters.
Although the basilica is open daily from around 6:00 to 19:00, the museums and the chapel of the relics close for lunch.
For tourist visits, the best times to avoid possible part closures are early to mid-afternoon (14:00 to 16:00). Except for high holidays, most of the basilica remains open for tourist visits even during mass.
→ See Visit the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua (Padova), Italy, for more details and tips.
Other Sights to Visit in Padua
The Scrovegni Chapel is a Michelin 3-star sight (“Worth a Journey“) while the Basilica of St. Anthony is rated 2 stars (“Worth a Detour“). These two sights should be included in even the shortest stopover in Padua, although the Giotto frescoes alone are already worth the effort.
The chapel and basilica are at opposite ends of the city center, so the other major sights in Padua are easily seen while traveling between the two top sights. Although worth seeing, travelers on a busy Italy trip would probably enjoy a few additional hours in Venice more than trooping through minor museums in Padua. However, do have a meal here. Restaurants (and hotels) in Padua are likely to be both cheaper and better than in Venice (or Verona).
→ See Top Sights in Padua near Venice for information on more attractions to visit in Padova.
Transportation in Padua
When visiting Padua on a day trip, it is easy to combine walking and the tram for easy local transportation to the top sights.
The tram stops directly outside Padova Station (Stazione FS). Simply tap the scanner with a bank card when boarding the tram rather than buying a paper ticket. No need to tap when exiting. The tram is very frequent, around ten per hour.
There is only one tram line but make sure to take the tram to the south. The following three stops are relevant when on a day trip:
- Eremitani — second stop from the station, or a 12-minute walk — for the Eremitani Museum and Scrovegni Chapel
- Ponti Romani — one stop further, easier to walk from Eremitani — for all city center sights
- Santo — ca. ten minutes more, or a 15-20 minute walk — Basilica of St. Anthony, Botanical Gardens. Consider going one stop further (Prato della Valle) to see the big square and then walk two blocks back to the basilica.
Google Maps is likely to recommend buses but these are frankly more complicated, while the tram is very simple to use.
By Train to Padua (Padova) from Venice
Frequent trains between Padua and Venice make it easy to visit this town on a day trip or as a stopover when en route to or from Venice. Luggage storage is available at the station or book online in advance.
Local regional trains connect Padua (Padova) station with Venice (S. Lucia and Mestre) twice per hour for most of the day in just less than half an hour. (Try to avoid the third train that stops frequently, taking almost 50 minutes.) The local trains are mostly modern with air conditioning and only use standard (second) class. Enough space is available for luggage.
The regional trains are cheap — around €5 one way — and require no reservations. Online tickets are cheapest directly from Trenitalia (website or app, although the latter doesn’t work on all foreign phones). Online regional tickets are automatically validated for the scheduled time. Change this time, if necessary, at least five minutes before the scheduled departure time.
High-speed trains are also available from Padua to Venice. However, these are not faster than regional trains on this route, require seat reservations, and cost around €20 one-way.
If visiting Padua on a stopover, use the fast trains for the longer journey but the convenient (and cheap) regional trains for transportation between Padua and Venice. On a day trip from Venice, I would use only the regional trains, and also when traveling to say Verona or Ravenna.
→ See Transportation to Padua for more information on train travel to Padova, as well as direct buses from Venice airports (Marco Polo and Treviso).
More on Padua near Venice in Italy
Padua (Padova) is a popular day-trip excursion destination from Venice, but the art and architecture here are worth a journey:
- → Top Sights to See in Padua (Padova)
- → Visit the Basilica of St Anthony — free, long opening hours.
- → How to Buy Tickets for the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua — although not very difficult to secure compulsory time-slot reservations, tickets must be bought a day in advance!
- → Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel, which include the Life of Joachim and Anne: Parents of the Virgin Mary
- → By Train to Padova (for an easy day-trip from Venice or stopover transportation)
- → Book Hotels in Padua
- → Book Luggage Storage near Padova Station