My family (which includes two teenage daughters) will be travelling to Italy in November. We are planning on flying into Rome and out of Venice. I am tryng to decide where to stay in between Rome and Venice for about 4 days. I was considering Florence or Bologna. Any suggestions?

Depends on your tastes. Both have a lot to offer, but if renaissance art and architecture are the main thrust, Florence is the heavyweight. So - what's your speed?

Art and good food! A quaint not overly crowded town would be nice. Would also like easy access to nearby areas for a day trip or two.

I live in Italy and I am spending a lot of time in Bologna this year, and I have to say that I am finding myself stunned by the amount of interesting treasure and beautiful strolls to be had in Bologna, all in a largely uncrowded atmosphere. The university life of Bologna also adds to the pleasure of being there. It is the oldest university in Europe, and love of learning is truly cherished there. If either of your daughters is planning a career in medicine or history, Bologna is an inspiration, and I am not being sentimental.

That said, shopping in Bologna is practically irresistable. (And I hate to shop!) I'm not talking tourist tat and tourist markets. There is fetching Italian stuff (especially youth wear) in every window.

Bologna's 35 miles of porticoes and arcades mean that even if it is raining, you can walk around.

HOWEVER,

You should know that at least one-third of Bologna's main piazza is hidden behind scaffolding at present -- including the facade of its duomo. As DalaiLama says above, Florence is the heavyweight when it comes to monumental sights. There is nothing subtle about it. You cannot help but gasp to be finally standing in front of these iconic sights of the Renaissance.

I have spent time in Florence in November and been shocked by how few tourists were there -- and overcrowding is usually the only reason I bypass a trip to Florence. If your daughters and you are very keen on a gastronomic thrill in Italy, Florence may disappoint unless you do some very careful research about where to eat

But if you what you want out of your trip is great beauty, Florence is that. In November, if the weather is nice, consider taking the 15 minute bus trip up into the hills for a taste of new olive oil at Fattoria di Maino, and a stroll through the hills that inspired Fra Angelico and Michaelangelo.

http://www.fattoriadimaiano.com/en/

You can do this walk by yourself:

http://www.walkingintuscany.it/ourpaths.html

By the way, if your teenage daughters have very specific interests -- like music, or the twillight series -- there are other places that might interest them. Beautiful, smallish Arezzo, which is on the train line, is where the musical scale was invented. (And Bologna has fine opera and music). The Twillight series is filmed in Tuscany towns (Montepulciano and Volterra) that are not impossible to reach without a car.

Thanks for clarifying, and thanks to Zeppole.

So for you in November it's a toss-up. Fifty-fifty, possibly 60-40 in favor of Bologna because your daughter is young and it has a more casual vibe, although the Oltrarno area in Florence rivals that with its young student population.

If you lean towards Bologna, then I can only add that Bologna-to-Florence can be as quick as 37 min. by fast train, and that Bologna is a great location for daytrips to Ravenna (the mosaics - look them up and be amazed, the go see them for real!), to Parma (food!) and Reggio and Modena (Ferrari), and to Ferrara (sorry, not a pun - a gem of an underrated city mostly overlooked by tourists).

From Florence your must-see daytrips are Siena, Lucca (best done with a couple of hours for a swing-by in Pisa and a walk to the cathedral and baptistry and leaning tower), possibly San Gimignano and Volterra.

And note that there is a train from Florence to Ravenna through the mountains past Borgo San Lorenzo and Faenza, I think just once a day after 7AM for commuters, with a return in the evening. A fine slow trip where you see real Italians on their way to work from those little mountain villages you don't often get to see otherwise. So you can make a circular trip Florence-Ravenna-Bologna-Florence that way, or in the opposite direction.

Tough choice, ain't it? You come out winning no matter what you pick...

Thanks so much for all the information. You've been a great help!

Bologna may have easier connections for outings to Modena, Ravenna, etc.

I think it depends on where you want to day-trip.

I'd probably pick Florence because of the opportunity to visit a very popular place at a less popular time. Also, I'd rather by 'trapped' in Florence than Bologna on a rainy day.

I would echo exactly what Zeppole said regarding Bologna and Florence--it is comparing apples and oranges. I also stay away from Florence and am looking forward to going in November and January as day trips from Bologna when I am not besieged with American tourists (one of which I would be!).

Each day I live in Bologna, I am captured by its texture/architecture. Yesterday I was going to go to Parma for the day but decided to go another time and simply walked up a street near me I had not walked to the end of before. Along the way I passed by palazzos with doors ajar and poked my head in to find marvelous sights.

As far as bring trapped in Bologna on a rainy day, with the miles of porticoes, I have used my umbrella much less than in living in Boston or DC. So much is covered. The Friday/Saturday flea market is a pain in the rain but otherwise, much is no problem. Also, the day trips from Bologna are staggering, especially Ravenna which is a must see.

I have started liking Renaissance art more since living in Bologna and touring around but, I would still choose Bologna over Florence. It's Italy though so any choice is a good one!

I, too, am surprised by the comment about being "trapped" in Bologna on a rainy day.

Not only does Bologna have 35 km of covered streets to walk, protecting you from the rain, it also has the best transportation connections in Italy to sights of astounding interest (including Florence in 45 minutes!)

Without personally knowing the family in question, its hard to know what would be the more enjoyable experience for them personally. I do tend to think of the pleasures of Bologna as grown-up pleasures. They require patience and perspective to discover (except for out-in-the-open fun of the student quarter.. The celebrity beauty of Florence is a surefire crowd-pleaser. David is a hunk and the teenage Venus the ultimate bathing beauty. There are pink baby angels that glow with gold and huge red domes and art on the doors so you don't even have to step inside museums. Plus a big tourist market circus. (More than one, actually!)

I know kids whom I would take to Florence for the whole 4 days, feeling pretty certain Bologna would hold little interest from them. Other kids I know would have a greater sense of adventure mastering the Italian city of Bologna, and find it much more relaxing and welcoming. Some kids really respond to the awesome, on unmissable display. Others come more alive when the door is simply left open, and they take the initiative to move toward something new.

Hard to know for other people.

To each his/her own. If it's raining, I'd rather be in Florence where IMO there are more indoor things to see/do. The opportunity to be there at a less crowded time would be irresistible, but I admit I can't get enough of Florence.

As much as I love Florence - and would only visit between November and early March to avoid the tourist hordes - I found myself utterly charmed by a recent 4 day visit to Bologna.

The residents were so gracious, the markets wonderful, the university vibe a pleasure, the porticoes quite lovely, the nightlife interesting - it was truly a highlight of our trip.

This was my 18th visit to Italy and I have always included a stay in Florence in my itineraries, sometimes visiting just Florence for a 10-14 days as I never get bored of the city.

Bologna has few tourists which really adds to its appeal. While the OP's daughters would likely enjoy both and while the art in Florence is wonderful and abundant, I would vote for Bologna.

We cannot wait to return on our next visit to Italy, hopefully in 2012.

It is a tough call, especially as a first trip to either place. I spent three lovely, rainy days in Bologna last May, and was absolutely enthralled with the subdued beauty of the city. What I loved about Bologna, aside from the lack of throngs of tourists (just like me) wandering everywhere, was that I could blend into the crowds along the street, and feel like I was living there. The transporation was quite good, and I had the best cannoli I have ever had from the street market.
The rain did not halt my plans at all...we walked the 666 porticos (in warm pouring rain but were kept dry and cooled off during the walk), and climbed the tower (the only "tourists" we ran into were some very happy Italian schoolchildren out for a class trip).
Now, Florence - ahhhh. It takes your breath away, if not the view from Piazza Michelangelo, the statue of David, the boundless Renaissance art, then surely the significant number of tourists surrounding the duomo (In November this will surely diminish). There is more than enough to see in Florence for the four days your are planning. And, if teenage girls haven't changed too much since when I was one (not THAT long ago), I am sure the San Lorenzo Market will appeal to their shopping nature.
Either way, enjoy your trip - cannot wait to hear all about it!