monicapileggi

Greetings fellow fodorites. I'm considering a trip to Italy next May, as my cruise is being cancelled

My thoughts are to hit Venice first for 4 nights (my favorite city!) then take the train to Bologna for about 5-6 nights and do day trips (such as Modena, Parma and Ravenna). However, been reading a little on Bologna and it sounds like an expensive city, as far as restaurants go. Hotels seem pricy too. I prefer to travel on a budget (2-3 star hotels and smaller types of restaurants, trattorias, etc).

So I’m wondering if I should base myself in Florence, where I know I can find some inexpensive/budget 2-star hotels (I was there May 2004).

Will it be easy to get to Modena, Parma and Ravenna from Florence or should I bite the bullet and stay in Bologna? Since I’m going alone, I would prefer to travel via train and not mess with a rental car. And I might do a day trip to Siena to see some friends for the day/evening.

Your comments and suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks!

Monica

ira

Hi M,

I don't think that Bologna is more expensive than Florence.

Have you checked www.venere.com for hotels?

monicapileggi

Hi Ira,

Thanks for your comment. No, I haven't started looking at Venere yet. Been on TripAdvisor. I also should look at Slowtrav.

Thanks,

Monica

Michael

My report on northern Italy covers Bologna and Ravenna:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34607146

As for cheap eating, our host in the B&B gave us some good recommendations for less expensive meals.

dina4

Have you been to both cities?
I prefer Florence, although I haven't spent as much time in Bologna.
Florence, however, is a very expensive city, too.

monicapileggi

Thanks Michael for the link to your report!

I have never been to Bologna, but have always wanted to go there. I've been to Florence. I think I'll go ahead select Bologna for a base for several days; then Florence for a couple/few nights; maybe Siena for a few nights too.

Thanks,

Monica

dcdee

My wife and I were in Bologna for two nights in early Oct. and stayed at the Albergo delle Drapperie for 75E per night double. It is a 2 or maybe 3 star small hotel near Piazza Maggiore on an alley occupied primarily by small produce, fish and meat markets. The hotel reopened within the last year or two after remodeling. The room was decent size, bathroom with all new fixtures and skylight, and had a double glazed window (although it didn't help us because they had turned the A/C off for the season the day before we arrived and we had to leave the window open because it was still rather warm).

The website for the hotel is www.albergodrapperie.com.

At the corner of Via Drapperie is Tamburini's, a terrific delicatessan that has excellent prepared dishes in a buffet line at very reasonable prices.

We had good dinners at two restaurants within a block or so of the hotel--Il Ristorante da Carlo (salad/soup, entree with sides and a bottle of local wine for 52E) and Da Gianni, one of the best meals we had in 2 1/2 weeks in Italy-- starters, entrees, side, desserts and a bottle of local white wine and apertifs with great service for 75E.

There are many other dining options nearby, including a number which would be less expensive than these two restaurants.

During our visit to Florence we ate all of our dinners at Pensione Bencista so I can't compare prices on that basis but I would be very surprised if dining in Bologna is more expensive than Florence.

monicapileggi

Thanks dcdee for the detailed information! The place sounds great, especially the location. I just looked at their web site and will add them to my growing hotel list. Will email them today. I don't think I'll be in Bologna during any fair or event.

Monica

flanneruk

Bologna lacks the charm of Florence (on the rare occasions half the population of Northern Europe and Japan isn't standing between you and the charm of Florence), and its spectacular art resources (but then so does everywher else in the world).

Bologna is renowned in Italy for its food. It also has a strong bourgeois culture: Bolognesi expect to pay for good food, and there isn't much of a "here's our deal of the day" attitude among restaurateurs.

It's also a great deal handier for train trips than Florence to the places you mention. About 20 mins to Modena, and reasonably frequent, no-change trains to Ravenna (which is a 3-hour shlep each way from Florence).

Bologna looks a bit forbidding on the streets (mostly because, from the outside, its cathedral is pretty hideous). It repays a bit of effort to get to know better.

In terms of things like decent public transport and the outside chance a recent graduate might actually get a job, it's close to being the best city in Italy to live in. But, except for its restaurants and as a base for the rest of Emilia-Romagna, don't expect too much of its (alrightish) tourist attractions.

monicapileggi

Hi Flanneruk,

I appreciate your comments. I do want to use Bologna mainly as a home base for my day trips. I thought of Florence but as you stated, Bologna is more convenient. I also want to enjoy the food there. I have never been to any of the towns I listed, so I think it will be a good trip.

I'm going to spend 4 nights in Florence before heading to Bologna and will go to Venice at the end of the trip, 4 nights as well.

Thanks!

Monica

Holly_uncasdewar

The E-R towns you want to visit are certainly closer to Bologna than Florence, and it only makes sense to stay in Bologna for that reason. Well, also for the reason that Bologna is a great city to spend a day in its own right. Being a business-traveler town much more so than a tourist town, there are not a lot of budget accommodations in Bologna. But you may see big discounts for hotels on weekends. If the sites you want to visit in the E-R towns are open on weekends, then you should plan your stay for a weekend, with perhaps a discount for a 3 night stay. Good luck with your planning.

As for hotels in particular, I've only stayed at the Roma, and loved it, but the Drapperie looks lovely and is well located.

DejaVu

I've used Bologna as exactly that, a base for daytripping, and it worked very well. Because it's not a touristy city, you really get a taste of Italian urban life. I stayed in the Albergo Centrale, which is a nice, clean budget establishment right in the center of town. I also ate at Ristorante da Carlo (recommended above) and enjoyed it. As for the other places I ate at, I'm sorry to say, I do not remember their names. I just strolled down the street and picked places that looked good and had plenty of locals eating inside. I never had a bad meal though.

Bologna does have some nice museums. The archaeological museum has a nice collection, although the displays (with the exception of the newly refurbished Egyptian galleries) could use renovating. The Pinacotheca Nazionale in the university district has a nice collection of paintings by Bolognese and other artists. The univ. district is fun for walking around and people-watching, given all the students.

You will want to take an Italian phrase book with you if you do not speak the language, as English is not as heavily spoken in Bologna as it is in Florence and more touristy cities. Just in case. I didn't have any trouble myself, but I speak Italian well enough to get around and make myself understood, so I relied on that. My taxi drivers spoke no English, I recall.

You mentioned Ravenna; I did Ravenna as a daytrip from Bologna and that was easy-peasy. I went to Ferrara as well, and that was a nice day too.

Eloise

In Bologna, do not miss the San Stefano complex of a number of very old churches.

freiamaya

Hi there!
Either city is fine for a home base. The Trenitalia system is FANTASTIC, so if you stay in Bologna, you can definitely daytrip to Firenze (about 1.5 hrs by train -- maybe a little less!). Keep in mind that if you base yourself in Firenze, you can day trip to Bologna, and also to Rome.
You can research the train lines through www.trenitalia.com. This website lists all the train schedules, including times of travel, so you can get an idea of travel times from Bologna/Firenze to your desired destinations.
Also, there is a great website called www.hostelworld.com which lists TONS of budget hotels, along with impartial reviews provided by people who have stayed there. You can book these hotels over the net, and I have used this service LOTS and have never had a problem. They have listings for Bologna, Firenze, Venezia, Roma, etc., and I have been extremely happy with their service.
FINALLY, I just got back from a weekend visit to Venice (I am living in Firenze now) and stayed at a hotel called the San Lio Tourist Guesthouse. Incredibly CLEAN, incredibly located (literally steps from the Rialto Bridge), quiet, safe, and UNBELIEVABLY inexpensive (it has an 84% satisfaction rating from people who have stayed there). You can find this at www.hostelworld.com.
Hope this helps, and hope that you enjoy your trip!

monicapileggi

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. I can't wait to go!! Tomorrow I'll start emailing some of the hotels and see what I can book.

Will need to contact the tourist offices to get maps, etc.

6 months and counting!

Monica

PS: I'll have to prepare another message and see about getting a Fodorite get together in Bologna or Florence or Venice!

rechercherry

i did this same thing last year with bolonga as my "base" city because i had a friend living there. the food was amazing and i didn't find it any more expensive than florence, milan, or venice. day trips from bologna were quite easy as well- i took the train to siena which was quick and easy.
also, i think the nightlife in bologna is much nicer than florence. so if you ever just wanted to get a drink at a local bar, bologna would be better.
have a great time!

monicapileggi

Thanks rechercherry for your comments. I booked my hotel yesterday, Hotel University, which I understand is in a good location.

Would you have any restaurant recommendations? I haven't begun my research yet on restaurants.

Monica