Ferrara - not the right year?

I loved Ferrara, but I can see your point. Bologna would be an option but I'm sure you've been there and it's a larger city. On the other hand, since you're planning to spend one day in Ravenna, I think I'd just go ahead and stay in Ferrara. Or maybe someone else on the forum will have a brilliant suggestion of a spot unknown to me!

Have you done Padua? It’s a pretty place.

Hi KB, my husband & I did enjoy our time in Padova. I guess my daughter & I could take the quick 30-minute or slower 1-hour train to Padova to spend our third day in Ferrara, if there’s not enough to do. If we stay in Padova for our three nights instead of Ferrara, she loses Ravenna because it’s too far away.

Janet, what were your highlights that you remember from Ferrara?

I spent a day in Ferrara in 2019 (with those sites closed) and could see extending it to two, especially with your plan to rent bicycles. We found walking along the walls enjoyable and also found the Castle Estense fun. We wanted to visit the Archeological Museum, but ran out of time.

It would be a real shame to lose Ravenna, so I'd try to keep Ferrara to have that experience alone. Or, have you considered going all the way to Ravenna and lingering over its sites? If they don't fill three days for you, you could day trip to Rimini or even San Marino. You could spend some time in Ferrara on your way to Ravenna, too.

The cathedral in Ferrara is still closed. Palazzo dei Diamanti should be opened in September, because the 22nd will be opened the new exhibition about Madness in Art. Palazzo Schifanoia is opened since May 2021.
Anyway, you can choose Bologna as a city to stay (and train travel are easier) or Modena.

After a rushed day trip from Bologna to Ravenna in 2015, I kept learning about more sights in Ravenna, most of them mosaic-related. There's a new museum in Classe, too. There's so much in the area that I'm concerned 3 nights (which won't be much more than 2 days in my case) will be inadequate, given that I want to revisit the seven mosaic sites I saw back in 2015. This is by way of saying that you might be happy to hop over to Ravenna a second time if you can't keep busy in Ferrara (which seems unlikely).

I went to Ravenna twice. The first time I stayed 2 nights in February. In spite of cold and some rain, it was wonderful. You really need more than a day trip to see the mosaics and there are a couple other sights worth seeing as well. The town in small, attractive and has some good restaurants. The second time was in mid-May as a day trip from Bologna, and all the sights were crowded and there was a line for the bus to the Basilica of Sant Apollinare in Classe - not to be missed. Since it was a return visit, I was content to have just enough time to revisit my favorites.

If you like biking, Ravenna is a good choice. You can bike to Classe easily as well as all around Ravenna.

Jean - it was 2000 when we stayed in Ferrara. We enjoyed the Estense castle - the first one we visited that had water in the moat! One evening there was a ring set up in the piazza with a boxing match going on - something we've never seen since (now 13 trips to Italy). Boxing is not anything I'm interested in, but it was something unique to run across. We just liked the "feel" of Ferrara. That said, I would second the motion of those who suggested spending the three nights in Ravenna and saving Ferrara for when more things are open. Every one of the mosaic sites in Ravenna is well worth seeing and there are many. In 2008, we stayed at Casa Masoli B&B. It was still in Rick's book as of 2016 (the latest edition I have.) I see that we went to a concert in the Basilica S. Giovanni Battista, but I confess that I don't remember it at all! (Age takes its toll.) Happy planning!

Thank you, everyone, for your responses! I talked to my daughter today about the options mentioned to see what sounded best to her. We are going to reduce the three days at Ferrara to two and give the third day to our next location, Florence. So she still will get to experience a full day of Ferrara and a morning through mid-afternoon day trip to Ravenna.

I agree with your Ravenna comments! I stayed there two night in 2018 and enjoyed all of the mosaics, two mosaic museums and the town in general.

My daughter can only be gone from work for two weeks, so it’s always wishing we had a few extra days! ; )