Driving from Venice to Florence with a stop for lunch in Bologna

Congratulations!

Read this about driving in Italy and restrictions involved [ZTLs]; avoid leaving anything of value in a car when parked:

http://driventoit.blogspot.com/

Having a car out in the countryside is useful if not necessary, but with the ZTL issues driving is a poor means of travel between cities. See discussion concerning the luggage issue:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187893-i67-k12264539-Luggage_in_car-Tuscany.html

The safest procedure is to drive directly to a hotel and drop off bags before doing any sightseeing.

Traveling frequently between Florence and Milan I often stop in the middle leaving my car loaded with baggages (but not in full sight) in parking silos and nothing has happened so far; but luggage theft it is a legitimate concern.

My main point is that for a quick stop a small city is often much more practical than a larger one, as the ZTL area is likely smaller and parking much closer to any destination, so I would consider eating for lunch in Ferrara - a place with very distinctive local food - instead of Bologna.

Congratulations

Has anybody mentioned to you that if your driving license is not one from the EU, you are required to have an IDP before driving in Italy?

I think it romantic to visit St Anthony on the way by. There is a big ZTL nearby so be careful but I remember a little - not free - parking relatively nearby. Getting off the Autostrada can be fun near Padova because of the wall of trucks in the slow lane.

I don't know of anywhere in central Bologna to park. I've been on foot from the station. Going into Italian cities with a car is always difficult. There is a large ZTL in Bologna. I don't have anywhere to recommend for lunch - we're not foodies and eat simply. Sorry.

Where are you going to leave your luggage while you are eating?

I can't see the reason to waste time driving through the Appennini Mountains and on Bologna's ring road, but some like tunnels, trucks and viaducts during their honeymoon. Those small, strange perversions that make marriage interesting... hope it's something you share as a couple. You'll need the translation of "direttissima" and "panoramica" while driving on the A1 mountain section.

To minimize the risk of break-ins while at lunch I'd take the train from Venice Mestre (mainland station) to Padua. There is a luggage deposit in Padua and you can pick the car there. Same thing in Bologna (and Florence).

Congratulations!

Personally, I would avoid the drive and stick with going by train. In Bologna there is the excellent restaurant Trattoria di Via Serra within a quick and easy walk of the train station. It would be wise to make reservations now if you go this route. Getting to St Anthony's in Padua would also be easy as the tram has a stop at the train station and will get you very close to the church. I don't recall the name of the stop but it will show up on a map search. Both Bologna and Padua stations have luggage storage available. If you decide to drive you may want to research parking near the train stations.

Are you spending any time in Venice or are you just arriving into the airport there? Because if you are just arriving then there is yet another good reason why your plan is not great and that is driving after a long flight.

So there are four major problems: 1) driving after a long flight 2) parking in cities like Padua and Bologna 3) driving in cities with limited traffic zone (huge fine) and 4) leaving baggage in the car.

Do you have your reservations at the B&B in Florence nailed down yet? Are they able to be changed? Because a better plan might be to take the train that first day and plan to stay in either Padua or Bologna. Both cities are worth a day and an overnight. You could then leave your luggage at your hotel, even if it's too early to check in, and spend the day. The next day take another train to Florence. You would rent the car at that point. Do you know if your B&B is in the city itself or the outskirts? What are you planning to use the car for? Exploring Tuscan hill towns? Because that's the only reason you really want a car at all. You don't say what the rest of your trip is like so hard to advise as to usefulness of a car. But from Venice to Florence with stops in Padua and Bologna there is no reason for a car and lots of reasons not to have one.

I'm not sure if Padua train station has left luggage facilities. If it does then you could stop in Padua for a few hours and then on to Bologna. If not, you could spend the first day and night there and then maybe stop in Bologna the following day on the way to Florence. I think Bologna station does have left luggage but I'm not positive so you'd need to check that out. Worst case is you get there and they don't and so you just get the next train on to Florence.

Don't let people dissuade you from driving in Italy. It has THE BIG ADVANTAGE that trains just don't have: you can stop and start and detour wherever you want, whenever you want. The other advantage is that if you are more than 2 people, its usually cheaper than train. I love driving in Europe.

Parking is usually no more expensive than in an equivalent sized North American city. Just google "Padua Parking" and you will find lots of options. Many cities have a central parking authority where all are under one umbrella website with locations and rates posted.

Navigating in European cities can be a challenge, so I would definitely recommend you take a good GPS with you; either a Garmin or equivalent with the European map chip, or a smartphone with Google Maps and a data plan.

I've seen tons of debate on this site as to whether an IDP is required. Whatever the law actually is, I can tell you that in the dozens of times I've rented cars in Europe, I've driven both with and without an IDP and I've never needed to show an IDP to either police or car rental company. Basically, get it if you can, but don't stress if you don't have it.

Enjoy.

Thank you all for the quick responses and thoughtful responses!

We picked up our IDP yesterday from AAA. We will be staying in Venice, just picking up the car as we leave. The idea of us having the car was that we would be able to see some more of the countryside and provide some flexibility for the day, as well as our AirBnB being on the outskirts of Florence for the following two days.

Parking and avoiding the high fine zones were our main concerns. I'll look into Ferra as a potential alternative as our stop for lunch, thank you all!

I don’t agree with your plan at all. I would take the train. The drive from Venice to Florence is largely very boring freeway drive through a flat plain. Between Florence and Bologna then the freeway goes underground in a series of very long tunnels under the mountain, so everything you will see is mostly a lighted long hole.
You should take the train to Florence and cut the trip in less than half. If you want to make a stop in Bologna, you can stop there, put your luggage at the luggage store inside the station, visit the city and then either take another train down to Florence or even rent your car in Bologna and drive to Florence (about one hour+ drive or 35 min train journey).
There is a Hertz Office one block from the Bologna station next to the Millenn Hotel in Bologna, I sometimes rent there when I fly to Bologna. I’m sure Europcar is also nearby.

A car is a burden in Florence, so check on city busses near the AirBnb. Do you know the exact location? (Don't tell us, just asking about AirBnb puffery.)

Your lunch stop will take 3 hours minimum from the highway, not counting sightseeing. Is that good for you? Get the smallest car you can stand, for parking and city architecture reasons. There is NO GPS product in existence with the ZTL's.

Regarding the IDP question - we rented a car from Avis in October and had to provide our IDP. Besides that, for all of the money you're spending on the trip, the $20 for an IDP is cheap peace of mind.

Maybe train to Florence and pick up your car there for you countryside adventure. Stopping in Padua and Bologna would both require some hectic driving, challenging driving and ZTls. But I will say, St Anthony’s Basilica in Padua is very special. If you do go to Padua, I would have lunch near St, Anthony’s.

If you are staying in Venice then consider a side-trip to Padua (Padova) while you are there. So simple, so cheap, so easy. No worry about parking and no worry about luggage.

I'm surprised you are going all the way to the airport to pick up the car. There are cars at P. Roma, although David will mention his camera speeding ticket on the causeway, Liberty Bridge. Many others also mention tickets there. Drive the speed limit and tickets will stay away (no leeway). Same as the rest of Italy although the causeway has a relatively slow speed limit so many are tempted to exceed it.

How many other bridges have roadway, bike path, tram tracks and train tracks all in one?

Please, read very carefully Roberto's message. Nobody drives between Venice and Florence for the countryside, the flat Po River Valley is one of the most industrialized areas in Europe.

Regarding Florence, You are staying in an area built after WWII and not in the historic center built in the Renaissance because of... ? I hope the answer is not "parking" because it's your honeymoon, not the car's!

No leeway

Just for the records: since the speed limit is lower than 100 kmh on the Liberty bridge there is a leeway of 5 kms per hour. And a sign saying "speed trap ahead" before every camera.

Italy is one country where the IDP is required. Without it one is not licensed to drive, and were there to be an accident the cancellation of insurance would be possible.

Just last month we stayed in Scandicci near Florence so we could get free parking and take the tram into Florence. The tram was wonderful and our night in Scandicci was quiet, relaxing and reasonable. Driving into the countryside from there was easy. Where are you going after Florence? I may have recommendations. If you do stop in Bologna for lunch, I have several ideas.
Padua is a short train ride from Venice, so you could do an a excursion to St. Anthony’s Basilica.

"I'm not sure if Padua train station has left luggage facilities."

Yes, Deposito Bagagli.

"We will be staying in Venice, just picking up the car as we leave."

IMO Piazzale Roma is a better choice than the airport.

However I would take the train [2 hours]. Bologna is an intermediate stop on the train line to Florence.