Day Trips from Ferrara: Bologna, Ravenna & the Po Delta

Ferrara’s position at the junction of the Emilia-Romagna and Veneto rail networks makes it an excellent base for day trips. Bologna is 35 minutes south; Ravenna 1 hour east; Venice 1 hour 20 minutes northeast. The Po Delta to the east offers something completely different from city-hopping.

Bologna (40 km south, approximately 35 minutes by train)

Italy’s food capital and one of its finest medieval cities. Walk under the UNESCO-listed porticoes (38km of covered arcades — Bologna has the most of any city in Europe), climb the Asinelli Tower for city views (498 steps, entry approximately €5 as of 2026), and eat the Emilian classics: tortellini in brodo (approximately €12–14), tagliatelle al ragù (approximately €11–13 — the original, not the tourist version marketed as “Bolognese”), and mortadella from any alimentari.

The Pinacoteca Nazionale (Via delle Belle Arti 56 — entry approximately €6 as of 2026) has outstanding Renaissance painting, including Raphael’s Ecstasy of St. Cecilia and works by Guido Reni. The Basilica di San Petronio on Piazza Maggiore (free) is enormous — begun 1390, never fully finished, with a facade half-clad in marble and half in bare brick.

Getting there: Trenitalia regional train from Ferrara to Bologna Centrale — approximately 35 minutes, approximately €5–7 as of 2026. High-speed trains are faster (25 minutes) but more expensive.

Ravenna (60 km east, approximately 1 hour by train)

One of the most astonishing UNESCO Heritage Sites in the world — eight buildings from the 5th–6th centuries with extraordinarily vivid Byzantine mosaics that are the finest in existence outside Constantinople. The Mausoleo di Galla Placidia is the most jewel-like: a small cruciform building entirely covered in deep blue and gold mosaics in which stars seem to shimmer. The Basilica di San Vitale is larger and grander — the apse mosaics of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora, both in court dress with gold halos, are the most famous images.

A combined ticket covering all eight UNESCO monuments costs approximately €12 as of 2026 (available at any of the sites). Allow half a day minimum; a full day if you want to see all eight. Dante’s tomb (in a small mausoleum behind San Francesco — free) is worth the 5-minute detour.

Getting there: Trenitalia regional train from Ferrara to Ravenna — approximately 1 hour, approximately €7–8 as of 2026. Direct services run multiple times daily.

Venice (approximately 100 km northeast, approximately 1 hour 20 minutes by train)

Ferrara has some of the fastest train connections to Venice of any city in Emilia-Romagna. Arrive early (before 9am) to see the main attractions without the worst crowds.

Essential stops: Basilica di San Marco (free, no bag check required for the basic visit — but the Pala d’Oro altarpiece and museum require a separate ticket approximately €5–7 as of 2026); Palazzo Ducale (entry approximately €30 as of 2026, book online in advance); a gondola ride through the back canals (official rate approximately €80 for 30 minutes for up to 6 people as of 2026 — avoid St. Mark’s basin); Rialto Market (fish market on the Grand Canal, best before 12pm, closes early afternoon). For skip-the-line tickets to Venice’s top attractions, pre-booking online is strongly recommended in summer.

Getting there: Trenitalia regional train from Ferrara to Venezia Santa Lucia — approximately 1 hour 20 minutes, approximately €10–15 as of 2026. High-speed trains (approximately 1 hour) are available and not much more expensive — worth booking in advance on trenitalia.com.

Comacchio and the Po Delta (45 km southeast, approximately 1 hour by bus)

Comacchio is a small fishing city built on a series of islands in the Po Delta lagoon — sometimes called a “little Venice” but without the crowds, and with a very different character. The city’s famous Trepponti bridge (1638), where three canals converge and the bridge spans them all simultaneously, is the most photographed image. The town produces anguilla affumicata (smoked eel) — a Po Delta speciality available from the local fish market and alimentari.

The surrounding Parco Regionale del Delta del Po is Italy’s largest river delta — wetlands, sand bars, and lagoons that are home to flamingos (resident from spring through autumn), herons, and thousands of migratory birds. Boat tours depart from the Comacchio waterfront (approximately €15 per person for 2 hours as of 2026, seasonal — April through October).

Getting there: TPER bus from Ferrara to Comacchio — approximately 1 hour, approximately €4 as of 2026. Buses run several times daily. A bicycle tour of the delta (cycling through the flat wetland paths) is also popular — rental shops in Comacchio from approximately €10/day.

Padua (approximately 80 km northeast, approximately 1 hour by train)

The Scrovegni Chapel alone justifies the journey. Giotto’s fresco cycle (1304–1306) in the Cappella degli Scrovegni is arguably the most important painting in Western art — 37 narrative scenes of the life of the Virgin and Christ in vividly human expression that defined the transition from medieval to Renaissance painting. Entry is strictly limited (25 people per 15-minute slot); book weeks ahead at cappelladegliscrovegni.it (approximately €15 as of 2026).

The Basilica di Sant’Antonio (Il Santo, free) is a major pilgrimage site with a series of Renaissance reliefs by Donatello in the chancel. The Università di Padova (founded 1222, one of the world’s oldest universities) has a stunning anatomical theatre (Teatro Anatomico, earliest in the world still intact, dating from 1594 — tours approximately €5 as of 2026).

Getting there: Trenitalia regional train from Ferrara to Padua — approximately 1 hour, approximately €7–10 as of 2026.

Practical notes

• Trenitalia regional trains from Ferrara toward Venice, Padua, and Bologna run frequently — buy at the station or on trenitalia.com
• The Scrovegni Chapel in Padua requires advance booking (weeks ahead in peak season) — do not turn up without a reservation
• Ravenna’s UNESCO combined ticket covers the most important sites; buying it at the first monument visited lets you plan the rest of the day
• The Po Delta boat tours are seasonal (roughly April–October) — check availability before planning a Comacchio trip in winter
• Prices listed are approximate as of 2026

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Back to the full Ferrara travel guide for the Este Castle, cycling culture, and transport connections. For Ferrara food — cappellacci di zucca, pampepato, and salama da sugo — see the Ferrara food guide. For Ferrara accommodation, see best hotels in Ferrara. Bologna is 25 minutes away by train — our Bologna travel guide covers Italy’s food capital. Ravenna has the finest Byzantine mosaics in the world — a half-day from Ferrara is sufficient.