First-time visitors to Verona arriving by car tend to worry about parking. Those travelling by wheelchair, on the other hand, already carry mental maps of pavements, steps and narrow doorways. And anyone with tickets for an evening at the Arena knows perfectly well that their seat is not always where they picture it. Three different situations, one common thread: a city-centre apartment that does its work before you arrive can radically change the quality of your stay.
Verona's ZTL: what actually happens with your licence plate
Quick answer: Verona's ZTL covers the historic centre, including Piazza Bra and the area around the Arena. Access is controlled by electronic gates equipped with cameras that read passing licence plates. If your plate is not registered, the gate automatically generates a fine — and your sat-nav will not warn you.
Tourists may enter the ZTL only if they are staying at hotels located within the zone: it is the hotel's responsibility to notify the Polizia Locale of the guest's licence plate in advance. But take note: from 12 May 2025, short-term rental hosts can no longer use the CityPass system to bring guests by car into the historic centre. The municipality has decided this service is reserved exclusively for hotels and accommodation offering on-site parking.
In practical terms, this means one thing only: always share your licence plate before you set off, not when you are already under the gate. If you arrive in a different car from the one you registered, it is essential to update the details immediately — otherwise the gate records an unauthorised vehicle. Each individual pass through the gate can generate a separate fine.
The Verona Stay Arena is located at Via Roma 21, in the heart of the ZTL. Before every arrival, the team collects the guest's licence plate and handles the procedure with the relevant authorities — precisely to make sure your entry into the city does not begin with an unwelcome surprise in the letterbox.
Wheelchair and Arena ticket: two checks to make in advance, not on the spot
Verona's historic centre is beautiful and complicated to navigate in a wheelchair. Those travelling by wheelchair encounter pavements in difficult condition both in the historic centre and in the surrounding neighbourhoods, with potholes and tree roots creating real obstacles. The municipality has launched a programme to remove architectural barriers affecting several streets and pavements in the centre — works are under way, but any route to be covered independently needs careful planning.
The good news: visitors with disabilities may access the Verona ZTL in their own vehicle. The European disabled parking badge, displayed on the windscreen, entitles the holder to free parking in designated disabled bays, and in the Comune di Verona it also allows free, unlimited parking in blue-zone spaces. For wheelchair users, therefore, the car can enter the ZTL — but here too the licence plate must be communicated in advance.
For the Arena, the wheelchair access procedure requires even more attention. There are no architectural barriers preventing wheelchair users from reaching the disabled-access stalls, but spaces are limited: a booking request not confirmed by the organiser does not entitle the holder to attend the event. For visitors with reduced mobility it is always necessary to specify whether a wheelchair or other mobility aid is used, so that the box office can assign the designated stalls seats. Instructions for reaching the amphitheatre from Piazza Bra via the metal ramp are provided at the time of purchase; barrier-free access to the stalls is available through gates no. 4, no. 1 and/or no. 8.
For the 2026 Festival, the Fondazione Arena presents the 2026 edition of Arena per Tutti, with multisensory backstage tours, accessible digital materials and 2,600 seats reserved for people with sensory and intellectual disabilities. This is a programme to find out about and book weeks in advance — not the day before.
Even without a wheelchair, buying Arena tickets at the last minute in 2026 is risky: to purchase Festival 2026 tickets you must register again, even if you have bought tickets in the past. The team at The Verona Stay can, on request, guide you through seating sectors, prices and procedures — before you even board the train.
Do I need to share my licence plate if I arrive by train?
No. Licence plate registration only applies to guests arriving by car who need to pass through the ZTL to reach their accommodation. Anyone arriving on foot, by taxi or by train has no advance obligation to fulfil.
Can I buy wheelchair-accessible Arena tickets online?
Requests for wheelchair-designated seats can only be made by completing the online form provided by the Fondazione Arena, attaching a copy of the European Disability Card or equivalent certification. They cannot be purchased through standard ticketing channels.
Can I park in the centre with a disabled badge?
In the Comune di Verona, the European badge allows parking in blue-zone spaces free of charge and without time limits, and in disc-zone areas without displaying the disc. The licence plate must, however, be communicated in advance for ZTL access.
For your next stay in Verona, the apartments of The Verona Stay — near the Arena at Via Roma 21 or at the Teatro Ristori — take care of all three of these checks before you even start packing. Write to us with your arrival details at theveronastay.it.