3 nights: best spent in Bologna, Venice or Florence?

You can fly from any of them to Prague but, as far as I could tell, Florence has no non-stop flights so it's a bit more of a hassle and a bit more expensive. Bologna and Venice both have non-stop flights but there are more options from Venice (and cheaper flights too).

If your cruise ends in Venice, but does not include visiting the towns of the Veneto, why not stay there? You can easily take the train to Verona, Vicenza, and Padova, all very worthwhile stops. Also, the towns of the Venetian lagoon are interesting. We particularly liked Torcello. I think Ravenna is pretty accessible from Venice, as well.

Head to Padova for 3 nights...
Day 1 - Train to Padova. Checkin. Explore.
Day 2 - Day trip to Verona
Day 3 - Day trip to Vicenza
Day 4 - Book Scrovegni Chapel for first thing, then bus to Venice Marco Polo Airport.
(easyjet fly Venice to Prague mid afternoon on Tue/Thu/Sat, otherwise Czech Airlines)

Go to the wiki page for the Prague airport. Near the bottom there's a list of all the airlines using that airport and where they fly to. Use that information to find the best flight options - prices, times, etc. - from airports in the region. Then figure out what time you'd need to get to the airport and how you'd get there. For instance, I believe there's a shuttle bus from Florence to the Bologna airport. Getting to the Venice airport can take a really long time or can cost a lot, depending on where you are staying and when you have to be at the airport.

I really enjoyed spending a few days in Bologna, but I'd been to Florence, Venice, and Verona on previous trips. I would definitely allow time to see Venice, but you may have that while you are on the cruise. It would help to know when you'll be there and what you want to do for the 3 days you have (the day you arrive in Venice and the 2 full days before you fly to Prague). . . . museums? food and wine? churches?

Chani and others;
You've been really helpful.
Is there enough to see/do/relax in Bologna for 3 days? I know nothing about it. Venice and Bologna appear to be best choices for flying to Prague. Venice seems difficult for getting to airport. Love to see Florence; maybe another visit.

Our goal is to have 3 days of relaxing/wandering/seeing sights like museums, palaces, people watching, nice cafe's before our Prague adventure begins, which will be pretty active.
Y'all are wonderful (I've spent too much time in the south!)
Joy

I disagree with Rick. Bologna is a wonderful city. The food alone is worth a stop. When is your trip? I was in Bologna two years ago in June. They erect a very large movie screen in the Piazza Grande and show movies at night. The architecture is quite lovely, many wonderful churches to visit, and it has a great University giving the city a wonderful College town atmosphere. Also, it is a great base for a day trip one of your days.

I'd go to Florence.

Unfortunately, due to the stupidity of Tuscany's politicians, Florence doesn't have a serious airport (the runway is too short), so you would need to fly to Prague from Pisa or Bologna. Czech Airlines used to fly from FLR, but tired of the numerous cancellations every time there was a bit of wind that made the runway inoperable, they moved operations to PSA.

I think there's a shuttle bus from Florence to the Bologna airport. If that doesn't work out, you can always take the fast train, then take a shuttle bus or taxi. So if Florence is your heart's desire, go there. The historic center of Florence is compact and walkable and the train station is right there, along with hotels at every level. You can be as laid back or active as you choose.

Bologna is great for relaxing. Excellent dining opportunities, a few relatively low-key sights, and good for a day trip to see the exceptionally wonderful mosaics in Ravenna or explore a small town with fewer tourists like Ferrara. I stayed in a hotel about half-way between the historic center and the train station - 10 minute walk to either.

In comparing the two, I'd say that Bologna is quieter, with a big foreign student presence. Florence is a hugely popular tourist destination and the wide pedestrian streets can get very crowded.

As Roberto mentioned. If Florence is of interest, look for flight options out of Pisa as well.
Getting from Florence to Pisa Airport is fairly similar in terms of time you would need to do the same if staying in Venice and flying out of Venice.
An hours trip the airport should not be a deterrent to visiting a place for 3 days.

Bologna is definitely less touristy and I have also heard mixed reviews. I think I would not select nor recommend it for a first time trip to Italy for 3 nights over Venice, Florence and other common destinations, but we don't know where you have been before. It is often considered the very best town in Italy for food.

I'd vote for Florence since it's my favorite city in Italy. Recently I spent one day in Bologna and it was not enough. I'm returning in the fall and will spend more time in Bologna. Bologna is great to reach other cities via train. I'm no help on the Prague departure.

When I visited Bologna, I thought it was pretty clear why Rick doesn't put it on his list for first-time visitors. It's famous for graffiti (some interesting), the newer part of the city was not attractive architecturally, museums interesting but no single blockbuster. As another historic university town, Padua has some similar attractions, such as the old dissection theather.

Granted it was 12 years ago, but we spent 2 full days in each city and Bologna is the only one I wouldn't return to. We just loved both Venice and Florence!

A couple years ago, I took the old university tour in Bologna, with its dissection theater. A year later I took the one in Padua. I enjoyed Bologna more, both the city and the university. Diff'rent strokes. . .

I also think Bologna is a remarkable city- it's hard to take into account personal preference, but the food, sights, ambience in Bologna is amazing- it was the only Italian town (of the many I've seen) that I could see myself living in- so friendly, so intriguing. It seems like it has everything Rick Steves would love, so I'm surprised at his dismissal. To each his own.

Once again, thank you all for the really informative responses. We made a decision. When we disembark the river cruise in Venice, on Sunday, we will take the train to Florence. 3 nights in Florence.

Wednesday morning will take a train to Bologna, to catch the plane to Prague. We have a 5:30 flight so we will have a few hours to quickly visit Bologna.
What about visiting Cinque Terre one day from Florence? I could use advice on best use of that day.
Would it be worth taking the train back and forth from Florence in one day? We don't want to move to another hotel.

All of your advice was most helpful.

The only reason I went to Bologna is for the tour of the Ducati Factory. They have some other tours there, but yeah its skipable in the grand scheme of other places to go.

Wednesday morning will take a train to Bologna, to catch the plane to Prague. We have a 5:30 flight so we will have a few hours to quickly visit Bologna. What about visiting Cinque Terre one day from Florence?

In Bologna, allow enough time to check luggage and collect it. I assume you've verified that there is a luggage storeroom. And enough time to get to the airport.

The best day to visit the CT is a day when there are no cruise ships docked nearby. Someone just wrote a response (Roberto?) to another question that gave a schedule for a more efficient day trip - that involved taking a 7.38 a.m. train, from the "other" train station in Florence.

Regarding your question about a day trip from Florence to the Cinque Terre: Yes, it is very possible. However, since you are planning to return to Florence, rather than staying in the Cinque Terre, I would suggest buying a one day tour from Florence, rather than going on your own. This will enable you to see/do a lot without worrying about transportation. If you had more time, I would suggest exploring independently, but for one day, I would be more comfortable with a tour. Viator has a 13 hour day trip from Florence. You should go to the Viator website, check the itinerary, and book in advance if you decide to do this. Other companies offer these tours, but we have never been disappointed with Viator. Enjoy your trip!