Bologna Travel Forum

Hi!

I want your advice about taking a trip in Italy in september. What do you think? Bologna or Naples? Me and my friend want to visit one of them (we found really cheap tickets from Romania), but we know very few things (almost nothing)abot any of these places. Do you have any advices? Which one would it me more interesting? We like small old towns, narrow streets, pizza :), shopping...

Any advice would be great. Thank you.

Bologna is a nice place. Naples is not!
However Naples is situsted well for some excellent trips to much better cities and towns - sorrento, Amalfi, Capri, Positano etc. Also you have great archaeological sites within easy distance of Naples. Great history in Bologne. Decisions eh... I'd go for Naples as a base to explore the wider area :-)

safe or not safe...this is the problem and in Naples there is a big problem even if is surely more caracteristic then bologna. From bologna you can visit ferrara 35 minutes far by train. You can go and trip by bicycle.

I have never been to Naples so I cannot compare, but Bologna is a wonderful city with wonderful food. You are also only one hour from Florence another fabulous place. In both of the cities you will find mostly narrow streets. And these are very old towns, at least by the standards of an American which I am. If you have time you can also take the bus from Florence to Siena for the day. Really, fantastic. It is only one hour from Florence if you take the Rapido. If Bologna is your home base you can also take the train to Verona and Padova and then to Venice. You have lots of possibilities without worrying too much about the dangers.

ciao,
Naples is a big city and have some problem (not so bad how you can think).
near are a lot of beautifull places.
I suggest you (but depend on your budget) to go to ischia, a very beautifull island near naples where in september you can have fun, baths (the roman baths are fomous) very good food (the pizza there is fantastic, good prices (ischia in this period is not expensive) and very nice people without safety problem.
from ischia, whit boats 8maximum an hour)you can go in Amalfi (famous hold little city) and sorrento (whit a lot of little market beautifull panorama and little and narrow streets), napoli ( alot of interesting things), positano (fantastic place), pompei (do you know the Vesuvio explosion? ) e capri (an other island very beautifull and famous but very expensive)
if you want more explanation please don't esitate to write to me; i lived in naples for 15 years and know very well the zone
ciao

Carlo

Carlo, Is it necessary to go to Naples first in order to go to Ischia and the other places you have mentioned. Is it safe for a woman to go alone. I would be going by myself, if I ever go there.

I would totally go to Naples. Especially in early September, when you could still hit the beaches of places like Ischia and Capri. There are so many amazing day trips from Naples (like Capri, Ischia, Pompeii, Vesuvius, Amalfi, Positano and/or Paestum), and even Naples itself isn't bad. The first time I visited Naples I walked out of the train station, asked someone for directions, and they stole my map, but I just considered it a funny experience and I even went back to Naples the next year. Plus, Naples = pizza!

Oh, and I went by myself and I'm alive today.

Oh... If you care about an original italian suggestion... No doubts: BOLOGNA! Oldest university in the world (1089 alma mater studiorum), 500.000 people living (100.000 are students, so imagine how many clubs, concerts etc etc...), very good food and wines, very beautiful historical town with 17 km of old beautiful arcades, so if it's raining you don't get wet... And you're near to ferrara (wonderful) and Parma (my favourite italian town).

I don't think naples is so bad how some people say.
certainly you have to be carefull.
but not more than in new york or in bangkok
if you are not usefull to the problem of a big city you can have problem, but a normal cautious behaviour is enought.
I lived in naple sfor 14 years and i know a lot of woman from naples and they have a normal live (and they go out alone!!).
If you have problem you can use a taxi (only the taxi in the queue line i recommend you) and go safely and directly to the molo beverello where are the ferrys for ischia.
Bologna is in any case a very beautifull city to visit
Ciao

many thanks to all of you.