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Home bases for discovering Northern Italy.

Posted by on

Hello,

I'm interested in knowing which place, Parma or Bologna you would suggest for a good home base for 7-8 days of train travel to other areas within and @ a 2 hour train ride.
I would also love to know your recommendation for an itinerary for traveling by car in around the Piedmont area for another week. We enjoy everything about Italy, so can't really go wrong with your recommendations. (The only thing we won't be interested in would be beach/swimming or hiking)

Also, if you have a recommendation for a hotel/apartment/villa/agriturismo, I would also love to know your suggestions. It will just be my husband and myself.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give to us. Our trip will be in Sept/Oct. next year during a month in Italy. The other two weeks we are contemplating Sicily. We have been to Italy 6 times and have hit the major cities/destinations and are trying to discover some of the Northern area. It looks beautiful, and we would have anywhere up to two weeks between these two areas.
Appreciate any advice. Thanks!
Jody

Posted by
3302 posts

I would suggest Bologna as it is a rail hub and would afford you many more options than Parma for travel. I’ll be renting a car and will be traveling through part of the Piedmont in the beginning of October. if you plan a trip later than that, PM me and I’ll relate my experiences/opinions.

Posted by
11671 posts

Alba was the perfect base for us in the Piemonte. It is a short drive to the principal wine villages. Good dining.

Posted by
28436 posts

Ravenna and Padua can each be as little as 1 hour from Bologna by rail, but some trains take longer. If you want to see the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, you need to book that ahead of time; I don't think they sell day-of tickets. Ravenna with its 6 or 7 mosaic sites and lovely old town can occupy a full day. Padua is larger.

I haven't been to Ferrara, but it gets positive comments on this board and will be included on my next trip to northern Italy. It's as little as half an hour from Bologna.

Posted by
23 posts

Thanks everyone for your input and advice.
Bologna sounds like it might be the best place for a home base and Alba looks interesting as well.
I appreciate your suggestions. I'll do more research on each area. I have a lot of time, but love the planning and researching for our vacations and spend months reading and enjoy the excitement that comes with the planning.

Thanks!,
Jody

Posted by
23 posts

Thanks everyone for your input and advice.
Bologna sounds like it might be the best place for a home base and Alba looks interesting as well.
I appreciate your suggestions. I'll do more research on each area. I have a lot of time, but love the planning and researching for our vacations and spend months reading and enjoy the excitement that comes with the planning.

Thanks!,
Jody

Posted by
227 posts

My vote is Florence for your home base. We have been there twice. You can see so much in Florence and within a close circumference.

Posted by
23 posts

Hi, We’ve been to Florence 5 times and love it. We were looking for someplace different this trip. Agree, it’s a great place for train/day trips, just not this trip.
Appreciate your help though.
Jody

Posted by
23 posts

Hi, We’ve been to Florence 5 times and love it. We were looking for someplace different this trip. Agree, it’s a great place for train/day trips, just not this trip.
Appreciate your help though.
Jody

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