Sketching out N. Italy (Appx 10 days)

Verona - between Venice and Milan - is beautiful city if you just want to wander and explore northern Italian life. It is light on sites but I would definitely send several days getting to know the various neighborhoods of the old town. It has a very cultured arts and music scene, but I don't know what would be happening March.

Bologna is the center of the Italian food culture so if you want to take a food tour and cafe culture this is strong contender. Side trips to Modena and Parma are food - again food centric - but easy on the train.

=Tod

I would suggest Bologna as the third city. We were just there for 5 nights and plan to return in March for another five. It is a very pleasant city for wandering, thanks to the covered porticos which provide shade on hot days and protection from rain in bad weather. Lots of interesting museums—- we spent two hours at the Egyptian part of the archeological museum and barely scratched the surface. Other museums we visited were a music-focused one and a showcase for local industry—-Ducatis and silk. Plus the mis-named Bagni di Mario ( not Roman baths but an impressive water-collection system from the 16th century).

https://www.bolognawelcome.com/en/places/archaeological-sites/conserva-di-valverde-en

Yes, it is a foodie town, but that makes it easy to find a nice relaxing meal. Lots of outdoor seating at cafes for lingering if you choose.

Putting Milan on the weekend makes for a bit of a challenge, but you could fly into Venice, spend 4-5 nights there, then take the direct train to Milan for the weekend. ( We took the Italo train which is fast and direct). On the following Monday, take the train down to Bologna for the rest of your time. There is an airport at Bologna, but perhaps no direct flights to Madrid. If that is the case, it is an easy trip of just over an hour by train back to Milano Centrale from which you can easily reach either of Milan’s airports. Linate would be closer if you find flights toMilan out of there.

We visited Ravenna and Padova and Milan last month. Ravenna is a great stop if you are interested in art or church history. Padova is a great stop again for religious art, as well as the 800 YO University of Padova.

We spent 2.5 months in Northern Italy this past summer, and ended up spending a few nights in Padua (Padova in Italian) and LOVED IT. It's a quick and easy train from Venice Mestre station (15-30 minutes, depending on train). The Scrovegni chapel is incredible (make sure to reserve tickets ahead of time), and we quite enjoyed the markets and overall feel of the city. St. Anthony's cathedral is awe-inspiring as well.

Although we also like to travel at a relaxed pace (hence the months-long stay haha), so I don't think you can go wrong with just a Milan/Venice combo either!

Entry into Scrovegni Chapel is easy to do off-season. We arrived in Padova on the train 09/18, and went to the TI in the station. We scheduled Scrovegni for 9 AM the next day. We could have walked up to the on-site ticket booth in the Chapel complex and entered immediately. During the summer, getting tickets ahead is smart, but not during Shoulder Season.

Thanks all! This has been enough seed info to give me the confidence to book my international flights. I'll continue to plan/overthink the details and probably either keep it two stops with day trips or pop down to Oscar Mayer's ancestral home. (Turns out there are direct flights from Bologna to MAD.)