dac

We have been to Italy several times but I am at a loss in planning this trip.
We would like to see Ravello and Positano again so I am thinking of flying into Rome(limited since I am using FF) Then driving to Bologna as a base and taking day trips to Ravenna, Ferrara, Parma., Verona. All cities we have never been to. FYI we have been to Tuscany and Piedmont and all major cities.
I would like to throw a lake into the trip. Have been to Bellagio several times so any suggestions for a different lake? We will have a car but wondering if I will need once we get to Bologna. Also is there a quaint town to overnight on drive from Positano to Bologna. We will be flying out of Bologna.

Open to any suggestions as I am at a loss! Thanks for any help or suggestions or criticism.

annhig

sorry, dac, I'm a bit confused. Are you essentially talking about a 2 centre trip - one based around Bologna and the other in Positano/Ravenna?

Even with FF flights is it not possible to do an open jaw? into Venice [or Milan] and out of Naples would work for this trip.

And how long do you have? I think you will need at least a week for the Bologna section with all those day trips [best done by train I think] and then a day or two for the journey to Positano, and a few days there, and a lake - so altogether two weeks or even more.

if you can fly into Venice one lake that would work for this itinerary would be Garda, but you might want to return the car when you got to Bologna, and hire another when you leave. or fly to Naples and hire another car there.

dreamon

Personally, I wouldn't bother with a car. Driving on the Amalfi coast = stress, and day trips from Bologna by train very easy and relaxing.

There are many options but perhaps Rome-Salerno-Ravello/Positano then Ravello/Positano-Salerno-Bologna. Check trenitalia for journey times.

Would the sea do as well as a lake?

dac

Thank you!
I am sorry I should have said 14 days not including travel days. 9/19-10/4.
Yes Annhig I was going to do maybe 4 days on Amalfi Coast then travel up to Bologna area by car or train and explore that area.
Using FF miles there is nothing going into Naples that is why I choose Rome. Then going home there is FF availability from Bologna.
Sorry I was not clear and thank you both for your suggestions. Annhig did I read somewhere that you are going to Bologna?

bvlenci

If you're going straight to Bologna, it makes no sense at all to rent a car. The train is faster and cheaper, when you consider the rental cost, and when you get to Bologna, it's nearly impossible to drive into the center, and parking is an expensive nightmare.

We go often to Bologna, but rarely drive. If we need to take something bulky there, or if we'll be returning home late at night, we might drive. Once we were bringing some furniture to a relative who lives there, and he offered to meet us outside the city gate and pilot us to a parking area near his home. We gladly accepted the offer, because so many of the streets are off limits to most traffic, and it's not at all easy to avoid them. (Google ZTL to see what I'm talking about.) Another time, we accidentally ended up on a street that was in the restricted zone. We were following a city bus and didn't see the sign. I think the bus shielded us from the camera, because we never got the ticket.

Lake Garda is also fairly near Bologna. Some towns on the lake are about a two-hour drive. If you go there, it would make sense to rent a car when leaving Bologna. On the way to Lake Garda, you could stop off at Mantova, and Verona is very near the lake.

If you're not particularly interested in Bologna, you could go straight to Verona by train. Again, the train is faster and cheaper than driving.

annhig

Sorry I was not clear and thank you both for your suggestions. Annhig did I read somewhere that you are going to Bologna?>>

thanks for the clarification. Yes, i am hoping to go to Bologna in the Spring with a couple of friends in order to attend a language school - if we pull it off it will be the fifth one I will have tried.

If you are flying into Rome and out of Bologna, it makes sense of course to do the Amalfi first and then Bologna. Given that you don't really need a car in either location, I still like the idea of flying from Naples to Bologna unless you are keen on long road trips and have specific places that you want to visit en route.

bvlenci

There are no direct flights between Naples and Bologna; you have to change planes in Rome. Given that, I'd rather take a direct train, which takes about the same time (around 3 1/2 hours).

If your reason for driving is to see other towns along the way, there are lots of possibilities. Palestrina and Tivoli, for example. Then, if you take the autostrada, you'd pass near Orvieto, Montepulciano, and Pienza. If you take the slightly longer route on the Via Flaminia, you'd pass near Spoleto, Spello, Assisi, and Perugia.

Driving from Naples to Bologna takes over 5 hours, and driving from Positano to Bologna takes about 7 hours. You'd have little time for sightseeing unless you stop somewhere for the night.