Verona Airport, Italy

About Verona Airport

Verona Airport or the Verona Catullo Airport was built at the beginning of the 20th century and was originally used as a military base. It began service as a domestic airport during WW1 and as an international airport shortly after but only for short-haul European flights. While the airport now accepts flights from many worldwide destinations, it doesn't handle long-haul flights from countries such as the US or Canada.

The increase in flights and passenger traffic over the decades meant Verona Airport needed a serious expansion to be able to deal with the growing influx. The first of several extensions to the runway and terminals took place at the start of the 1990s and concluded with the installation of a second terminal building. Now one terminal is used solely for arrivals and the other for departures.

Even though the passengers using Verona Airport totals well over three and a half million a year, the airport still has only one runway. Incoming visitors can find out all they need to know at the airport's tourist information service in the arrivals area or make use of the plentiful restaurants and cafeterias. Those in the process of departing can pick up local produce like wine, cheese, and olive oil in the departure lounge's specialist boutiques.

Things to do around Verona Airport

Whether you want to discover the secrets of pasta or pizza making, taste local wine and cheeses, or people-watch over a cappuccino, leave the airport behind because Verona is the place to do it. From a house reputed to be the character Juliet's from the Shakespearean play to bustling plazas, Renaissance architecture and Roman ruins, Verona is a city that begs to be explored. There's history of some sort around just about every corner you turn, alongside boutiques selling the latest fashions and shops full of high-tech gadgets. 

• Board a cruise that navigates the Adige River so you can sail under the arches of the Ponte Pietra, the Ponte delle Navi, and the Ponte delle Vittoria. 
• Stand on Juliet's balcony, put your best acting face on and shout ‘Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?’ to the crowds of tourists gathered below.
• Attend a concert at the Arena di Verona, a Colosseum-type building where once the Roman gladiators fought with swords in hand.
• Go back in time to medieval days by walking over the Ponte di Castelvecchio and through the gated walls of the castle itself, then browse the exhibits in the museum it houses.
• Spend a couple of hours drinking coffee and watching the world go by in the Piazza delle Erbe.
• Attend a five-hour-long pasta cooking class to learn how to make your own so you never have to buy packet pasta again.
• Spend an hour deliberating whether or not you can eat a dish of Verona's local delicacy, horse meat stew, then give in and have a tuna salad instead.

Transit options at Verona Airport

• There is a frequent shuttle bus service from Verona Airport to the city center departing from outside the arrivals terminal. The journey takes around fifteen minutes.
• Taxis operate at Verona Airport. The trip into the city costs a minimum of forty five euros.
• The nearest train station to Verona Airport is the Verona Porta Nuova Station. The shuttle bus service from the airport stops there.

Luggage storage at Verona Airport

Verona Airport is around twelve kilometers outside of the city. Using the shuttle bus service to get from one to the other is the cheapest form of transport unless you're happy to pay a large cab fare. Public transport and baggage don't go together so use the conveniently located Bounce luggage lockers at Verona Airport to keep your stuff safe and secure while you go exploring this beautiful Italian city.

Attractions and activities near Verona Airport

Peschiera del Garda: Peschiera del Garda is a town on the southern shore of Lake Garda around twenty kilometers west of Verona Airport. It has all the attributes of a coastal resort including promenades and beaches as well as a historic walled center full of interesting buildings and fascinating museums. The nearby Lago del Frassino is a nature reserve and an ideal spot for doing some quiet birdwatching. For all-out entertainment though, the Gardaland amusement park is the place to go. The state-of-the-art theme park has it all from roller coasters to water chutes and just about every other type of scream-inducing ride imaginable plus an aquarium, restaurants, and bars.

Gardone Riviera: Gardone Riviera is a town on the western shore of Lake Garda with some interesting attractions as well as being a superb spot to appreciate the splendor of the scenery in this part of Italy. The most notable site in Gardone Riviera is the Vittoriale degli Italiani, a gigantic mansion and the former residence of a famous aristocratic Italian writer. Contained in the grounds of the mansion is an amphitheater, a priory, a mausoleum, and a ship's hull stuck on a hillside. The gardens of the villa are extensive but if they don't satisfy your horticultural needs, the Heller Botanical Gardens are only a few kilometers away.  

Besenello: Besenello is a rural hamlet with nothing much to shout about other than the massive fortress which overlooks it. The Castel Beseno is a prime example of medieval architecture and the largest fortification of its kind in northern Italy. The castle's prominent position on a dome-shaped hill made it practically impenetrable by invading forces. Inside the walls there are courtyards, dungeon-like cellars, a stone staircase leading up to the battlements from where there’s a panoramic view, and exhibitions of medieval armory.