RS Partners:
We will be in Bologna for 14 nights, the a week in Venice. We were in Venice & Florence last October. We are trying to figure out the best options with the day trips. Some of these would be full days, between the train time itself and the town visit. Milan will be a full day , as most likely will be Ravenna. Are Parma and Modena full days or should be split in half. It would make sense to possible stay overnight instead of back tracking to Bologna. This may not work for our small group, hence we will spread out the out of town days. We will scatter these out between spending time in Bologna itself. Not in any order of importance and may not get to them all. are a must see though. Are we missing any that are not on the list? TY
1. Verona
2. Padua
3. **Ravenna
4. Parma
5. Modena
6. Ferrara
7. San Marino
8. Milan
9. Treviso
Posted by
Vignola, Modena, Italy
542 posts
Each of these cities deserve a full day. If you want to visit the city itself (monuments, museums, churches...) you can do daytrips by train.
Only San Marino is not connected by train and there are less things to be visited, but you can spend a half day to visit the center of Rimini too (roman ruins, Tempio Malatestiano...). To reach San Marino train to Rimini then bus to the Republic.
Bologna is a good hub for every visit, IMHO you don't need to split your holiday in different hotels.
Posted by
OP
New Jersey
183 posts
TY Ricky, this def gives me a structure to work with. TY
Do you think Ravenna or any of these deserve a 2nd day, meaning an overnight?
Posted by
California
6 posts
Planning a similar trip - spending a day in Vicenza to see all the Palladio architecture, something to consider if you are a fan.
In Bologna last fall we did a walking food tour from Taste of Bologna - Classic Bologna Food Tour and we highly recommend it.
Sounds like a great trip!
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
1691 posts
IMHO being in Parma or Modena and not having lunch there is self-defeating.
Parma is more interesting than Modena and IMHO San Marino and Treviso are not priorities.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15777 posts
Ravenna is definitely worth an overnight, especially since it's a long train ride. My first visit was in winter (Feb) for 2 nights, about 1-1/2 full days. I managed to see all the world heritage sights and much more. There is a lot more - other churches with mosaics, Roman ruins, a very pleasant city center, everything except the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe (bus ride or bicycle) which is a must-see. My second visit was a day trip from Bologna several years later in early May. I was happy just to revisit my favorites from my first visit. There were lots and lots of tourists and lines at one or two sights. Might make most sense to plan a night or two in Ravenna on the way to Venice.
Verona has a lot to see and some sights are 10-20 minutes walk from the central areas. Allow time for the bus to/from the station as well. Best to take an early train. The Arena is best seen in late afternoon sun. Do check the calendar in advance. On days when there is an evening performance the Arena visiting hours are curtailed. Unless it's opera season when you'd have to spend the night because the performances end so late no trains are available.
Ferrara's train station is also a bus ride from the historic center, but you can see most of it in a day trip.
Milan - plan your transportation in advance. There are several train stations and metro lines.
Posted by
OP
New Jersey
183 posts
TY All for the ideas. This will be a bit of work, not complaining---it's half the fun of the trip. If you think of anything else, please let me know. Garzie!