If you have one day which of the three would you visit and stay overnight in? We've got a cruise in late May that will finish up in the port of Ravenna on a Sunday, so we'll have that day assuming we can still see some things until we fly out the following day on Monday. Flying out Tuesday instead of Monday is also an option, if a proper full day is better.
If I throw Florence or Lake Como as other options, are those better than the initial 3? I know Lake Como would be 4 hours by train so i know that would just eat up a lot of time but it's a place i definitely want to see.
Any other places near Ravenna that can be good options that I have not mentioned? We've seen Rome, Venice, Milan, most of the Ligurian Coast.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
8843 posts
Where are you flying out from?
You would want to be in that city the night before your flight.
If you have just 2 nights/1.5 days I would visit Ravenna. Lovely town, amazing mosaics
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Planning to book our return flight out of Bologna but we could also do Florence or any other airport really. I'm trying to avoid booking out of Rome because the flights are a lot more expensive.
Posted by
Phoenix, Arizona
82 posts
Bologna is my favorite city in the world (the food, the atmosphere, the location near so many other great places), but for just one day I would have to go with Ravenna. The 6th century mosaics are simply incredible. And you can see them all in one day with just a little planning. San Marino seemed a bit touristy to me, but many people love it.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
3856 posts
Bologna, Padua, Brescia would all be interesting for a day or two. San Marino has been described by some as overrun with souvenir shops and tourists binging on tax-free shopping!
Posted by
Switzerland
85 posts
Not to mention San Marino is a bit out of the way with jason21’s next plans, and it's also trickier to organize from a logistics point of view.
I'd visit Ravenna on Sunday and then spend the night in Bologna.
Posted by
NYC
66 posts
I stayed in Bologna and ventured to
Ravenna for a mosaics tour with a guide.
That was the most efficient and helpful was to see them
The train ride between the cities was 75 minutes.
Bologna has good for.a free Greeter walk, food, and walking under the porticos.
You can also take a Greeter walk in Ravenna, but I didn’t.
Both cities are lovely so you can’t go wrong.
I dream of basing a future trip in Bologna and using trains to see 6 other cities.
Posted by
45 posts
I need more information before I recommend Ravenna or Bologna. Please answer my questions below.
Note: San Marino, Florence, and Lake Como are not practical choices.
At what time on Sunday is your final disembarkment from the cruise ship in Ravenna?
Would your departure flight leave Bologna in the morning, afternoon, or evening on Monday or Tuesday?
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15946 posts
It depends on what interests you.
I love mosaics and the mosaics in Ravenna are the most beautiful I've seen and there are so many of them. They are in intact 5th-6th century brick churches and are absolutely stunning.
Bologna doesn't attract as many tourists, so it may be less crowded. It doesn't have "level 1" sights, but it's worth exploring.
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
2179 posts
I agree with Chani that it all depends on what interests you. We spent 3 nights in Bologna and that included a daytrip to Ravenna to see the mosaics. Our favorite sight in Bologna is the Basilica de Santo Stefano, a complex of seven very old and very interesting churches. This is a significant religious site in Bologna located in Piazza Santo Stefano. We enjoyed walking around Bologna especially under the porticoes. Piazza Maggiore is another interesting plaza with a church. We had some delicious meals in Bologna, too. And there is a little tourist train you can take.
I loved the mosaics in Ravenna, but to be honest, my husband got bored after seeing 2 of the churches. There are 6 or 7 sights on this route, including a museum. My husband thought it was mosaic overload. You may be different. It really does depend on your interests.
If it were me, I would choose Bologna which I think is more interesting. And if you can fly home on Tuesday instead of Monday, that would be better.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
@palmisanojm
1. Our ship is docking at 6 AM, so I expect us to be fully off the ship by 9 AM.
2. We'd be flying out late morning or early afternoon based on the schedules being offered. It's not officially booked so if the entirety of Sunday is enough, then we'll fly Monday. If it's truly worth it to also include the full day of Monday, then flying Tuesday can be an option.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thanks @kmkwoo. i'm thinking we'll probably just stay till Monday night and fly out Tuesday. I can see myself being like your husband and getting bored of mosaic overload
Posted by
OP
5 posts
I'm crossing off San Marino as an option. From the responses I'm getting it sounds like it's not worth to go to compared to some other options. Brescia and Padua look really nice but I'm afraid it's too far to travel to with the time we have.
Posted by
45 posts
Okay, jason21. Based on your answers and the peace of mind of being in your departure city the prior night:
If your departure flight is Monday, head straight to Bologna on Sunday. Why? You have to factor travel time to:
- Ravenna station
- Bologna
- Bologna station to your hotel (Taxi waits can be long.)
- Hotel check-in
- Lunch and dinner (Bologna is a foodie dreamscape! Do make dinner reservation.)
- Limited Bologna sights or piazza leisure with spritzes
- Hotel check out following morning
- Bologna airport
If your departure flight is Tuesday, visit beautiful, historical mosaic sites in Ravenna on Sunday, after traveling to the city center and checking in at your hotel for luggage drop off. (kmkwoo: With binoculars in hand, I can't imagine growing bored of them.) Next day, head to Bologna with my bulleted list above in mind.
Bologna is an underrated destination, and exploring it in-depth deserves more time than you have. Think travel practicalities and save it for your next trip. :)
Oh, and you're correct. Brescia and Padova are not practical choices.