mel1

Planning on spending 6 days based in Bologna (or Verona? Help!) and want to do day trips to Ravenna, Padua, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena...we probably don't have enough days! Which towns do we cut? More importantly, do we need a car or can we just hop the trains there and back? Will we miss anything by not driving? But I understand it's difficult/expensive to park in Bologna? Thanks in advance, we have never been to this are so very excited.

greg

For specific cities mentioned, not only you don't need a car. You don't want a car. I presume you are from a place where driving hassle in cities is only the parking? What you need to realize is that practically any city/town of any size don't allow you to drive into the city core in the first place. You are not physically prevented from entering, but if you go past the red circles of death into ZTL, your car registration get photographed and you get greeted several months after you return home with breathtaking fines from the respective municipalities as well as handling charge(s!) from your car rental company.

However, if you want to visit cheese, vinegar, or prosciutto factories, you either need to join a tour or make your own arrangements and drive to factories usually located outside the public transit coverage.

tonfromleiden

All these cities have excellent - and cheap! - rail connections with Bologna. Check at www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en

kawh

agree with greg.. a car can be a real hassle in most of those places. (got our first-ever europe ticket in Parma... were in historic center/restricted driving area just for a block and didn't realize it until the camera had caught us!) Those are easy spots by train, and Bologna is a city we love and have found to be central.

Actually, didn't love driving around Bologna anyway... the freeway can get super clogged and the parallel roads are just not our favorites.

If you want to go to a small balsamic home/factory, maybe you could hire a driver for the day. Or even just rent a car for that one day.

Something I like about Bologna as a base, is that the train station is quite close to the old center and easy to get in and out of.

mel1

Thank you so much for these detailed replies. You have confirmed our thoughts and I'm thrilled to get around by train! Are we better to base ourselves in Bologna or Verona though!???

tonfromleiden

Bologna is more central to most of your destinations than Verona. And I found Bologna a nice city to stay, with a lot to do.

sandralist

The two cities are very different, offering distinctly different experiences. I like them both, but if I was looking for a certain type of experience, I might be disappointed if I choose the wrong one.

Very, very briefly: For an emphasis on wine, classic Renaissance beauty, Roman history and a beautiful natural setting, access to Venice or Lago di Garda, Verona offers much more of that more easily than Bologna. For an emphasis on pasta, iconic Italian foods, medieval history, access to Ravenna and the seaside, Bologna would be a better choice. Both have lively cocktail hours, but Bologna's is more geared toward its student population while Verona's toward young professions. Verona gets maybe 5x the number of tourists as Bologna. For food markets, Bologna + Modena is outstanding. For Verona, the best nearby food market is Padova's.

sandralist

By the way, you can find nice places to stay in Verona that are convenient to the train station. In fact, it is a shorter walk from the Porta Nuova train station in Verona to the Roman Arena/piazza Bra than it is from the Bologna Centrale station to piazza Maggiore. The major difference in the walks is that in Bologna, you walk under porticoes, in the shade.

But you should read up on both places and see what you want to do, both when it comes to enjoying whichever city you pick, and the day trip options. Included in daytrip options from Bologna is Florence (45 minutes away) and from Verona, the pocket-sized mountain city of Trento, with a lovely train ride en route and cool temps (mainly) in summer. Just a lot to do in every direction from either city, but both cities -- Verona and Bologna -- have very different personalities, food and wine.

mel1

Thanks for all this wonderful info. We have been to both Florence and Venice, so those are off the itinerary. We are going in Sept so heat is not such a problem, but the idea of less tourists is more to our taste (which is why we travel in Sept/Oct!). I'll read up, but leaning towards Bologna, I think (food winning here!)

kawh

if you stay in bologna, we absolutely LOVED our little studio apartment that overlooked the little canal!! i had always dreamed about those who got to live on the canal... and was so happy to find this. it was a stunning 70E with a full kitchen and a little grocery store nearby... a well-reviewed restaurant across the tiny street. i had a hard time finding it to reference here, because neither the word 'canal' nor 'view' is in the title. the title is "NEW" Little Venice/Center BO on airbnb. and for you, it's pretty much mid-way between p. Maggiore and the train station.

jamikins

Mel1 we spent 5 nights in Bologna in 2013 and did a very similar trip of day trips! We had a great time.

If you want to visit a balsamic place in Modena without needing a car try this place
http://www.acetaiadigiorgio.it/en/

We walked from the centre and took a taxi back to the station. We thoroughly enjoyed the tasting and tour there.

You may want to read our trip report

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rche-lucca.cfm

Have a wonderful time!

kawh

Jamikins...we went to the same balsamic place...lovely people...weren't going to do any serious buying...and felt no pressure to do so....but fell in love and broke the bank! Mmmmmmm...