We will be in Italy in a couple of weeks - After a few days in Rome we are going to Florence for 4 nights - taking a day trip to Sienna for one of our 4 nights. Then we have have 2 full days before we need to be in Venice. I am looking for a recommendation for those 2 days - it will be July - what makes sense. Should I stay in Tuscany? Should I go somewhere closer to Venice...what is special. Bolonga does not look appealing - I love food but that is all I hear about this town. And while impressive, I feel like July might be too hot to really just spend 2 days eating ;) What do you suggestion?
Posted by
Cleveland
213 posts
Maybe Ravenna?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
17960 posts
What does two full days mean? How many nights after the 4 nights in Florence?
For what I gather you won’t have a car, so, assuming those 2 full days mean 3 extra nights, you could any of the following:
1. stay 3 nights longer in Florence and take more day trips.
2. Go to Lake Garda for 3 nights, then to Venice.
3. Go to the coast in Tuscany or Liguria for 3 nights, then go to Venice.
Bologna is hot and muggy in July, maybe even worse than Florence, so going near a body of water would be my choice.
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
2078 posts
There are so many great options. You don't really list your interests but if Bologna doesn't appeal is it because of size? It is one of Italy's biggest cities.
Here are my pitches:
- Don't do Siena as a daytrip but instead spend your nights there and get to see the city early and late and really explore it. Siena is great and will easily eat a whole day and whatever partial days you have. Train or bus from Florence. Bus drops you closer to the city center but I might train back if you are then going onto Venice.
- Brescia is an under appreciated town on the Milan Venice fast train line with amazing Roman ruins (less impressive if you have just been in Rome), great museum with in situ Roman mosaic floors, great piazza after great piazza and castle on top of the hill.
- Verona is a pretty, chic, mostly pedestrian, cafe culture city in the bend of the river with a Roman arena and theater to explore.
- Modena near Bologna has a small town feel, fast car museums, great sights and real foodie culture feel.
- Ravenna has amazing mosaics and is a great place to spend a couple of nights.
- Lucca is about an 1:20 from train from Florence and is a medieval city inside the walls and is within 30 minutes of Pisa by train. Kind of the Tuscan hilltown experience but flat. Fewer blockbuster sights but a great little town.
- Ferrara is a town filled with two days of sights - including a giant castle, frescos, the oldest wine bar in Europe and a ton of things to see and do and is on the way to Venice.
Whatever you choose, have a great trip,
=Tod
Posted by
Irving
3594 posts
I would go to Padua. It's closer to Venice and you won't spend a lot of time trying to get there.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Hi. Sorry for confusion. I have 48 hours. 2 nights before Venice. Big I go to Siena I will be going south then north. Cinq terre looks amazing but long to get to and multiple changes on train for Venice. Bolonga in July looks bleak? Verona feels like big city. I am confused. Wish I planned it differently but alas.
Posted by
AZ 🌵
3641 posts
Your July trip may miss the Sienna Palio dates and it's probably too late to find a hotel. It is worth a try for one of your two extra nights if you can be in Sienna July 2 for the spectacle and pageantry.
How many nights are you staying in Venice? I'd spend the extra two nights in Venice with a day trip to Padua. Beside the major sights, you can easily spend time in the smaller museums like Fondazione Querini Stampalia, Mocenigo Palace and Museo Fortuny. Visit Murano, Burano and Torcello. You can also day trip to Treviso. Don't forget to visit the churches such as Basilica dei Frari and Chiesa di San Zaccaria.
Part of the joy of Venice is just wandering around to enjoy the uniqueness of the city. I am returning to Venice for seven nights total, two on arrival plus five before flying home, in September for my fourth visit.
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
2357 posts
Depending on how much time you already have in Venice, I would add those 2 nights to Venice. Venice is like no other! It is a fabulous city for just wandering and getting lost. Don't use Google maps. Just walk and savor the city.
I do like the recommendation of Verona. It's not a huge city; it's easily walkable; and there are some fabulous sights. To be honest, we enjoyed Verona a lot more than Bologna. If you are wine drinkers, you can take a winery tour to the Valpolicella area not far from Verona. We did this with Pagus Wine Tours.
I agree with the suggestion of going somewhere on the coast because it will be July but that might be more complicated because it might be more traveling to get to Venice. Although I think Lake Garda could be a somewhat convenient choice.
Or spend the extra 2 nights in Florence, as someone has suggested, especially since you plan a daytrip to Siena. There is so much to see and do in Florence. We spent 4 nights there last year, without daytrips, and we didn't see everything.