Venice where to next... Bologna or Trieste?

Trieste is a beauty: a perfectly preserved mid-nineteenth century gem. Five days is a little bit much though, and it lies in a somewhat awkward corner of Italy.
Bologna offers a wide range of possible day trips which can easily be done by train: Ravenna, Ferrara and Modena, just to mention a few.

Both great cities. If you consider travel time, Trieste to Como San Giovanni is 5-6 hours with 1-3 changes; Bologna to Como San Giovanni is closer to 2 hours with 1 change.

I think Bologna would be a better choice for you. As others have noted, there are lots of possible side trips; the train logistics are really easy; it's a shorter trip to Como. Trieste is a lovely place, and there are possible side trips, but some of them would require a car.

Thank you so much for your advice it's been a big help and Bologna it is. I appreciate any other added suggestions for our stay while in Bologna.

There are lots of day trips from Bologna. It's best to use a guide book or the internet (Frommers/destinations is very helpful) to get an idea of what each town offers and see what most appeals to you. For me, Ravenna is best, though it is the longest trip and better as an overnight because of all there is to see there.

Thank you for all your helpful information! 😊

Bologna and Trieste are OK, but we loved Ravenna, filled with Byzantine art and history.
Also, Vernoa is interesting.

I definitely suggest Bologna. I live in a town called Rimini that is about 1.5 hours from there. So may places to take day trips. i agree with everyone about Ravenna. It's lovely with its mosaics. What time of year are you travelling??
-julianne

We did a food tour that left from Bologna with Italian Days. It was a great tour and ended with a family style meal that had more food than we could eat!

http://www.italiandays.it/

My husband and I are so looking forward to our travels to Italy. Your suggestions have been wonderful! We appreciated your help in making our decision to go to Bologna this spring.
Many thanks, Debbie

Bologna is known for its food. So, enjoy. Its a university city so there are lots of young students and a busy "night scene". I loved visiting the San Petrino church. It is huge with lots of chapels and a meridian line. Neptune's fountain is also in the area of the church. We climbed one of the towers for a wonderful view of Bologna. Lots of brick archways to explore....just a wonderful city. Enjoy!

There are other options as well. Padua and Vicenza are absolutely delightful as well as being really close to Venice (20-30 minutes via the train.)

In my opinion, you could spend at least two days in Padua (Scrovegni Chapel, Basilica of St Antonio, others) and one full day in Vicenza (Teatro Olimpico, Andrea Palladio sights, others).

Verona is a little further up the rail line and you could spend at least a day there without feeling it a waste of time.

If you have a car, you are right along the southern edge of the Asiago region.

Many, many choices indeed. Good luck.