A friend and I will be in Ravenna and from there want to spend :
2 nights Venice,
3 nights Emilia Romagna,
3 nights Tuscany
2nights Florence and then fly home
Except for Emilia Romagna I I have been to all these places before
What mode of transportation is best to experience each of these places ?
Where to best return the rental car ?
What towns in Emilia Romangna and Tuscany are best to visit for a less touristy experience ?
Thanks Travel Friends
JS
In Emilia-Romagna, I’ve stayed in Parma and Bologna, and taken food tours from each (Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Parma Ham/Prosciutto, Balsamic Vinegar), but Bologna’s my favorite. For a city with an historic core, it’s very walkable, and without as many blockbuster sights as, say, Rome or Florence, it doesn’t have the same touristy feel. The tourism office downtown does walking tours, and the Two Towers, a number of churches, and a handful of interesting museums provide some decent sights. The food, though, is perhaps the biggest attraction. Take train to and from Bologna, and be on-foot in town.
Tuscany has phenomenal places - Florence and Siena are Renaissance All-stars, with understandable tourism. A much less touristy part is the Etruscan Coast, in southwestern Tuscany. We’ve gone the past 2 years, in late September. Home base is Castagneto Carducci, a hilltown with lodging in or around the area. A rental car is pretty much needed, and by far the best outfit is Lu.Ma.Tos . Here’s their Website, in Italian only https://www.lumatos.it/noleggio-pulmini/ , but e-mail them and Thomas or another person will respond in English. We arrived by train in nearby Donoratico, and they met us at the tiny train station with our Renault. Dropped the car off to them at the station when we were ready to take the train out. It’s a wine region (Bolgheri is 5 miles away), plus access to the seaside, and Etruscan tombs along the coast to the south. There are also ancient small towns down twisty mountain roads (like Sassetta and Massa Marittima), and you could even catch a ferry out to Elba, if Napoleon’s exile island is of interest.
Coool
Thanks so much for your thoughtful response
In Ravenna I think a car would be helpful only in getting out to St. Apollinare in Classe, but there are both buses and trains going there, so I think the hassle of having to park the car in Ravenna would outweigh any advantages of having the vehicle.
There's rail service between Ravenna and Venice, with a transfer probably required in either Ferrara (cheaper) or Bologna. I don't know whether bus service would be any faster. A car would be useless in Venice, obviously.
There's highly efficient train service between Venice and Bologna. Most of the most often mentioned side trips from Bologna can be managed by train, I believe. I don't know what transportation will look like between Bologna and Tuscan cities/towns other than Florence; for some you might need to go through Florence.
Like Cyn, I have a passion for the Maremma area--I might return this year. But I think this is such a fast paced trip, you might look at either staying longer in some of these places and sticking to train (Emilia Romagna is especially easy with train), OR cut something and get a car in Florence if rural Tuscany is more what you are after. Consider the heat...
