Near-Venice
How to Get to Padua by Train: Giotto’s Frescoes, a Basilica and Europe’s Oldest University
Under half an hour by train from Venezia Santa Lucia, with no booking needed - here’s how to get to Padua, which ticket to buy and what to see when you arrive.
Near-Bologna
Ravenna by Train: Eight UNESCO Sites and the Finest Byzantine Mosaics in the World
Ravenna was the last capital of the Western Roman Empire, then the seat of Byzantine power in Italy for two centuries more. Eight monuments survive from that era - the finest collection of early Christian mosaics anywhere in the world. An hour from Bologna by direct train.
Near-Bologna
Ferrara by Train: A Renaissance City the Crowds Have Missed
Ferrara has a moated Renaissance castle in the centre of the city, nine kilometres of walls to cycle around, frescoes that rival those in Florence, and almost no tourist crowds. Thirty minutes from Bologna by train.
Bologna
Bologna by Train: The Complete Guide to Italy's Greatest Food City
Bologna has three nicknames - La Rossa for the terracotta rooftops, La Dotta for Europe's oldest university, La Grassa for the food. Thirty-eight minutes from Florence by train and almost entirely absent from the standard Italy itinerary. The best food city in Italy, and one of the least visited.
Near-Florence
Pistoia by Train from Florence: Tuscany's Most Overlooked City
Striped Romanesque churches, a cathedral square among the finest in Tuscany, and a medieval hospital decorated with Della Robbia masterpieces — only 30 minutes from Florence by train, and almost entirely overlooked.