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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Bologna

14 replies

UrsulaPandress · 17/01/2018 17:16

Any advice? I am trying to find somwhere for DH and I to spend a few days in the summer. I have some mobility problems so can't walk far. Are there lots of interesting things to look at?

I've done Rome and Venice.

Would Florence be better?

TIA

OP posts:
LIZS · 17/01/2018 17:24

No advice but considering same trip. I understand there is a new foodie park with bus from city centre.

LIZS · 17/01/2018 17:25

Florence is largely pedestrianised in the centre with uneven cobbles, although there are small ekectrobuses around the edge of the centre.

mustresistwine · 17/01/2018 17:25

I went with DP for 3 nights in October, primarily to visit the ducati factory & museum (DP is a biker Grin)

It’s lovely but I was exhausted, step count of around 25k per day! There are buses & we took the train, but the main way to get around is walking so dependant in the level of your mobility problem it may be hard work?

There are churches, shopping, the two towers (huge climb though), ducati & Ferrari factories...

Best of all was the food! Heavenly Grin

I’ve been to Rome, it’s not at all comparable... planning Venice this year too (we must have similar tastes!)

I’ve never been to Florence so can’t help there, got sorrento on my wish list too!

Hope that’s useful :)

Tisfortired · 17/01/2018 17:26

We (me and DP and DS4) went to Florence and Bologna last summer. We flew into Bologna and got the freccia Rossa train to Florence as it worked out much cheaper, and spent our last two days in Bologna.

There is much more to do and see in Florence and it is absolutely beautiful, but I really enjoyed he slow pace of Bologna after a crazy week in Florence. The food was amazing, the porticos and markets are great. It was much more chilled and there was a great vibe, we both said we'd return to Bologna one day.

Original poster
UrsulaPandress · 17/01/2018 17:31

Oh thanks for the replies

It was Motor valley that I thought might interest DH.

It was Rome and Pompeii that really buggered up my arthritis a couple of years ago! Re Sorrento - I had always wanted to go but was actually really disappointed. I hadn't realised how 'English' it was - even down to having British plug sockets in the bedrooms. Loved Naples though.

Maybe a two centre trip with Bologna and Florence could be the way to go.

OP posts:
tortelliniforever · 17/01/2018 17:43

(Namechanged for this post!) Bologna is having a bit of a moment and has suddenly got very popular. (I have lived in Bologna for the past fifteen years and over the last year people have started talking to me in English in shops - never used to happen!). I think it is quite nice for a couple of days but Florence has far more to see (at least in the city centre). If you go to Motor Valley then you really need a car. Bologna is great if you are interested in food, although I actually prefer other regional food rather than Emilia Romagna which is a bit too meaty for me. Blush

It is possible to cut down on the walking if it is hard as the centre is quite compact, and the bus system generally works well.

AnnaMagnani · 17/01/2018 18:47

It is very very hot in summer. We went in August for our honeymoon and it was 40 degrees and brutal - most of Bologna had sensibly packed up and gone on holiday. The town is full of arcades which made it bearable.

There are beautiful churches and frescos. The food is amazing, just stay away from anywhere with menu touristico. Lots of ragu and tortellini.

It's very easy to get to other towns on the train such as Mantua, Ravenna, Padua.

Ravenna really is amazing and very compact. I'd also recommend Padua as being v small and great for food. Plus you can do the Brenta canal and see the Palladian villas.

tortelliniforever · 18/01/2018 10:24

I agree about not going in August in possible but if you have to, there are lots of events on nowadays - open air cinema and concerts etc but during the day it is really too hot to sightsee.

SJane45S · 18/01/2018 11:35

Bologna is a good stop for a few days - it's got an interesting cultural heritage (the red city), a very old university, interesting architecture and very good food. It's not over run with tourists and is relatively compact. Reality is, you're going to do a lot of walking but its likely to be less rammed than Florence which will be absolutely heaving in August. Florence is one of those cities everyone should go to at least once & is geared more towards tourists with open top tours & the like. On the downside, you'll spend a lot of time queueing at the Duomo etc as it's ridiculously packed in summer. Prices reflect that too! If I had to choose one of the two, I'd go for Florence (maybe 3 days there then train to Sienna for 2 days). Rail travel in Italy is cheap and simple (go to trenitalia and book cheap seats in advance) so you could do a number of options rather than just one. Agree - Sorrento sucks! And on a final note if you do go to Bologna, Modena is a very easy trip from Bologna to go and stock up on balsamic!

SJane45S · 18/01/2018 11:46

Sorry - another quick post! If you want a very historical, not horrifically expensive, flat and easy to get around and really beautiful city - have a quick look at Syracuse in Sicily.The old part of the city (Ortigia - a small island off the mainland) was built by the Greeks and is a really lovely place! It's not over run with Brits (it's more popular with Italians and French), wasn't particularly expensive & being a small island is easy to get around by foot. The hop on/hop off is only 5Euro daily. Fly into Catania & then get a train down. Definetely recommend it! There are bathing platforms for anyone wanting to swim. Would be hot though in summer but so's everywhere in Italy!

MarieNostra · 18/01/2018 12:18

Last June we stayed in Padua (Padova) for six days in a beautiful apartment in the centre. The tram to the railway station was five minutes walk. Padua itself is charming and as a pp said you can take a trip on the river cruise to see the amazing Palladian villas. It is a lovely day out. If you go to Padua make sure to see the Scrovegni Chapel frescoes. You must book your slot in advance.

www.ilburchiello.it/en/

www.italia.it/en/travel-ideas/culture-and-entertainment/the-scrovegni-chapel-in-padua.html

We took a train to Venice for the day (twenty minutes from Padua), and on another day took the train to Bologna. Amazing place and the food.....

You could of course stay in Padua for a few days, and then Bologna for a few days, but we wanted a base and it saved packing and unpacking all over again!

We flew into Treviso and took a bus from the airport direct to Padua.

Enjoy your trip. You cannot beat Italy.

AnnaMagnani · 18/01/2018 12:30

We booked to see the Giotto frescoes and they were amazing. But also found that if we went back late in the evening they had free slots so we went over and over again Grin

Original poster
UrsulaPandress · 18/01/2018 12:37

Thanks so much for all the advice. We have decided that September will be a better time to go. I am now looking at Syracuse..................

OP posts:
GreyGardens88 · 21/01/2018 12:53

I stayed in Florence and took a day trip to Bologna, which I felt was enough for Bologna.

Syracuse looks lovely though I've never been to Sicily, I'm sure it will be lovely and hot still in September

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