Bologna to Parma
 

This is so last minute, but I decided to go with my husband to Bologna this week. He unfortunately will be working all day and I will go sightseeing on my own. I badly need a recommendation for a tour guide to visit Parma. I would be tempted to rent a vehicle
to visit small towns, but most of the cars are manuals and I only drive automatic.
Either way, don't know whether there is a better way to see the sights. Desperately need some recommendations. Thx

With trains every 20 mins or so, taking between 50 and 70 minutes, why do you need a guide?

Parma's small and flat, everywhere's within walking (or, for most Parmiggiani, cycling) distance of everywhere else and the world's bookshops are awash with decent guidebooks to Central Italy.

This guide has come well recommended to me on Slow Trav

http://www.italiandays.it/

As Flanner says take the train. You can rent a bike in town or just wander about.

Alternatively you could also take the train to Ferrara or Ravenna each of which have a day's fun in them. Mondays tend to be the day museums are shut.

What is it you want to see in Parma? Because as stated above, it's perfectly easy to just take the train then walk around. The center is about a ten minute walk from the train station. If it's just to see an historic Italian city then I think Ferrara was much better - beautiful piazzas, castle in the center of town, great architecture. And of course Ravenna is unsurpassed in terms of the mosaics. The town of Ravenna itself wasn't bad but not as interesting as Ferrara, which I really loved.

If you scroll down in this gallery past Bologna there are photos of Ferrara, Ravenna, and Parma (as well as Modena, another choice and the closest of them to Bologna - but all are easily done on your own).

Thank you all so much! I now feel as if I know in which direction I am going. Isabel, I was hoping to visit a dairy to see how parmeggiano regiano is made, also if possible go to a plant that cures prosciutto. I still don't know whether
it makes sense to go to Parma the night before or just
make a whole day of it and be on the train as early as possible. I don't have to pay for a hotel in Bologna but
if absolutely necessary I would book a hotel in Parma for one night. What do you think?

Lucky you!

if you can, get hold of the michelin green guide to Italy. it'll have potted guides to all the significant parts of Bologna, Parma, Ferrara, etc.

why not wait til you get to Parma to decide if you want to stay overnight? they'll be plenty of hotels this time of year.

buon viaggio!

No need to overnight in Parma unless, say, you are attending opera and need to be there after the last train back leaves. Emilia cities (Bologna, Modena, Reggio, Parma, Fidenza, Piacenza) are spaced at regular distances on a straight line (a case of ancient roman planning) and trains connecting them are sort of long distance suburban trains. Visiting agricultural sites like dairies will require a car but if you stick to town train is cheaper and you do not have to get concerned with parking and no access zones. There are no dairies in town but several delis shops where you can buy cheese and cured meats. Several restaurants in the center (my favourite being Rigoletto, near the opera house), a large museum, Romanic duomo and battistero.