grsing

I'm planning on taking a train from Florence to Venice, and the cheap ones (not Eurostar) lay over in Bologna for 20 minutes, but I could easily take a later one and spend a few hours in Bologna. Is there anything worth seeing, or would I be better off hurrying to Venice (I'll have whatever's left of this travel day plus 2 more days in Venice)? Thanks!

nessundorma

By all means stay a few hours and especially eat lunch, since the city is world famous for its cuisine. Bologna is quite a different city from either Firenze or Venice, both of which are so dominated by their tourist industry, you get little feel for everyday modern Italian life. I don't know where else you are going in Italy, but Bologna is a walled medieval city at its core, and it has been a center of learning for Italy for centuries.

I would get some restaurant recommendations beforehand, arrive before noon, stow my bags, take a taxi to Piazza Maggiore and look around at the medieval surroundings. Make your way to the restaurant and enjoy the fine eats!

Catch a 3pm train to Venezia. By the time you arrive, the mobs of daytrippers will have left, and it will be a better introduction to Venice.

HowardR

I'm in total agreement with the previous poster. Bologna is one of Italy's secret gems!

grsing

Sounds good, thanks for the advice (the only other city I'm going to in Italy, BTW, is Rome, then it's off to the rest of Europe).

vetralla

Definitely a city to get to know. Young, vibrant, with over 130,000 students so lots of good, inexpensive trattorie. Dont miss the sun-marker in San Petronio. Read Grisham's new thriller "The Broker" set in Bologna before you go.

ira

Hi G,

With such a short time in Italy, I would rather spend the time in Venice, however:

From train station take Via delle Independenza (at east end of train station) south. At Via Augusto Righi go left 3 blks to Gelateria Moline, Via delle Moline 13.

Gelateria delle Moline is in the top 5 of Bologna's gelateria.

Continue South past Piazza Nettuno. See the Neptune Fountain To Piazza Maggiore. (Abt 1 mi)

Continue on Piazza Maggiori until it becomes Via Clavature (3 blks) Continue to Via Drapperie. Go left. Go 1 blk to Via Caprarie 1 and Tamburini delicatessen.

Go back to Piazza Maggiore and return to train station.

Have a nice visit.

fisches

Bologna is worthy of a couple of days. Go to the food market and feast your eyes. Be awed by the arched walkways and the lack of tourists. EAT, eat, eat and drink. Then go to Venice and marvel of how different the two are.

RufusTFirefly

It really depends on your interests, but with under 3 days in Venice, I'd skip Bologna this trip. You'll already have to make hard decisions as to which sights to omit in Venice with the limited time you have there.

Byrd

marking

franco

I totally agree with nessundorma (yep!) - in any case, your time in Venice is by no means sufficient, be it two or two and a half days - if you've never been there before, you won't get more than a first and very superficial impression (four days is the absolute minimum for first-timers in Venice). So you can as well take in Bologna to take a first and superficial impression of that marvellous city, too. (In fact, given that you have sooo little time, I'd even suggest to skip Venice and make a thorough two-and-a-half-days visit to Bologna, but I don't suppose that's what you are going to do.) Bologna is great, not only for its famous cuisine, but also for its medieval and renaissance architecture, the vibrant life in the streets, its intellectual life (the world-famous university with its many students is responsible for much of Bologna's atmosphere), its political importance (thanks again to the university, it's the stronghold of Italian leftists - "Bologna la rossa", "red" meaning socialist or communist in Europe). All in all, it's just a great, great place.

ekscrunchy

And don't forget Bologna La Grassa..for "the Fat." If you are a food-person, you can't go wrong here!

nessundorma

And I agree with franco!

There are times when I'm traveling when I know going in that I won't have time to do a place justice, so I just relax and truly enjoy and take my time with what I can. Sometimes you can't have everything, and the "all or nothing" approach for most people ends up with getting nothing. And I do think arriving in Venice later in the afternoon, rather than the lunch hour is a reasonable thing to do.

RufusTFirefly

I guess it depends on your personality and likes/dislikes, but I've never gotten much out of staying in a city for just a few hours. Pretty much just about get oriented and figure out where I might really like to go, and it's time to leave.

RufusTFirefly

That's probably a prejudice I picked up from my father's travel style--he's hyperactive, and never wanted to spend more than a day in any one place. I can still remember the first time I traveled with my parents to Italy--back in around 1960. We had a 2 hour stop in Venice; stopped long enough in Florence to take a photo of the Basilica from the car window; and one whole day in Rome.

We sure covered a lot of ground, but everything was a blur. Years of family vacations like that did have an effect on me.

grsing

I can certainly see the point of not really seeing a city in a few hours (or a few days, really), and I know this is going to be a whirlwind tour (8 cities in 31 days), but it should give a taste of a lot of different places, and I'm young enough that I'd be extremely surprised if I didn't make it back to Europe again, probably multiple times. Definitely not skipping Venice though (hostel is already booked, for one, and it's been one place I'd really love to see for a long time).

nessundorma

Well, for one thing: You get lunch!

I don't pretend to do much other than eat in most places where I'm only stopping for a few hours, but I'd rather stop somewhere with good food and a lovely piazza than (a) the stale panini bar at the train station or (b) the AutoGrille.

If I have time, I stick my head into the famous church or climb to the top of the hill to see the view, etc. If I don't, I don't.

annw

My travel style also permits stopping for a walk-around a town, especially if it means lunch, and I like the idea of the late-p.m. entry into Venice.

pep

Has anyone stayed at or seen Albergo delle Drapperie? It appears in this thread and in a New York Times piece. I just booked it but I'm concerned that it might be noisy because it is in the midst of the market area. Is it?

ucsun

two ways of thinking...i did the same thing and stopped off at bologna for half day. i figured i am passing by it and i may never have the chance again...i loved it..found the best gelato hands down.