RobynFrance

Greetings, my husband and I are planning a trip to Italy in mid to late May for 11 days. We have traveled to Italy often and for this trip we are flying in and out of Bologna and are considering not getting a car at all, although that is still open. We will spend our first 3 nights in Bologna at the Albergo delle Drapperie and the following 4 nights at the Hotel Abbazia in Venice. We will spend our last night at the Bologna airport area as we have an incredibly early flight.We have previously been to Verona twice and have spend a week at Lake Garda and visited many villages along the lake.

Would you suggest Ravenna or Padua as a place to spend more than 1 night?
We are planning to see the Palladian villas with a Brenta canal tour while in Venice. Is that better left to do from Padua and to spend all our time in Venice while we are there ?(we have been twice before briefly).
Are there other choices you would suggest for our remaining 3 days?
Has anyone used the Bologna airport previously and how much time should we allow? (We have a 7:00 AM flight to Munich)Is there a quick way to the Bologna airport from any of the "airport hotels" and are taxis readily available? (hotels seem to be on the ring road 3-6k away) All seem to have limited shuttle service which we are assuming will not go at 5:00 in the morning.
We would appreciate any hints in this regard.

Our normal approach is to try to spend at least 3 days in one location, but didn't know if that would be wise for our remaining time. Thank you in advance for giving up your tips--we are a very fit couple in our early sixties, veteran travelers who love art and architecture and seek modest lodgings and meals (no luxury prices). I speak Italian reasonably well. Many thanks and happy new year!

Robyn France

Therese

I've used the Bologna airport on numerous occasions, and it's great in every respect: new, efficient, small and easy to negotiate. There's no need to book a hotel near the airport, as it's so close to the city that you can easily catch a cab from your hotel in the city center and make an early morning flight. Your hotel can arrange for the cab the night beforehand.

There's also dedicated bus service (the Aerobus) between the airport and the city center that runs frequently, but for the two of you I'd just take a cab.

RobynFrance

Thanks so much Therese--that makes the hotel thing easier on the way back--I wasn't sure, and hate being stuck out in the sticks on the last night.

Holly_uncasdewar

I agree you should spend your last night in the city, rather than near the airport. As for the remaining 3 days, how about spending a night in Padua when you leave Venice, then 2 nights in Ravenna. That won't entail a whole lot of train travel on either day, and allow you to leisurely see the best those 2 cities have to offer without feeling too rushed. Then back to Bologna from Ravenna.

RobynFrance

Holly--is there enough to do in Ravenna for 2 nights? If so, I think the plan sounds good to go--and we can spend our last night in Bologna proper. Do you have any favorite near the station hotels in either Padua or Ravenna? Many thanks.

WallyKringen

You can see all of the mosaics sites in Ravenna in one day, but you have to start early and keep going, meaning - you have to have spent the night there. So if you go there in the afternoon, look around, have dinner and spend the night, you can get up in time to make it an intense mosaics day - well worth it. Then stay another night, or take a late train out.

Holly_uncasdewar

My suggestion of 2 nights in Ravenna is based on the idea of leaving Padua at a reasonable hour of the morning, arriving in Ravenna and checking into a hotel, and having the rest of the afternoon and the next day to see all that it has to offer at a leisurely pace. Of course you could try to fit it all into 1 day, but that wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable as taking it a little slower. The mosaics are outstanding, to put it mildly, and really aren't something you'll want to rush through from place to place.

I stayed at the Centrale Byron hotel, and wouldn't really recommend it unless you're looking for a basic 2-star hotel. I haven't stayed at this b&b, but it has a good map of the town, including the location of the train station:

http://www.gallaplacidia.it

As for Padua, the hotels near the train station aren't "right there" as far as what you'll want to see. I stayed at the Majestic Toscanelli, which is a straight shot from the train station, walkable in 15 minutes or so, or by bus.

http://www.toscanelli.com

There are also a few 3-star hotels near Sant' Antonio, which are a bit of a hike on foot, but also reachable by bus from the train station. Let me know if you want some of those links.

RobynFrance

Holly--the 2 nights in Ravenna sound good to us--I am not sure if we will do the one night in Padua or not--we plan to take the Brenta Canal cruise and see the Palladian villas and end up in Padua when we are in Venice. I don't know if we will have any extra time to see Padua then--very little I believe as it is a full day event, but I am not big on one night stays, although we may need to do that as we will have to return to Bologna for the last night. Are there any other places between Ravenna and Bologna that you particularly recommend--large or small. I don't know if Bologna itself is good for another day after the earlier stay--but that may fill the bill and we can spend our last 2 nights there. All suggestions welcome and many thanks.

Take care,
Robyn France