Enduro!  is Italien for "wow, great, keep going" - Italiens love to take their racing bikes out for a spin on the weekend. We saw several sleek riders whizzing by on expensive bicycles. But beware. Racing cyclists also do come in bigger groups. As I was climing a hill near Aqua Petrarcha, a big police cruiser came storming from no where down the road, knocking me out of my saddle, blasting "Attentione - bicyclette !" The next thing I knew, I was caught in the path of a bike race, and a whirlwind of participants nearly mowed me down. All I could do was manoeuver my heavily laden touring bike to the shoulder of the road and breathe a faint "enduro" in their wake.

Leaving Verona behind with the image of  the pink marble Arena built in the 1st century AD  in my mind, I had plenty of time to  ponder the architects of Roman empire who built grand houses, public buildings and roads giving lasting testimony to their power. The network of roads that held the Roman empire together is still visible today in parts of Verona and the Veneto.  The Romans would have been pleased with today's modern roads, too. The tar is in good condition, and traffic is low along the many backroads and by-ways allowing you to avoid the express ways between Verona and Venice. However, there are only a few bike paths, so be prepared to share the regular roads with other vehicles.

A week touring the Veneto from Verona to Venice lay before me, and I was excited to discover the Po river plateau. I had already trod in the footsteps of Romeo and Juliet in Verona and witnessed couples swear true love at Juliets balcony and visited the famous Arena. Now I was looking forward to the thrill of pedaling amidst the green wine country, grand villas lining the Brenta canal, gently rolling green hill sides, the famous old university city of Padova and endless beaches at Chioggia and Pellestrina.  The combination of cycling and art history makes this a wonderful, easy tour, suitable for beginners. See links below for info on showtimes and tourist information.
 

 Arena di Verona

You may take your bike on all trains except for the rapido, the express train. A supplement of 5000 Lire is required for your bike. The train service beteween Venice and Verona is very good on weekdays.  Trains run in every direction at every hour. Check the following link for details.  bikes on trains
 

Forget cycling in Venice itself. There are too many bridges to cross. However, you may carry your bike aboard the bigger ferries crossing the Venetian lagoon. Ferries run almost every hour between Chioggia and Littorale di Pellestrina, Littorale di Pellestrina and the Lido, the Lido and Punte Sabbioni, and Venice. If travelling from Punte Sabbioni to the main train station in Venice, change ferries at the Lido. Each trip costs 4500 Lire for adults and an additional 1000 Lire for the bike. You are not officially allowed to carry a bike on one of Venice's vaporettos. There isn't any space for baggage, let alone a bike, on the overcrowded vaporettos, anyway, so don't even consider it an option.  The tourist boats that offer day trips along the Brenta canal are also not suited for bike transportation and are very expensive.
 
 

While in Verona, try staying at the beautifully restored Youth Hostel located in a medieval castle with a wonderful old garden suitable for camping (Tel. 59 03 60). The reception opens at 7:00 a.m. Breakfast and dinner are available for a modest 7.000 lire or 12.000, respectively. The hotels fill up quickly in Vicenza, but you may stay at the campground Campeggio Vicena (Tel. 58 23 11) about 10 km from downtown, near the east exit of the A4. Staying there probably means that you will not cycle back to Vicenza the next day, though. It is also hard to get modest accomodation in Venezia, so book well in advance, or stay at Punta Sabbione, a peninsula in the Lagoon which boasts numerous campsites. We set up our tent at Marina di Venezia with endless beaches
 

Other links

 Veneto (German)
 Bicycle Tour: Venice to Naples
 Tourist Info on Italy