Hello Fodors friends!
Just booked tickets from Vancouver to Berlin and Bologna to Vancouver for March 16 - April 2. Our son is in school in Magdeburg, near Berlin, and it's his break. I could use some help deciding how long to spend in Berlin v. Italy, and how to map out our Italy portion.

Our initial thoughts are this:
Arrive in Berlin 3/17 (booked)
2 nights Magdeburg
5 nights Berlin
Fly to Italy (haven't booked that yet)
9 nights in Italy.
Leave Bologna 4/2 (booked)

First Q: 7 nights in Germany and 9 in Italy - does that sound like the right mix? I hear great things about Berlin and Magdeburg sounds lovely.

Second Q: Italy itinerary.

We've been to Italy many times and always enjoy ourselves thoroughly. I'm trying to decide on a mix of a road trip & a longer stay in Bologna for the excellent train connections OR 9 nights in Bologna with visits to Parma, Ferrara, Padua, Ravenna, Venice. I've been to Ravenna 4 times, DH twice. We've been to Venice and don't love it but I'd like to visit the museums there again. I'm eager to go to Ferrara, Parma and the other cities in that area. I've stayed in Bologna before (5 days) but DH hasn't been.

It's a tough choice. There are more than enough day trips from Bologna to spend 9 nights but DH loves driving and we both really liked Urbino. I was in northern Tuscany (Montepulciano and that area + the Garfagnana) for nearly two weeks with our daughter in 2013. The landscapes are stunning and I'm interested in seeing them again in the spring. We've been to Umbria too and are open to that area.

DH prefers smaller cities or towns (he's leery of that much time in Berlin). We like museums, history, walking, old towns, enjoying the lifestyle of Italy, landscapes. Our son will be with us most of the time in Italy and will be showing us around his places in Germany. He has friends in Venice and will head there at some point.

We'll be there over Easter and it seems like we may want to be settled in somewhere like Bologna for at least those two days as I assume many things will be closed.

Your thoughts and ideas are most welcome!

a nice day trip from Berlin goes to a smaller city - Lutherstadt-Wittemberg, famous for being Martin Luther's stomping grounds and where he allegedly and perhaps apocryphally nailed his demands to the church door (still there) - anyway a sweet regional town with neat cathedral (?) well large church on a hill in the town center and lots of Luther places if into that. An easy train ride from Berlin.

Dresden of course is but a few hours by rail and would make a neat place too - Florence on the Elbe as they call it. Schwerin is another neat regional town - with a famous castle on a lake in case you want alternatives to Magdeburg, which may be a gem though maybe not as much as those other three - or maybe it is cleaned up from the grimy days of the DDR when I visited it - was rather industrial then but many old East German cities not shine and no longer resemble their former grimy selves - Lutherstadt-W is like that - first time I visited was really the pits - several years later after re-unification is was shining.

Of course do not miss Potsdam and Sans Soucci Palace and park and if into a Nazi Camp Sachenhausen is just a short train or car ride north of Berlin.

My thread on Berlin to which many others contributed is a bit old but may have some things of interest - some things never change but Berlin has in the last 20 years as a brand new world capital was built in practically one fell swoop!

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...m#last-comment

Hi,

We were in Berlin for 8 nights a few summers ago (in August), broken in the middle by an 8 night stay in Rhodes, Greece, which was absolutely gorgeous, especially Rhodes Old Town and the remarkable beaches scattered throughout the island.

We loved Berlin. It is such an interesting city with so many places and sights to visit. From wonderful museums, many historical sites (some disturbing but necessary), great but imposing architecture and a fantastic central park (great for biking or walking), 7 nights in Berlin should be more than enough time to get a great feel for the city and it's people.

We also have been to Italy many times, and have visited many parts of this glorious country. On our last trip to Italy, we travelled to a part of the Emilia-Romagna region, staying 3 nights in Verona and 6 nights in Bologna, before driving to the gorgeous seaside town of Noli for 5 nights, which is on the Ligurian Coast, then travelling to Nice for 4 nights before returning home.

As we posted a few days ago in our informal "poll", Bologna is one of our favourite places in Europe. We describe it as one of the most hauntingly beautiful places we have ever seen. The wonderful food, people, architecture (including it's famous porticos) and the "twin towers" make this great city a highlight that many visitors to Italy sadly miss. Walking it's streets and alleyways in the evening is pure joy.

We took day trips to Ravenna, which was absolutely fantastic, and Parma, with it's fabulous baptistry and cathedral. We also took a half day trip to the Lamborghini factory, which is not far from Bologna, We not only visited it's museum, but also took the factory tour (it was the actual last tour of the season, so they extended it for our small group). If you have any interest in cars at all, this is a must as well.

If you have any questions, please ask away.

Andrea

We did 10 days in Berlin last summer. There was enough to see and do that we filled up the days with museums, historical sites, Holocaust Museum, coffee shops, etc. We walk a city mostly and Berlin was walk-able. We had a car, but did not use it, and parking is really hard to find. We used an AirBnB and they did not have parking. Long story that I will not go into. We booked the airbnb and it was in the red light district. I loved it but my wife, not so much.

I really enjoy both cities, and if you are interested in art and history, I think at least one more day in Berlin and possibly two would allow you to take the city at your leisure, and maybe go out of town for a day trip if you like. I'm not sure what to say about your husband's dislike for big cities, because there is no two ways about it that Berlin is the THE big capital city of Europe. But it is very orderly, not abrasive. The city is very sprawling when it comes to sites of interest -- at least for me -- so having a bit of extra time helps I think.

I'm in Bologna a lot and I consider Venice too far for a day trip, whether by train or by car. But I am confused about where you want to go in Italy. Do you want to revisit the Garfagnana and Urbino on this trip? These places are far from Bologna. (I also think the Garfagnana is not an ideal March destination.)

If you want to make Bologna your base, with a car, consider visiting Brisighella if the weather is nice and some of the Po Delta (Comacchio, with a stop by Lugo along the way). But I would park the car to visit Modena by train instead of by car (unless you also want to visit the car factories). Get to Modena proper in the morning to enjoy the beautiful covered market. And don't forget that you can take an easy day trip to Florence by train.

PalenQ - Dresden is a good idea - thanks.

AirBalloon - good feedback, thanks. Yes, Bologna is great. Glad to hear you enjoyed Parma as I plan to visit there.

Sandralist- Thanks for your thoughts on how much time to spend in Berlin. I'll think that over. My decision on Italy is whether to base ourselves in Bologna for the entire time or to split that into a road trip + Bologna. I miswrote - I'm interested in revisiting the Urbino and/or the Montepulciano area but not the Garfagnana. Although I was there in March before and loved it that time of year. While in Bologna, I don't anticipate having a car. We'd take the train: Parma, Ferrara, Padua.

jkbritt - lol. Which neighborhood was that? I'll try to avoid that...

Thanks all.

If you opt for the road trip, consider stopping by the Gola di Furlo (but research the weather in March)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furlo_Pass

Also, consider spending some time in Umbria if you have time, on your way to Montepulciano. Lots of variety there to enjoy.

I meant to add that you can visit Brisighella by train from Bologna if you end up with 9 days there and no car.

I also enjoyed Parma - a city of bicyclists almost like Holland - nice parks and just a nice low-key town not inundated by tourists but really nice.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certosa_di_Pavia

In the Parma/Bologna area is the famous awesome Certosa di Pavia - the monks here also brew up a potent concoction you can buy on the premises.

Pavia is 90 minutes from Parma if you are driving, and 2.5 hours from Bologna. If taking the train, it gets complicated, especially since the Certosa is not close to the Pavia train station.

Pavis is an easy day trip from Milan. There are so many sights of interest within close range of either Bologna or Parma (or in between them) that unless one has a particular interest in Pavia or the charter house, hard to make a rationale for including it from the Emilia-Romagna.

Thanks - looks like we'll rent a car out of Bologna for 3 days (quick trip to the Marche most likely - depends on weather) and then return the car and settle into an apartment in Bologna for 7 nights. I've narrowed our apartment search down to two and we'll decide and book this weekend.

Now onto finding a place to stay in Berlin!

Hi once more,

We stayed at the Melia Berlin Hotel, which is centrally located on Friedrichstraße, making it easy to either walk to the various sites or get on the tram system. The hotel is close to Museum Island, very clean, has a great breakfast and is reasonably priced.

Just our opinion.

Andrea

AirBalloon's hotel is in a perfect location with many sights within an easy walk and in a rather Bohemian neighborhood though being gentrified.

I stayed in Bologna last December/January for 8 (I think) nights and loved it. If you click on my name you can see my trip reports. (they are pretty brief). I stayed a couple days, then went to Venice for a few days, then back to Bologna. I took a few day trips from there. It's a major train hub.

Hi Airbaloon and PalenQ -oddly of all the hotels in Berlin that's one of just a few I was considering. It's between that hotel and an AirBnB by Schönhauser Allee.

flwrjen - I'll check out your trip report - thanks! I was in Bologna in 2008 and loved it. But I think I was only there for 3 or 4 days and glad to be going again.

If folks have a minute, I'd welcome your thoughts on my final decision on where to stay for 7 nights in Bologna.
Here:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4473077
or
here:
https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p474798vb

Both look lovely but the AirBnb is bigger and maybe brighter? It could just be the skill of the photographer. The second one has great reviews.

There will be 3 of us (and maybe 4 but unlikely.)

The first airbnb apartment says that it has its "main windows" on the via Indipendenza. This is an extremely noisy street in Bologna, due to motor traffic that includes buses and motocycles. If the bedrooms are in the back, it might not disturb your sleep, but you are likely to find that if you want to use the front rooms in the evening, you are listening to a lot of traffic until midnight. It is very convenient to getting to the train station if you are planning a lot of day trips by train.

The second apartment on the via Pratello is on a pedestrianized street that is filled with budget restaurants and bars. It's actually a fun, little known area of Bologna, but if you are visiting during a time when the university is in session and the weather is warm, you might get a lot of lively student noise until late at night especially if the windows are not double glazed. The neighborhood is also on the side of the piazza Maggiore that has fewer conventional tourist attractions (most people would stay near Santo Stefano) but in some ways that is a plus if you don't mind walking. It is less convenient for walking to the train station, but there is probably a bus right near by.