shellio

A visit to Ravenna to see the famous mosaics has been on our list to do during our stay in Venice the first part of May. Originally we planned to train to Ferrara, visit there, train on to Ravenna and then return to Venice. This would have involved an overnight in one of the two cities. For various reasons it would not be possible to do it at either end of our stay and thus would add hotel cost in addition to the cost of our Venice apartment.

Checking train schedules, it appears that it would take about 1.5 hours to Ferrara and then another hour to Ravenna. There is no direct train back to Venice from Ravenna so the return trip would be 2.5-3.5 hours depending on connections. Frankly, 5-6 hours in 2 days is more time than we want to spend on trains.

So the current plan is to skip Ferrara and rent a car in Venice-Mestre to drive directly to Ravenna, visit for the day and drive back, dropping the car the same evening. It appears that the coastal road SS 309 would take something over an hour with no stops, passing through the Po River Delta Regional Park and some small communities like Comacchio, which sounds like an early version of Venice on multiple islands connected by bridges.

Has anyone done this drive? It looks a lot more pleasant than a longer train trip with connections. It leaves Ferrara for another time but we do expect to be back in Emilia-Romagna again.

I'd appreciate comments from anyone familiar with the area. Thanks in advance!

iris1745

We have done this drive and it was an easy drive, but we were staying overnight in Ravenna.

If you wanted to spend a 10-12 hour day visiting, including a R/T Venice/Ravenna/Venice, it is doable.

thursdaysd

Where do you see that Mestre to Ravenna is only an hour? viamichelin says it's around two and a half. Plus you've got to add the time to get to/from Mestre from where you're staying. Still better than the train, but not that much better.

The mosaics in Ravenna are certainly worth some effort, but if you expect to be back maybe they can wait. I did them from Ferrara (twice) and recommend Ferrara.

greg

This computation assumes zero time to rent a car, zero time to return the car, zero time to gas up the car, zero time to find a parking space in Ravenna while avoing ZTL in Ravenna.

shellio

You're right thursdayad, I mistook the driving time, which Google says is 2 hours and 10 minutes from Mestre. We could also get a car from Piazzale Roma, a slightly longer drive.

Greg, you are right too, all that adds time.

Iris, having just done what turned out to be a tiring day trip from our home near SF to Sonoma and back, a 1 hour and 10 min drive each way, the prospect of a 10-12 hour day is daunting. I keep forgetting I'm not as young as I remember being.

Thanks for the reality check. I'm off to discuss with my husband the possibility of another visit to Bologna someday that would include Ferrara and Ravenna. The mosaics in Sicily will have to do for now.

sandralist

Some other things you need to consider if your husband really wants to go is that you might not be able to get a 1-day car rental out of Venice, and even if you can you might not be able to complete the trip in time to get to the car rental office before it closes, meaning you would need to drop off the car at the airport or park it overnight. Also, if you decide to do it, I would avoid the coastal road on a weekend or holiday if the weather is nice, as it can get quite clogged with traffic (been there, done that).

Rates for rooms in b&bs in Ravenna are typically very low in May. Check out what they are (booking.com) and consider going down for a night from Venice by train, even though you are already paying for an apartment in Venice.

bilboburgler

The Po delta park is a lovely visit, I have contacts there if you want to visit.

I'd still do the Ferrara visit and hire bikes to get around.

bvlenci

There's a lot to be said for having a car in Ravenna, because there are things worth seeing that are not close to the center. For example, the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe. The Mausoleum of Theodoric is also not very centrally located.

We made a day trip once to Ravenna from our home in Le Marche, by car. We were accompanied by an American guest who had never been there before. It's a drive of a bit less than two hours, so not quite as far as from Venice. We managed to see most of what we wanted to see in that single day.

shellio

Thanks for all the responses. At this point I think we will play it by ear. If we decide when in Venice that we want to go we will probably stay overnight and add Ferrara. So far the only definite day trip from Venice is to Padova to see the Scrovegni Chapel. I don't want to make this Venetian stay too active as we will follow it with two weeks driving around Sicily. There's plenty of unplanned wandering to be done in Venice itself.

annhig

shellio - I've lost track of your trip apart from the fact you're going to Sicily - how long do you have in Venice?

sandralist

While it can be nice to have a car in Ravenna, it is a short taxi ride 10kms south to Classe, and buses also run regularly. Many tourists use them, in one or both directions. While it is possible to see the core sights in Ravenna and Classe in one day, there still remains the issue of returning a rental car before the office closes which means seeing Ravenna at a rather rapid pace, unless you eat lunch on the run or arrange to drop off the car in Ravenna or Venice airport. Or: Go to Ravenna first by car and spend the night in Ferrara.

shellio

Annhig,you mean you can't keep track of my trip as well as your own?! Shocking!

We have rented an apartment in Venice for 2 weeks. For about half of that period we find that we will have friends visiting, another reason that several day trips are unlikely.

After that we fly to Sicily, starting in Siracusa and moving on to the Val di Noto, Villa Casale at Piazza Armerina, Agrigento, Selinunte and then six days in Palermo after dropping the car at the airport. This is more moving around than we typically do, which is why I have thought better of a trip to Ravenna this time.

I know that the mosaics there are superb but given the opportunity to see the mosaics in the Basilica San Marco, the ones at Villa Casale and those in Palermo and Monreale, that is probably it for this trip.

Sandralist, I agree that more time than I have available should be devoted to Ravenna and Ferrara, but that means it will be on another Italian visit. Darn, we'll have to go back AGAIN!

annhig

shellio - you know don't you that the lights are only turned on in the Basilica San Marco at certain times?

looking on TA, it appears that they may be turned on at about 11am to co-incide with the guided tours of the mosaics offered by the Basilica:

http://www.basilicasanmarco.it/infor...isite-guidate/

Apparently the calendar of guided tours in Italian and other languages is posted in the porch or lobby to the right of the main doors.

Even if you aren't interested in doing a tour, turning up when one is in progress will probably give you the best chance of seeing the mosaics illuminated.

buona fortuna!

anyway, 2 weeks in Venice - lucky you. I bet it will fly by.

shellio

Thanks so much annhig, I hadn't looked into times the mosaics are illuminated, that's very useful!

annhig

pleased to help, shellio. We got round the problem by going to the Easter Sunday service in the Basilica but that may not be possible for you, I know.

shellio

Luckily 11:00 A.M. is my kind of hour. Early mornings do not make me happy.

annhig

normally I would agree with you Shellio, but one of the nicest times in Venice is the early morning when none of the [other] tourists is about and you can see the boats delivering to their customers, removing the rubbish, or just generally going about their business.

It's also a good time to go and see the Rialto market - I think that 8am is about right, when all the stalls have been set up, and there are a few local customers, and best of all, the cafes are open so you can have your morning spremuta and cornetti, not to mention a cappuccino in peace.