How to spend 3 days btwn Milan and Florence
 

I'm looking for some outside the box idea on how to spend three days in October between Milan and Florence. I have 3 nights/4 days not booked anywhere yet. I've been kicking around Bologna, Parma, Modena and Ravenna. I will not have a car, so relying on train. My interests are art, food and wine and culture. I don't want to be in too small of a town so as to go stir crazy for that long (Volterra drove me nuts after one night). Is it worth splitting 3 nights between multiple places or just do day trips from say, Bologna? Am I missing other possibilities? I'll be coming from Alba's Truffle Festival and two nights in Milan and will be spending 3 nights in Florence.

Thanks in advance!

I have spent nights in both Bologna and Parma. I actually liked Parma better - it is a tad smaller but not "small." Parma is a vibrant town. I didn't take a shine to Bologna for some reason, except that every meal there I had was incredible, even at small, cheap places. I don't mind one night stays, so I'd probably be splitting up my nights. Others would recommend three nights in Bologna with day trips, which would probably be fine, but as I didn't fall in love with Bologna, it's not a place I'd enjoy coming back to at night (except for the food). Food was great in Parma too, probably all throughout that region.

Thanks, Andrew. That was sort of the impression I was getting reading various forums too. I'm glad I won't have trouble eating well!

And to show it's all very personal, I found Bologna a much more agreeable city than Parma. Wonderful city centre. Lively university atmosphere.

BTW, three nights its not four days, it's two full days. Wherever you choose, I recommend that you spend three nights there so you actually have two full days.

By my calendar, Kathie, I arrive morning of the 16th and just have to be in Florence by bedtime on the 19th, so to me, that's four days on the ground. But thanks for fact checking anyway. Do you have any input on my original question?

I enjoyed our time in Bologna. Since it's a university town - lots of young people and lots going on. Only visited Parma for an afternoon so didn't get much of an impression. If you stay in Bologna, Ravenna makes a wonderful day trip. The mosaics there are fabulous.
I'm thinking by 4 da/3 nights that you might be arriving early in the day and leaving later in the day upon departure? Or is it as Kathie states? That makes a difference to me.

I would prefer Bologna for a three-night stay. If you get bored, it's a great hub for day trips. Modena is an easy day trip from Bologna, and another great day trip destination is Ferrara.

If you are into the food Modena is the place! Eat at Hosteria Giusti, Frceschetta 58, go to the amazing market and get a fabulous sandwich in there. We have gone twice, stayed at Cervetta 5.

The Duomo and the main piazza are really beautiful and the window shopping is lovely.

I liked Modena a lot, but not sure there would be enough to do there for 3 days. Bologna is easier to day trip from. Italy has wonderful food everywhere, but I have to say Bologna's reputation as foodie capital is well deserved.
http://www.vogue.com/article/bologna...ry-destination

It is probably not a mistake to stay in either Bologna, Parma, Modena, or Ravenna. Bologna might be a more practical choice because it is a big rail hub, so day trips might be easier.

One other thing to consider is that Bologna (and Parma?) can get conventions that drive up the hotel prices at certain times of the year. I paid more per night for the dumpy hotel room in Bologna than I had paid for a 1BR apartment in Venice the previous three nights - must have been something going on in town. So I'd check lodging prices in a city before committing to it.