I´m planning our first trip to Italy for November 2018. Anticipating cold weather, this is an art trip, with time planned in Rome, Venice and Florence. I want to see the mosaics in Ravenna as a day trip by leaving Venice in the early morning by train, leaving our luggage in Bologna, grabbing a snack there and trying to get to Ravenna by 10 am when the sites open. The plan would be to see mosaics until the sites close at 5 pm, eating dinner, then returning to Bologna for our bags and traveling on to Florence. I´m thinking of allowing an hour between trains to check and collect bags. The only plan for Florence that day would be to find our hotel and maybe go out for a drink. Unrealistic? Better to plan on staying in Bologna the night before and the night after?
Posted by
California 🦋
5301 posts
Monta,
Why not plan to stay those two nights in Ravenna instead of Bologna?
We spent one night in Ravenna and wished we'd have had more time there.
Enjoy the planning process!
Posted by
Laval, Québec, Canada
336 posts
That seems a lot indeed.
I'd stay probably in Bologna.
You'll be fine with a day for the 5-6 churches of Ravenna, which are unbelievable, you'll enjoy those very much if you are into art and history.
We didn't see the one just outside the city and decide to finish the day in San Marino. Spectacular views. This was quite a day. Returned to Bologna to our hotel, but we had a car
Posted by
Northeast Ohio, USA
707 posts
I also recommend staying in Ravenna--a beautiful, very walkable town, with relatively few tourists. We stayed at this centrally-located hotel in May, and liked it a lot: Hotel Centrale Byron, Via 4 November 14.
The mosaics are amazing. Staying in Ravenna would free up time to take the bus to St. Apollinaire in Classe, which is 20 minutes or so outside of town.
Posted by
Reno, Nevada
1025 posts
Ravenna is wonderful. My biggest regret is that we only gave it one afternoon and one night to visit. Great restaurants, and a delightfully easy place to walk around in.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Hotel Centrale Byron is my favorite in Ravenna! Very good restaurant next door (or a door or two further), Bella Venezia.
I think you will be just as happy in Ravenna as in Bologna, it's a very nice place to slow down a bit. The mosaics are beautiful, it's in the same region as Bologna, so the food is great.
Posted by
Tigard, OR, USA
1068 posts
We stayed in Ravenna one night (but would have enjoyed more!) We went to Ravenna early (before noon) saw most of the mosiacs, had dinner, stayed in a B&B, then saw the last church we wanted to visit (the one closest to the train station.) All to brief a time in a beautiful place, but (IMHO) makes it easier that getting there from Bologne, then traveling back to Bologne and onward. In any event, hope you enjoy the mosiacs.
Posted by
California
790 posts
We stayed 3 nights in Ravenna and loved every minute. After visiting the mosaics during the day, we enjoyed "aperitivos" in Piazza del Popolo, wonderful restaurants for dinner and a concert in Basillica di San Vitale in the evening. Be sure to buy the 11.5 euro combo-ticket to visit the 5 main mosaic sites.
Remember, in November you will have less daytime hours than in the summer so plan accordingly. In my opinion, the amount of train travel and limited time in Ravenna seems unrealistic. Plus, be sure to take into consideration unexpected delays such as transportation strikes. (We had a 1 hour train delay from Bologna to Venice this past June.)
Consider spending at least 1 night in Ravenna so you can experience the mosaics and absorb the charm of the city.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10747 posts
Unless there's a new high-speed train since we were there two years ago, Bologna to Ravenna is 2.5 hours each way.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
I don't know what trains Bets is talking about, but there are loads of trains between Bologna and Ravenna that take 1.5 hrs or less (including one Regionale at 12:52 that takes only 59 minutes).
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10747 posts
My bad. It must have been 1.5 hours, not 2.5, but it's long for a day trip.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15798 posts
If you have the nights available, then stay in Ravenna for one or two nights. It's a lovely little town, very walkable, and you'll have time to see much more than 3-4 of the mosaic sights. Speaking from experience, I can say that rain will not affect your enjoyment. Take a look at Palazzo Galletti Abbiosi. It's a great location, just a 5-7 minute walk from the train station, walking distance to all the sights in town, lovely old building, and off-season rates were very affordable when I visited a few years ago. If you leave Venice early, then take a late afternoon train to Florence after a one-night stay, that will give you just enough time. If you can manage 2 nights, even better.
If you are tight on time, your day trip plan is doable.
Posted by
OP
Tucson, AZ, USA
8 posts
Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts. My biggest concern is what to do with our luggage if we arrive in Ravenna before we can check into our hotel room. Bologna train station has a luggage check, but, from what I can find, Ravenna does not. Now I´m thinking of checking the suitcases in Bologna en route to Ravenna, enjoying the mosaics and returning to Bologna after dinner in Ravenna and staying overnight close to the train station in Bologna so that there isn´t a need to rush around at the end of the day to claim bags in Bologna, take a train to Florence and get checked into a hotel, having left Venice early in the am the same day. From what I can tell, there is also a luggage check in the Florence train station and, if we arrive before we can check into our hotel, there are quite a few major sites near the train station we can see after checking our bags.
Posted by
Tigard, OR, USA
1068 posts
Regarding checking luggage, as I recall we arrived in Ravenna before our "check in" time. The B&B let us leave our luggage there while we hit the sights. Additionally, it was nice visiting the sights after we had checked in with the B&B and knowing exactly where it was.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
"My biggest concern is what to do with our luggage if we arrive in Ravenna before we can check into our hotel room."
I have never encountered a hotel that would not hold my bags if the room was not ready, or that would not hold luggage for the day if I had to check out early. Only a few even charge for this; the vast majority do it for free.
Note that this only applies to hotels. If you're staying in apartments, it can indeed be impossible to leave luggage before the check in time.
So, assuming you're staying in a hotel, you just go there right from the Ravenna train station. If the room is ready, bring your luggage to the room; if it is not, remove the necessary items like umbrellas or maps, and ask them to hold the rest for you. If I'm arriving early, I do make sure I'm ready to quickly remove anything I need for the day.
Posted by
Tigard, OR, USA
1068 posts
I have never encountered a hotel that would not hold my bags if the room was not ready, or that would not hold luggage for the day if I had to check out early.
I have, mostly in London. However most hotels are accommodating. An e-mail would likely clarify the situation.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
I would also urge an overnight stay in Ravenna.
Some idea of current train timings ...
FA 8419
Dep 09:25 VENEZIA S. LUCIA (Italy)
Arr 10:50 BOLOGNA CENTRALE (Italy)
RE 3001
Dep 11:06 BOLOGNA CENTRALE (Italy)
Arr 12:27 RAVENNA (Italy)
RE 6432
Dep 14:09 RAVENNA (Italy)
Arr 15:08 BOLOGNA CENTRALE (Italy)
FR 9537
Dep 15:25 BOLOGNA CENTRALE (Italy)
Arr 15:59 FIRENZE S.M.N. (Italy)