I visited Ravenna (on my bucket list) a few years pre-Covid and am so happy I did. If you are an art lover, you will be in heaven because of the Byzantine mosaics and the architecture of the various basilicas, baptisteries, and other buildings. There is a definite Venetian look to the architecture. I traveled by train, and then by local bus to visit San Apollinare in Classe, outside the city. The other monuments are all reachable by foot--though you may find you are walking quite some way over the course of a full day! I had two full days (three nights) at a hotel in the city center. This was not enough time to see absolutely everything, but I did get to all the main buildings and archepiscopal museum. There's plenty of shopping in the city center. People very nice and the pace is a bit slower than in the big cities, so you feel more at home. I highly recommend staying in the city center to maximize your time. Hotels have nearby parking if you stay in the pedestrians-only zone. The multi-entrance ticket is a must--go online ahead of your visit to learn all the details. Note: this is a northern Italian city, so be warned that the weather can be a bit uncertain in spring and fall. I visited in October and got some rain (as I did in Milan). It's a bit tricky to include both Venice and Ravenna in an itinerary by train or bus, but very easy to combine with nearby cities. My route was Milan, Bologna, Ravenna, Rome, Milan. There was one train a day from Ravenna to Rome (very early morning southbound), by a scenic route. More than one train a day from Bologna, which is another city well worth visiting. You can eat cheaply or expensively--plenty of choice. Lots of info. online for preplanning. I wish I'd had at least one more day, but I like to take my time.
Nice presentation, I will be visiting and probably one day is certainly not enough. Will take train from Bologna....thanks for the info on museum and event tickets also.
Yup. Two days minimum. That's what I had, and I'd have liked at least one more day. You may have already visited Ravenna by now, so I don't know how helpful my answer and other (longer) post will be!
I visited Ravenna (on my bucket list) a few years pre-Covid and am so happy I did. If you are an art lover, you will be in heaven because of the Byzantine mosaics and the architecture of the various basilicas, baptisteries, and other buildings. There is a definite Venetian look to the architecture. I traveled by train, and then by local bus to visit San Apollinare in Classe, outside the city. The other monuments are all reachable by foot--though you may find you are walking quite some way over the course of a full day! I had two full days (three nights) at a hotel in the city center. This was not enough time to see absolutely everything, but I did get to all the main buildings and archepiscopal museum. There's plenty of shopping in the city center. People very nice and the pace is a bit slower than in the big cities, so you feel more at home. I highly recommend staying in the city center to maximize your time. Hotels have nearby parking if you stay in the pedestrians-only zone. The multi-entrance ticket is a must--go online ahead of your visit to learn all the details. Note: this is a northern Italian city, so be warned that the weather can be a bit uncertain in spring and fall. I visited in October and got some rain (as I did in Milan). It's a bit tricky to include both Venice and Ravenna in an itinerary by train or bus, but very easy to combine with nearby cities. My route was Milan, Bologna, Ravenna, Rome, Milan. There was one train a day from Ravenna to Rome (very early morning southbound), by a scenic route. More than one train a day from Bologna, which is another city well worth visiting. You can eat cheaply or expensively--plenty of choice. Lots of info. online for preplanning. I wish I'd had at least one more day, but I like to take my time.
Nice presentation, I will be visiting and probably one day is certainly not enough. Will take train from Bologna....thanks for the info on museum and event tickets also.
Yup. Two days minimum. That's what I had, and I'd have liked at least one more day. You may have already visited Ravenna by now, so I don't know how helpful my answer and other (longer) post will be!