GETTING TO PADUA
Padua is located in the centre of the Veneto Region, in the north-east of Italy, 40 km west of Venice and 90 km east of Verona.
By plane
The nearest international airports are: Marco Polo International Airport in Tessera, Venice (http://www.veniceairport.it), Treviso Airport (http://www.trevisoairport.it) and Valerio Catullo airport in Verona (http://www.aeroportoverona.it).
From each of the above airports you can reach Padua by shuttle. The service is provided by Taxi Air Service (http://www.airservicepadova.it) or Landomas Service (http://www.landomas.it/). This service should be booked in advance, but can be paid for on board. Travel time from Venice or Treviso is 40 minutes, and from Verona 1 hour 20 minutes.
Venice and Treviso airports are also connected to Padua by coaches run by the SITA bus company. Coaches run about every 30 minutes from 6:00am to 9:00pm from-&-to Treviso airport, and about every 60m minutes from-to-Venice airport (see the following search engines, which, however, are only available in Italian: http://ro.autobus.it/ro/asp/RicercaOrari.asp?User=SITA and http://www.fsbusitalia.it/). Pick up points are just outside the arrivals areas at both airports, and tickets can be bought at the airports, though normally not on board. Travel time is about 1 hour 10 minute. The final destination is Padua coach station, which is next to the main train station, and where local buses and taxis are available.
Verona airport is connected by a shuttle service to Verona railway station, where trains can be caught to Padua railway station (http://www.trenitalia.it). Trains run about every hour and travel time is about 1 hour.
For individual or group taxi service, call Radio Taxi (+39 049 651333 http://www.taxipadova.it/).
By train
Padua is connected to the major cities in Italy by the national train service provided by Trenitalia (http://www.trenitalia.com/). Venice is about half an hour away and Rome about 4 hours away.
By car
Padua is connected to the main cities in Italy and Europe by two major motorways (autostrade) — the A4 Milano/Venezia motorway, which cuts across northern Italy from east to west, and the A27 Bologna/Padova motorway, which connects Padua with Bologna, Florence, Rome and the South of Italy.
The recommended motorway exit is “Padova Est”. From there, follow the signs to the city centre (“centro città”). Please note that you cannot enter the historic city centre by car. However, the railway and coach stations are just outside the city centre, and there is ample parking nearby.
To plan your trip by car, visit http://www.autostrade.it/. For further information on the A4 Milano/Venezia motorway, visit http //www.autobspd.it/home.do
SIGHTSEEING IN PADUA
Visit http://www.turismopadova.it for information on cultural attractions in the city, especially http://www.turismopadova.it/en/basic-page/padua-24-or-48-hours.
Highly recommended tourist destinations:
Cappella degli Scrovegni / The Scrovegni Chapel (http://www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it/index.php/it/)
University: Palazzo Bo and Anatomical Theatre (http://www.unipd.it/en/university/cultural-heritage-0)
Prato della Valle (http://www.padovanet.it/informazione/prato-della-valle)
Loggia e Odeo Cornaro (http://www.turismopadova.it/it/punti-di-interesse/loggia-e-odeo-cornaro)
Caffè Pedrocchi – and its unique mint-flavoured coffee – (http://www.caffepedrocchi.it/)
Palazzo della Ragione (http://www.padovanet.it/dettaglio.jsp?id=9227)
Museo La specola / La Specola Museum (http://archive.oapd.inaf.it/museo/Pagine/pagine_inglesi/index_en.html)
If you are hard pressed for time, and/or tired, you may consider the sight-seeing bus (http://www.padova.city-sightseeing.it/eng/index.htm)