We have just booked an apartment in Bologna for one month from late June. We intend spending a lot of time in the city checking out the food, architecture, culture etc., maybe taking a few cooking lessons etc.,. Any recommendations for sights to see and things to do in the city would be appreciated. We also intend to use Bologna as a base from which to explore other parts of the region, mostly as day trips, but perhaps with a couple of weekends away too.

First on the list is a couple of nights in Florence - enough time? Any recommendations for hotels in good locations in the < €100 price range? Not knowing the city the choices on booking.com etc. are a little bewildering!

Ravenna and Ferrara have been recommended to me and we are keen also to visit Parma and Modena. Anywhere else I should be considering? Maybe Rimini?

Venice is an obvious contender, but I have heard that it may be way too crowded in July and we may well leave that for another time. Any thoughts?

We do not intend to rent a car during our stay and plan on mostly using the rail system. Any tips on buying tickets, using the train system?

This will be our first time to Italy so any help, or suggestions will be very much appreciated.

Verona is also an easy train ride away

Addressing a few of your questions :
Florence : I find the area between the Santa Maria Novella Train Station and the Duomo to be the most "practical" - so its walking distance from the major sights as also the station when relying on trains. We've used Hotel Balcony and Hotel Paris previously (plot them on a map to orient yourself with the area) which were economical- but not under €100 - this would seem like a stretch in June.

Venice : I love Venice and I'd rather go (despite crowds) than miss seeing it altogether, especially if you haven't been before.

Trains : www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm is very useful reading. In general, trains will go on sale about 120 days in advance - with significant discounts on longer routes (e.g. Bologna-Venice or Bologna-Florence) when you buy early, while shorter routes (serviced by Regional trains) are always fixed price and never sell out. Both rail operators Trenitalia and Italo will likely service some of your intended destinations, you can buy directly on their websites or at trainline.eu -a trusted reseller with a very easy to use site that offers the same prices as the operators and consolidates schedules across both operators.

When we were in Bologna last summer we took a daytrip over to Ravenna for the mosaics. It was easy to do and maps of the various mosaic sites were available form the Ravenna tourist office. You can do it by train and simply buy the tickets from the machines in the station if you wish. You can also buy your tickets online at a THIRD site and that is Italiarail.com but be aware they levy a small surcharge. The Italo trains are run by a competing rail company with more limited coverage than Trenitalia services.

We also did one of the "Italian Days" food tours (Google it or look at it in Trip Advisor) which included the ham and cheese processes as well as the balsamic tastings and a wonderful included lunch.
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Despite being in the city during a heat wave that caused even the local folks to swelter we enjoyed the city.

The municipal tourism bureau sells tickets for various walking tours and for excursions outside the city. There Is plenty of history to explore on foot. The medieval siege towers are of particular interest -- several of them are leaning. Shop for a tour that includes a visit inside a tower. It will be a steep climb to the top but worth it for the views and for the novelty. Tourists - Bologna Welcome

The modern-art museum has a pronounced interest in the modernist art from the middle of the 20th century. The permanent collection is often joined by special exhibits.
MAMbo - Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna (Modern Art Gallery) - Bologna Welcome

I strongly endorse visiting Ravenna, and if possible staying into the early evening to enjoy the passagiata, the life around the Piazza del Popolo and the aperitivi hour with Aperol Spritz and the cocktail buffets that are complimentary with purchase of the drink. get an outside table on the Piazza and enjoy the view and the buzz of town life.

The antique centre is where you want to be, not the far less charming outer areas of the city. It is quite walkable and permits bikes and walkers only.

There's a ticket that gets you in to 5 or so of the major mosaic sites (UNESCO heritage also), most of which date from around 5th century.

If memory serves, it's about a 40 min. train ride on the regional train.

About Venice -- I agree about seeing it if you have not -- if you time your visit for late afternoon and early evening you will miss many of the cruise ship day trippers.

Verona and Vicenza are other northerly prospects, depending on your interests.

What everyone else said plus Padua and Mantua.

Photos of all these places - Zenfolio | Isabel's_View | Emilia-Romagne: and Zenfolio | Isabel's_View | The Veneto: Verona, Vicenza, Padua, Treviso, Udine, Trieste and Zenfolio | Isabel's_View | Florence

Hotel in Florence - same area described by anuj recommended - Hotel Alba Palace

Thank you all for your exceedingly helpful suggestions. Very much appreciated!
Even with a month there, it seems as though it is more a case of what to leave out rather than include! I will be looking in detail into the activities, Florence and rail transport suggestions. I am still in two minds about Venice but am leaning towards excluding on this trip as I am sure it deserves more time that we are likely to allocate. it is highly likely that we will return for a separate visit in the autumn before leaving the UK once again.