Pregnant/traveling by myself and day trip from Venice - Ravenna?

Have you been to Padua (Padova) before? It’s just a short trip from Venice, about half an hour if memory serves. You could visit the Scrovegni chapel, St. Anthony basilica, the botanical gardens, the university (historic anatomy theatre here) and the many markets in downtown. It would easily fill a day trip.

Padua is a very good suggestion. Aside from all the specific sights already mentioned, the historic area is great for just wandering around. The Scrovegni Chapel requires a pre-purchased ticket. I believe the rule is that you must book at least one day ahead, and it's popular, so that might be cutting it a bit close.

A second possibility--a bit farther away but requiring less time than Padua--is Vicenza.

Another close by possibility is Verona.

Ravenna is a wonderful place but the several mosaic sites are not all near each other. Nothing to trouble a reasonably fit un-pregnant person to walk between them, but if you are having any trouble standing or walking by then it might be a bit much. It may be getting a bit warm too. One last thing, if you find yourself using a toilet more than usual I remember having to be careful there because they weren't the easiest to find.

If you are able to go you will likely feel rewarded by the beautiful mosaics.... but you are right - there are a few downsides.

I’d also recommend Pisa, Vicenza and Verona. They are three cities that are well worth visiting. Another option - though it is a 2 hour journey - might be Trieste and Bologna is just a little over an hour and a half away. Do a little research on what the cities have to offer and go to the one that interests you most. I don’t think you could go wrong by visiting any of them.

I am currently planning my trip to Venice followed by Ravenna this fall. Did you route through Bologna? If you select Ferarra by regionale and then to Ravenna you could cut the time on the train down but not by much. Its about 2 and a half one way. Verona was nice and a good place to walk. The train station is a light walk from the town center. If you ran into any pregnancy issues they would have better medical available given their size. Haven't been to Padua. I did like the fast train Verona to Venice. comfortable. I have traveled pregnant long time ago, Honolulu to Singapore -5 months, coach. Went fine. Frequent walks up and down the aisle.

Philip, I am sure you meant Padua, and not Pisa, correct?

Padova or Verona.

Thank you guys! It seems like I'll probably end up doing Padua instead of Ravenna. I am flying in and out of Venice (I wanted to fly into Bologna to make it easier, but the flight has too many long layovers) so I'd have to travel to whichever destination from the Venice train station. I'm pretty fit and can walk long distances but I didn't want to 'push' myself too much; I didn't want to take too much time transiting since I only have a limited time on the front end and still need to adjust to the time change/etc. One day I'll make it over to Ravenna, although with a second child coming who knows when that will be! :)

Pattybunz, yes you will get to Ravenna eventually -- I saw photos during Art Appreciation in 1962, finally got there in 2017. We based on Bologna, did a day trip to Ravenna. Hope you make it sooner than I did!!
Padua very worthwhile ( especially the Scrovegni Chapel) and a short train trip from Venice.

If you really want to see Ravenna, go to Ravenna, but spend the night. The town is peaceful and friendly, and the mosaics are stunning. We went as a overnight trip from Venice and were so glad we did.

The stressful part of train travel is getting to the train and getting on and off the train. The ride itself is relaxing. The trip to Ravenna does involve one change (at Bologna) so would be slightly more complicated that a trip to Padua or Verona, but well worth the extra effort.

I am not disregarding your concerns about your pregnancy. ( I used to teach prepared childbirth and have two children myself.) Assuming you are in good health with a normal pregnancy, with no back pain or other issues, this should not be overly tiring, or difficult. At 20 weeks you should be past that overwhelming fatigue many of us experience in the first trimester, but not yet so "big" that walking is an effort. Indeed, many women find the middle trimester to be a time of lots of energy, both physical and mental.

Check with your doctor, of course, but unless you have special considerations (which need not be mentioned) then there should be no need to forgo this opportunity. And of course f you arrive in Venice and feel overwhelmed with fatigue or jet lag, you can always change your mind.

patty,

A trip to Ravenna is certainly possible from Venice, although that would be a long day with over six hours of travel time. As I recall, the station in Bologna recently had a massive renovation and escalators and other modern conveniences make train changes relatively easy. It would be a bit of a walk from the station to the sites where the mosaics are located, but a Taxi would help with that.

As there are several mosaic sites to see in Ravenna, you might postpone that to another time when you have the time to see them properly.