Quick answer
Take a Frecciarossa or Italo from Milano Centrale to Verona Porta Nuova: about 1h13, from €12.90 on Frecciarossa when booked a few weeks ahead. The direct regional train takes 1h52 for a fixed €12.75. One day is enough for the Arena, Piazza delle Erbe, Juliet’s House, Torre dei Lamberti and Ponte Pietra, but avoid Mondays.
Train times, fares, sight prices and opening hours were checked on 5 October 2026. High-speed fares change by date, so read them as a guide.
Milan to Verona train options
Every convenient train leaves from Milano Centrale and arrives at Verona Porta Nuova, Verona’s main station, about 149 km away by rail. Times and fares below were checked on 5 October 2026 for two Tuesdays: 6 October 2026 (the next day) and 10 November 2026 (about five weeks ahead).
| Train | Journey time | Trains per day | Next day | 5 weeks ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frecciarossa (Trenitalia) | 1h13 | 19 direct | €35 | €12.90 to €23.90 |
| Italo | About 1h12 | 7 | Check on italotreno.com | From €8.90 |
| EuroCity | 1h23 | 2 | €24.50 | €17.90 |
| Regional | 1h52 | About hourly | €12.75 | €12.75 |
The first direct Frecciarossa leaves at 6:45am and the last at 8:45pm, mostly at quarter past and quarter to the hour. Italo trains stop at Brescia and Peschiera del Garda on the way. Regional trains leave at 25 minutes past the hour from 6:25am to 9:25pm and cost the same whatever day you buy.
A few Frecciarossa trains also leave directly from Milano Porta Garibaldi (on 10 November at 9:13am, 4:13pm, 6:13pm and 7:43pm, in 1h10 to 1h15). Unless your hotel is next to Garibaldi, Centrale has far more choice. Our Milano Centrale guide covers the station itself.
Frecciarossa, Italo or the regional train
Booked a few weeks ahead, a Frecciarossa ticket (€12.90 on several trains on 10 November 2026) costs about the same as the regional (€12.75) and saves about 40 minutes each way. For a day trip that is the obvious choice.
A Trenitalia Frecciarossa high-speed train.
Last minute, the sums change. The next-day Frecciarossa was €35, so the regional saves you about €22 each way if you don’t mind the 1h52 ride. Regional tickets have no seat reservation and never sell out.
Italo is the other high-speed company. It runs 7 trains a day and advertises fares from €8.90, so check its prices for your date too. A ticket is only valid with the company you bought it from.
You can book on Trenitalia’s or Italo’s own sites, or search both operators at once on Trainline’s Milan to Verona page.
Train fares for children
Children under 4 travel free on Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa and regional trains if they are with an adult and don’t take a seat of their own. Children from 4 to 14 get 50% off the Base fare on Frecciarossa and Intercity trains, in any class.
The discount is calculated on the full Base fare, so a discounted adult ticket booked weeks ahead (€12.90 for 10 November 2026) can be cheaper than a child ticket. Check both before you pay. On regional trains, children aged 4 to 11 generally pay half, but Trenitalia notes that some regions set their own rules.
Adding a stop at Lake Garda
The line from Milan to Verona runs along the southern end of Lake Garda, so you can break the trip at Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione or Peschiera del Garda. On Tuesday 10 November 2026:
| Leg | Fastest direct | Regional |
|---|---|---|
| Milano Centrale to Desenzano | 51 min (Frecciarossa, from €10.90) | 1h23, €10.50 |
| Milano Centrale to Peschiera | 57 min (Frecciarossa, from €15.90) | 1h32, €12 |
| Desenzano to Verona Porta Nuova | 20 min (Frecciarossa, €15) | 28 min, €4.80 |
| Peschiera to Verona Porta Nuova | 14 to 16 min (Frecciarossa, €15) | 18 to 19 min, €4.05 |
Only some Frecciarossa stop at each town, while the hourly regional stops at both. If you stop off, the regional is the cheap way to cover the short last leg to Verona. A lake stop leaves less time in the city, so drop one or two of the museums below.
Getting back to Milan
On a Tuesday in autumn 2026, direct Frecciarossa trains back to Milano Centrale left Verona roughly every 30 to 60 minutes, with the last at 9:02pm (arriving 10:15pm). The last direct regional left at 9:43pm and arrived at 11:35pm. If you book a cheap Frecciarossa fare, it is tied to that train, so pick a return time you will keep.
From Verona Porta Nuova to the old town
The Arena is about 1.6 km from the station, roughly a 20-minute walk. City buses from outside the station reach Piazza Bra in about 6 minutes; lines 11, 12, 13, 51, 90, 92, 94, 96 and 98 all make the trip, and the VeronaCard covers them.
Things to do in Verona in one day
All the sights below are in the historic center. The City of Verona sells tickets for its museums on verona.coopculture.it, and its own site warns against resellers that charge more or advertise “skip the line” tickets.
Piazza delle Erbe, the old market square, seen from above.
The Arena
The ArenaMap is the Roman amphitheater on Piazza Bra. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm, and it is closed on Mondays. On days with performances it closes early (on 1, 2, 3, 4 and 10 October 2026 at 3pm, for example), with last entry 30 minutes before closing.
Tickets cost €12, €9 for over-65s and free for under 18s. The €3 youth ticket for ages 18 to 25 is only for EU citizens and a few reciprocity countries, so Americans pay €12. On the first Sunday of the month from November to March, entry to the Arena and the other civic museums costs €1 (the next is 1 November 2026).
Piazza delle Erbe and Torre dei Lamberti
Piazza delle ErbeMap is the old market square and costs nothing to walk through. Above it rises the 84-metre Torre dei LambertiMap, open every day of the year except 25 December: Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm, weekends 10:30am to 7pm, with last entry 20 minutes before closing.
A ticket costs €6 (€4.50 for over-60s and students 14 to 30 with a student card). You can climb the stairs or take a glass lift to the terrace. Unlike the Arena, the tower is open on Mondays.
Juliet’s House
Juliet's House (Casa di Giulietta)Map is where people come to see the balcony. Since 1 April 2026 you enter through the Teatro Nuovo on piazzetta Navona and leave by the archway at Via Cappello 23, on a one-way route.
There are two tickets: €5 for the Teatro Nuovo and the courtyard with the balcony view, or €12 to go inside the house as well. Both are sold only online at verona.coopculture.it, with a timed slot, and there is no ticket desk on site. Even free visitors and VeronaCard holders must book. It opens Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 7pm and on Mondays only from 2pm to 7pm, with the last slot at 6:30pm. Suitcases and large bags are not allowed inside.
Ponte Pietra
Ponte PietraMap is the Roman bridge over the Adige, finished around 100 BC and the oldest bridge in the city. Retreating German troops blew up four of its arches in the Second World War, and they were rebuilt between 1957 and 1959 with the original stones. It is free, and across it is the Archaeological Museum at the Roman TheatreMap (€9, closed Mondays).
Castel San Pietro viewpoint
Just across Ponte Pietra, the Castel San Pietro funicularMap at Via Fontanelle Santo Stefano 6 climbs in just over a minute to a terrace on Colle San Pietro, looking back over the Adige, Ponte Pietra and the old town. A return ride costs €3 (€2 one way). It runs every day except 25 December and 1 January, from 10am to 9pm between April and October and 10am to 5pm from November to March. You can also walk up.
Castelvecchio
The Castelvecchio MuseumMap is at Corso Castelvecchio 2. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm (last entry 5:15pm), is closed on Mondays and costs €9. In 2026 the museum is marking its centenary with special displays.
Where to eat in Verona
Two places listed in the Michelin Guide work well for a day-trip lunch, both in the center and in the guide’s moderate price band:
- Osteria Mondo d'OroMap at Via Mondo d’Oro 4, a short walk from Via Mazzini, serves Italian classics with vegetarian options and has outdoor tables in good weather. It is closed on Tuesdays and, on Wednesdays, opens only for dinner.
- Al BersagliereMap at Via Dietro Pallone 1 is a long-established restaurant with traditional regional cooking, such as pasta e fagioli and pastissada de caval (a horse-meat stew). It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Hours change, so check them before you plan lunch around either.
Is the VeronaCard worth it?
The VeronaCard is the city’s own pass. It costs €33 for 24 hours or €38 for 48 hours, sold on the official VeronaCard web app, and gives free or reduced entry to the city’s monuments plus free city buses. You activate it yourself in the app before the first visit.
For one day the card pays off only if you see about four paid sights. At full price the Arena (€12), Juliet’s House with the interior (€12), Castelvecchio (€9) and Torre dei Lamberti (€6) add up to €39, against €33 for the card. With the card, the tower is free by the stairs and €1 by lift, and you still need to book Juliet’s House online.
Opera at the Arena
The Arena di Verona Opera Festival fills the amphitheater on summer evenings. The 2026 season ran from 5 June to 12 September. The 2027 festival runs from 11 June to 11 September 2027, and tickets are already on sale on arena.it. The 2027 programme includes Aida, La Traviata, Carmen and Nabucco, and brings ballet back to the Arena with Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet.
Performances are in the evening, and the last direct train back to Milan leaves at 9:43pm, so an opera night means booking a room in Verona.
A sample day in Verona
This plan assumes a Tuesday to Saturday, when every sight is open.
Ponte Pietra, Verona's Roman bridge over the Adige.
- 7:45am Frecciarossa from Milano Centrale, arriving 8:58am (€12.90 booked five weeks ahead on 5 October 2026).
- 9:30am Walk or take the bus to Piazza Bra and visit the Arena.
- 11am Juliet’s House, on the slot you booked online.
- Noon Piazza delle Erbe and the climb up Torre dei Lamberti, then lunch (see where to eat above).
- 2:30pm Cross Ponte Pietra and either visit the Roman Theatre museum or ride the funicular up to Castel San Pietro for the view.
- 4pm Castelvecchio, with last entry at 5:15pm.
- 7:02pm Frecciarossa back, arriving in Milano Centrale at 8:15pm. Later direct trains leave at 8:02pm and 9:02pm.
On a Monday, swap the order: Torre dei Lamberti and the squares in the morning, Juliet’s House after 2pm, and skip the Arena and Castelvecchio, which are closed.
If you would rather have a guide, GetYourGuide lists walking tours and Arena visits on its Verona page. For more trips like this one, with fares to Lake Como, Bergamo and Venice, see our day trips from Milan guide and the Milan to Venice train guide if you want to continue east. Bologna is another trip of about an hour by high-speed train, covered in our Milan to Bologna guide. For the Milan side of your trip, our one day in Milan plan fits the Duomo, Sforza Castle and, with a booked ticket, the Last Supper into a single day.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Milan to Verona?
Frecciarossa trains take 1h13 from Milano Centrale to Verona Porta Nuova, and Italo about 1h12. The direct regional train takes 1h52.
How much is the train from Milan to Verona?
The regional train costs a fixed €12.75 on any day. On 5 October 2026, Frecciarossa fares were €35 for the next day and from €12.90 five weeks ahead, and Italo advertises fares from €8.90.
Is Verona worth a day trip from Milan?
Yes. The fast trains take just over an hour and the main sights (the Arena, Piazza delle Erbe, Juliet's House, Torre dei Lamberti and Ponte Pietra) are all in the historic center. Avoid Mondays, when the Arena and Castelvecchio are closed.
Do I need to book Juliet's House in advance?
Yes. Tickets (€5 for the courtyard, €12 including the house) are sold only online at verona.coopculture.it, and even VeronaCard holders and free visitors must book a time slot. There is no ticket desk on site.
Is the VeronaCard worth it for one day?
Only if you visit about four paid sights. The 24-hour card costs €33, while the Arena, Juliet's House, Castelvecchio and Torre dei Lamberti cost €39 together at full price. It also covers city buses.
Can I see an opera at the Arena on a day trip from Milan?
Not realistically. Performances are in the evening and the last direct train back to Milano Centrale leaves Verona at 9:43pm (check the timetable for your date), so plan to stay the night. The 2027 festival runs from 11 June to 11 September 2027.
Do children pay full fare on the train to Verona?
No. On Frecciarossa, children aged 4 to 14 get 50% off the Base fare, and under 4s travel free if they don't take a seat of their own. Because the discount is on the Base fare, a cheap adult advance ticket can cost less, so compare both.