Best city to visit between Rome and Venice
Feb 15th, 2015, 09:28 AM
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Best city to visit between Rome and Venice
We are a family of 8 adults, ages 22 to 50, traveling to the Mediterranean in late March, early April. We arrive in Rome where we will spend one night, prior to embarking on a cruise. Our cruise will include a stop in Florence/Pisa, both which we have visited before. Post cruise, we have 3 additional nights and will travel to Venice by train for the final 2 nights. We are looking to explore a new city along the way, for one night, but need something that is accessible by train. We enjoy relaxing, good food and wine and exploring. I hope that is enough information to garner suggestions by those on the board.
Feb 15th, 2015, 09:35 AM
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Feb 15th, 2015, 09:45 AM
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Bologna is neat and so is Verona - to me Verona would be more interesting for most folks but both are great - Verona has an ungodly number of historic churches, Juliet's Balcony from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (Ersatz however) and a nice riverside setting.
Or how about a day or two on Lake Garda for something different - two railheads at the southern tip of the lake and then boats take you around what many consider to be Italy's most gorgeous lake - especially the fjord-like northern tip - try local wines and hit such famous sites as Sirmione - well for something different and not a big city this could be much more relaxing - cities are inevitably a bit tiring.
Or how about a day or two on Lake Garda for something different - two railheads at the southern tip of the lake and then boats take you around what many consider to be Italy's most gorgeous lake - especially the fjord-like northern tip - try local wines and hit such famous sites as Sirmione - well for something different and not a big city this could be much more relaxing - cities are inevitably a bit tiring.
Feb 15th, 2015, 01:09 PM
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https://www.google.com/search?q=lake...=1600&bih=1075
Lake Garda - a break from mobbed heavily touristed cities! For details on getting there by train these sites should cover it: www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.
Garda dei Pescheria (sp?) is one railhead and it is very interesting in its own right.
Lake Garda - a break from mobbed heavily touristed cities! For details on getting there by train these sites should cover it: www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.
Garda dei Pescheria (sp?) is one railhead and it is very interesting in its own right.
Feb 15th, 2015, 01:26 PM
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Your group has a lot of variation in age and you all might have fun for one night in Ferrara. Coming from Rome, you will need to take a fast train to Bologna and switch -- but it is only 30 minutes after the switch. After Ferrara, you can get on the train and be in Venice in 90 minutes.
Ferrara would tick all your boxes except it does not have outstanding wine, but it has lots of nooks and crannies to explore, plus a huge honking castle. Yet the town is really compact, so one night there doesn't feel frustrating. If any in your group enjoy riding bikes, they are easy to rent in Ferrara and the town has lots of fun places to ride without getting lost. Food in Ferrara is really special but you need to read up on it before you go so you understand what to order. In springtime Ferrara has wonderful asparagus, peas and strawberries.
Verona has better wine but it is bit more complicated and time consuming to get there if you are starting from Rome. Other possibilities are Bologna for a night, maybe especially if you would like to take a cooking class and learn how to make pasta, or if you very much love the Renaissance style and wines of Tuscany, you could consider Cortona (where you would need cabs from the train station to town) or Arezzo, in particular in you love shopping for antiques. From Tuscany, you will have a longer trip to Venice with a switch in Florence.
Ferrara would tick all your boxes except it does not have outstanding wine, but it has lots of nooks and crannies to explore, plus a huge honking castle. Yet the town is really compact, so one night there doesn't feel frustrating. If any in your group enjoy riding bikes, they are easy to rent in Ferrara and the town has lots of fun places to ride without getting lost. Food in Ferrara is really special but you need to read up on it before you go so you understand what to order. In springtime Ferrara has wonderful asparagus, peas and strawberries.
Verona has better wine but it is bit more complicated and time consuming to get there if you are starting from Rome. Other possibilities are Bologna for a night, maybe especially if you would like to take a cooking class and learn how to make pasta, or if you very much love the Renaissance style and wines of Tuscany, you could consider Cortona (where you would need cabs from the train station to town) or Arezzo, in particular in you love shopping for antiques. From Tuscany, you will have a longer trip to Venice with a switch in Florence.
Feb 15th, 2015, 01:31 PM
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