Best Northern city for home base

Padua has a tram line running through the center of the city giving access to the train station. Padua train station is not the most desirable area of the city, but with the tram you can stay in the historic center or south of there and get to the train station easily.

I would use Florence as a base and skip Bologna (not impressed much there).

Also, for farther north, don't miss Ravenna.

We are planning to visit Umbria: Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto, Spoleto and more.

Great thank you! I noticed this when we went last year that the trains are so nice and convenient but often the stations are the complete opposite.

We love Florence the only reason we stay in Bologna is the airport is easier, it’s less crowded and hotels can be cheaper. I had Ravenna on my list but from what I found it’s mostly churches and Byzantine mosaics which we would love to see but their a dime a dozen in Italy.

I also agree that Padova makes a great base with convenient rail service to the places you want to visit. Stayed at the often recommended Hotel Al Santo (great restaurant - try bigoli , the local pasta specialty) near the Basilica but the tram made it easy and quick to get to the train station. If you are visiting the Palladian villas outside Vicenza, make sure you visit on days when they are open and plan your visit based on time of day they are open. We got off the train in the AM, and took a cab directly to Villa Valmarana and walked to La Rotonda. Then took a cab back to town to Teatro Olimpico. Great small city. For a unique dining experience with the locals, eat at the reasonably priced Righetti in the Piazza Del Duomo.

Do not discount the mosaics in Ravenna. There is nothing, nothing else like them in Italy. My personal choice would be to visit Parma instead of Modena. Sad that you only have a day for Florence. I’d recommend a 3 day minimum. I’ve visited Florence on three occasions. First thing me for two nights, next two trips 7 nights each. Still more to see there!

Two wonderful areas of Italy!

Thank you for the great feedback, we’re only one day in Florence becuase we’ve been there before and want to spend more time hitting the smaller cities and finding some small towns like you mentioned.

Vicenza would be my suggestion - Hotel Campo Marzo is a 5 minute walk from the train station. You could easily reach Venice, Verona, Treviso and Padova. Vicenza is a charming small city. I’m a bit partial because I lived there for a few years!

I really enjoyed my stay in Bologna. We stayed in an Airbnb close to Piazza Maggori. It was a 1/2 hour hike to the train station, but there are buses too. The historical center is very scenic with wonderful sites and food. Bologna is only about an hour train ride to Florence and less than an hour to Modena. I know other posts have suggested Bologna hotels they’ve liked.

You are wrong about Ravenna. The churches almost completely intact and mosaics are absolutely stunning and look as good as they must have 1500 years ago. There are none like them anywhere else. While you'll see a lot of churches in Italy from the 14th-16th centuries and later, to see anything like Ravenna's, you need to go to Georgia and Armenia. It is a charming town as well, so worth spending 1 or 2 nights there.

Actually Bologna is the best place for a base. It's about a 15 minute walk from the old town center (cathedral) to the train station and Bologna is a major rail hub, making it easy to get a nice hotel, walk to the station to daytrip, and have the option of eating dinner before or after returning to Bologna - which has lots of restaurant options. The only other town I've been to where there are nice hotels that are walking distance to the train station is Florence.

Of your five northern targets I have only been to Padua and Vicenza, but I've also been to Ravenna.

I agree that Padua is a really good base if you can find a suitable hotel on the tram line. It has a lot of sights, plus a large historic district that would give you somewhere to stroll in the evening. If you want to see the Scrovegni Chapel you must buy a ticket in advance. They do not sell day-of-visit tickets.

I liked Vicenza and have recommended it on this forum, but it feels quite a bit smaller. Unless you are such fans of Palladio that being able to see his work every evening is of great value to you, I would prefer to stay in Padua. I think you would run out of evening activities in Vicenza much faster.

Ravenna has a very pretty historic center in addition to the seven magnificent mosaic sites. It is shockingly under-touristed (probably due to its location). I would choose it over Vicenza as one of your day-trips without hesitation, assuming you are not Palladio junkies. I should note that I am not at all religious, and I found the mosaics jaw-droppingly gorgeous. The very pretty historic architecture is icing in the cake. And not to be surrounded by tons of foreign tourists...

Edited to add: I don't mean to imply that Vicenza is touristy. It was not on the occasion of my visit.

Several years ago we stayed at the Hotel Al Cason in Padua. A quick glance at current reviews are still positive. It is within very easy walking of the train station and near (as I recall) to tram or bus into city center. Family run, breakfast included, nice restaurant for dinner if desired (very convenient after day long day trips) and the nicest people you could ask for. We visited Venice, Verona, and Vicenza as day trips and several sights in Padua. Frequent connections all day, short journeys. Easy easy. We spent a month in Italy on that trip and honestly the kindness with which we were treated at the Al Cason remains one of my happiest memories of that entire trip. Safe travels.

We loved the hotel Al Santo in Padua. As Philip mentioned, it's right on the tram line, and an easy walk to many of the major sights in town.

We're thinking of spending 3 or 4 nights in Bologna next year; I'm still toying with the itinerary. We're going to have about 10 days or so after our South Italy tour, and I'm thinking 3 nights in Naples, 3 nights in Sienna, 3 or 4 nights in Bologna. I just ran out of time, didn't I? Still thinking about Parma, Ravenna, Assisi... We've been to Ravenna and Assisi, but only for part of a day each on the Village Italy tour.

Luckily, I have a lot of time to work our an itinerary. Our trip isn't until next June.