Loose starting plan for winter in northern Italy. Looking for help on some segments

Venice in winter is gorgeous, but make sure you're not there for carnival because then it's just overcrowded. Unless you like that. It can also happen that some museums use the winter time for renovation.
I think Dorsoduro or Cannaregio are both ok. I would always choose where I have a good Vaporetto connection and where I can easily get to the Rialto Market to buy groceries.

But my true love in winter is Lake Garda.
Almost nothing going on, a handful of tourists and just silence. Everything that the residents need is open and everything touristy is closed. You only have one Café open on the promenade of Salò but hey, that's all you need. You will see Sirmione without crowds and just be amazed. You sit by the water and it's warm enough to drink your coffee outside. In the background the snow-covered mountains and somewhere a manadrine tree on which the fruits still hanging. A lake that is fantastically beautiful anyway becomes even more beautiful without crowds.
Unfortunately I can't tell you if the boats operating, because I was there by car.

I returned this week from a month in Rome/Naples/Salerno--my first winter trip to Europe.

I've read a lot of winter-trip threads, so I was semi-prepared. My trip went well, with midday weather better than I had expected, so I anticipate doing it again (sticking to southern destinations). However, some challenges came up that I hadn't thought about:

• It was a lot chillier in the morning than in the afternoon. At the beginning of my trip (mid-February), it often didn't get up to 40F until close to noon, and it cooled off quickly in the late afternoon. So, although we hit the average high temperature quite consistently, it wasn't that warm for long at all. The late warming made me reluctant to go out early--perhaps not a problem for a Canadian!

• The top sights were no doubt less busy than in summer, but I went to a lot of secondary museums, and there were quite a few school groups visiting some of those. I suspect they may have been busier, at times, than they are in the summer. A groups of 20+ kids requires other museum visitors to detour around them.

• Cafes in less-busy museums were sometimes closed, eliminating a convenient midday food option.

• It was getting dark before 6 PM. A lot of museums in Rome, at least, stay open until 7 PM. Even before closing time it was quite dark. With restaurants usually opening for dinner at 7 PM, it was often about 8:30 when I headed back to the hotel. I imagine it's not much of an issue in the north, but the sidewalks in Rome are in very, very rough shape, and some blocks have no streetlights. Walking after dark was hazardous; I fell three times over the course of 20 days in Rome, twice at night as I stumbled over an unseen sidewalk hazard. Now, I'm an acknowledged klutz (and I tend to walk fast), but I got through last year's 3-1/2 month summer trip with no falls at all. (I had little rain on the most recent trip; that would have made paving stones more treacherous.)

• Some of my hotel bathrooms were chilly, so hot-water issues were a lot more annoying than in the summer. I suggest reading a lot of hotel reviews about winter stays and taking seriously any negative comments about hot water availability. It will be colder, and quite possibly damper, in the north. I had no issues with the heat in the sleeping area of any room; it may have helped that most of my rooms were quite small.

• It wasn't a problem because I researched opening times shortly before my trip or after it began, but there were definitely some adjustments to hours of operation during the winter. I noticed it most in churches but wouldn't be surprised if some minor museums in the north shorten their hours in the winter. It's just something to check on. One of the smaller churches in Rome had a door sign with both morning and afternoon hours, but its website correctly showed only morning hours--perhaps a seasonal change.

In terms of your itinerary, I'd recommend more than one night in Ravenna so you don't have to rush through the mosaic sites and have time for additional sightseeing. I just about covered everything in two full days (3 nights).

Padua could use more time than you'd have on a day trip from Bologna, which is an hour away via $$$ Freccia trains. I had three nights there but didn't have as much time as I wanted for wandering around.

Padua is also a much, much better base than Bologna for seeing Vicenza. Vicenza's 17 minutes from Padua via cheap regional train vs. 92 minutes from Bologna via costly Freccia.

Travel time to Verona from Bologna and Padua is about equal, but that's with a Freccia from Bologna and a regional from Padua.

Ferrara's more efficiently visited from Bologna.

Hotels in Padua are likely to be less expensive than in Bologna, so I'd spend some time in Padua to give that city a better look and take advantage of its proximity to Vicenza and Verona. It could also be a cheap base for your quick Carnival visit to Venice.

We go to Italy in the winter by preference and 40 degrees sounds warm to us, although the Veneto and Emilia-Romagna tend to be quite humid so it can feel colder. I choose our apartments very carefully and have never been cold in them.

I can see that you are working with the same kind of issues we often face in Italy, even when sticking with only one or two regions: we have 5 weeks and would love to stay in just one place, but there are nearby towns and cities that need more time than a day trip. We've been to almost every place you name in winter. So, I thought about what I would do, given what you say about where you want to go.

3 nights Milan, day trip to Bergamo (see the sculptures on Santa Maria Maggiore’s facade)

Train to Padua (about 2 hours from Milan) to stay for 2+ weeks, day trip once or twice to Venice (40 minutes by train) for Carnevale, day trips to Verona and other Veneto towns/cities. We spent 9 nights in Padua and wished we had stayed longer.

4+ weeks in Bologna but include at some point 3+ nights in Ravenna with minimal luggage (with day trips by car to Rimini, Cesenatico, and Comacchio) (I believe we rented our car in Imola, 30 minutes from Bologna then drove to Ravenna) (I suppose you could go straight from Padua to Imola —- it’s 2 hours by train, changing in Bologna)

1+ week in Venice (we’ve stayed for 2 weeks total in Venice and are planning another week in December in an apartment in Cannaregio)

If you like Romanesque church facades (one of my favorite things) be sure to see the duomo door lintels in Piacenza, Fidenza, Modena, and Ferrara and on the Parma Baptistery.

The birding opportunities in the Po Delta parks start in March, but you'd have to check on EARLY March.

@Mignon, thanks for the Lake Garda recommendation. Not sure how to get there by public transport, but it could be possible...there is at least a bus. When I was looking for an early Spring Bernina Express trip some years ago, I thought to overnight in Varenna, as there is a bus or train change there (but I need to revisit those logistics for current time) That would be Lake Como, but may offer the same quietude on a lake.
I will be in the area over Carnival, but would go for an overnight to experience the early morning and late evening costume displays. I know it will be crowded, but I also thought to be there opening weekend as there are several water activities that could be fun. I am concerned that trying to day trip in for that weekend would be an exercise in futility. I would then head back in March for a week.

@acraven, thank you for your winter experiences. They help a lot. Yes, 40 would almost feel 'balmy' to me. We are only now getting those kinds of day time temperatures. Snow is finally melting - Yeah!! But, at the same time, I doubt I will be up at the crack of dawn and wandering about. With a goodly amount of time, and I an apartment, I can have a leisurely breakfast before tackling some day wandering. In the same way, I am often in by 4:30 or 5. Day trip days will be different, but it won't be every day. I'll be sure to read the reviews. I have seen a few with current long stays. I agree cold bathroom showers are a pain. I was recently in Costa Rica in a cooler region, and with no heat in the rooms at all, showers were very short...at least the water was hot. I keep hoping the apartment photos including heated towel heaters would be a good indicator. I think, thanks to digital nomads, all apartment pricing has gone up - sometimes 100%. Padua actually isn't a whole lot cheaper than Bologna, but if I was to pick just a city of interest, Padua would win longer term. Bologna seems more convenient for trains, but if the cities on the Milan to Venice line are better from Padua, I could consider a month there and 2 weeks or less in Bologna. I have less interest in Parma or Modena, which I know would be easier from Bologna, and I have been to Florence before. That deserves a chunk of time as well, but perhaps another winter. Hmm...something to think about.

@Nancys8, thank you for giving this so much thought. It helps a lot...and makes good sense. Given your details and acraven's, I may look at Padua a month and Bologna for 2 weeks. During Covid, I had pencil planned a short Spring trip for birds and renting a car in Ferrara (as it looked like an easy in and out without the 'no car' zones. I don't know Imola, but can check that out as well. Given your time allocations, it could also put me into the Po Delta later in March; but birding this trip would be a minor deciding factor. I know I'd see them around Venice and the Islands as well. Too bad the best birding there requires hired boats. I'll double check the eBird lists as to when and what is around in March.
Alternatively, if I move Bologna before Padua, it may let me fulfil another little wish - to barge the Brenta Canal between Padua and Venice - however, I think it is closed until later March...but I can check website for dates for this year and shift them to 2024 for consideration. I do like being on boats - any boats - and what a way to be introduced to Palladian villas but the way they were intended? Sigh.
Thanks all for the thoughtful and relevant recommendations. I'll drag out a map and calendar this weekend and open up a new Excel spreadsheet (my typical planning tool).

No advice, but would love to hear about your experience.

I'll try to do that Tammy. I expect it could be a winter run away for you too, when retirement happens :-).

I don't know about the schedule for the Brenta boats, but I assume you can decently accurate info online. Keep in mind that they are pulled out of service if water levels are too low--though that seems unlikely in February-March. In a pinch, I think you can get to the villas by bus if the boats aren't running.

@acraven, this is the first weekend it runs in 2023 - Saturday, Venice to Padua, Sunday, Padua to Venice. It doesn't start daily trips until last week in March. But if my timing doesn't allow, I can certainly do it by bus.

Hi Maria,
Your plan is coming together nicely!

I went to Ravenna and Rimini last September.
Ravenna is a lovely smallish town, and maybe 3 nights would be enough in winter.
You can see all the mosaic sites in one day, two if you are a more detail-oriented observer, and there is one a short bus ride away in Classe for another part day visit.
There are lots of other sites like smaller churches, Dante’s tomb, etc.
The apartment we were in was huge, but quite cheap if you want a recommendation.
Though I think for short trips in winter, a nice warm hotel or B and B might be better.

We went to Rimini from Ravenna as a day trip.
It was the place to go from the UK for cheap package holidays back in the 70’s, so I wasn’t expecting much.
However, it has a nicely laid out central area in town, and a river .
There is an ancient Roman bridge still in use.
We did walk to the beach-y area, but found it sad and cheap looking.
The day we went, the whole centre of town was one big market, going on forever, so that was lively and lots of fun.
I love day trips by train in Italy to new towns….usually pleasantly surprised by them!

Thanks SJ, for the extra details about Ravenna and Rimini. I appreciate the verification that Rimini is more than just the beach. I agree that a hotel may be the way to go for that period of time. I guess where it fits in will be determined by where I decide to spend 4 weeks - Bologna or Padua. Decisions, Decisions.