Where to Stay in Verona

The historic core inside the river bend, taking in Piazza Bra and the Roman Arena, Piazza delle Erbe, Juliet's House and Castelvecchio. It is flat, largely pedestrianised and small, so you walk everywhere and never touch a bus.

Good to know: Rooms directly on Piazza Bra pay a heavy premium and get the full noise of opera nights, when performances end after midnight. Book a side street a few minutes back for the same walkability at a lower price and a quieter night.

The university quarter on the east bank of the Adige, five to ten minutes' walk from Piazza delle Erbe over Ponte Nuovo. Cheap osterie, aperitivo bars full of students, and the climb up to the Roman Theatre and Castel San Pietro starts here.

Good to know: Less polished than the centre and busier with traffic on the main roads, but the price gap is real and the food is better value. Lively rather than raucous on weeknights during term.

A smart residential district just north of the centre along the river, with tree-lined streets, quiet cafes and a genuinely local feel. About a fifteen-minute riverside walk into the old town.

Good to know: Very little happens here in the evening, which is exactly the appeal for some and the drawback for others. Good if you are driving, since parking is far easier than inside the centre.

The blocks around Verona Porta Nuova station, where most of the city's chain and business hotels sit. Trains reach Venice in about fifty minutes and Milan in seventy, and the airport shuttle stops here.

Good to know: About a twenty-minute walk or a short bus to Piazza Bra, and short on charm. The right call if you are using Verona as a base for northern Italy, arriving late, or travelling with luggage.

The tangle of medieval streets between Piazza delle Erbe and the river, with frescoed facades, the market square and most of the good restaurants. It is the postcard Verona and the most atmospheric place to sleep.

Good to know: The most expensive part of the city, and terraces around the piazza run late in summer. Buildings are old, so lifts are rare and rooms can be small - check both before booking.

West of Castelvecchio around the Basilica di San Zeno, one of Italy's finest Romanesque churches. Residential, low-key and about fifteen minutes on foot from Piazza Bra, with local trattorias rather than tourist menus.

Good to know: You give up a little convenience for a real neighbourhood and lower prices. Fewer hotels here and more apartments and B&Bs, so book earlier than you would in the centre.

The wine country north of the city, where Amarone is made, dotted with agriturismi and villa hotels among the vines. Twenty to thirty minutes' drive from Verona, with cellar visits on the doorstep.

Good to know: You need a car, and someone has to stay sober for the drive back after tastings. Lovely for a night or two either side of the city rather than as a sightseeing base.