Planning a Trip

Getting There -- With frequent train service that takes only 1 1/4 hours from Bologna, Ravenna can easily be visited on a day trip; one-way fare is 5€ ($7.25). There's also frequent service from Ferrara, which connects to Venice; one-way fare from Ferrara is 4.50€ ($6.55). The train station is a 10-minute walk from the center at Piazza Fernini (tel. 892021). The tourist office (below) has rail schedules and more details.

If you have a car and are coming from Bologna, head east along A14. From Ferrara, take the SS16.

Visitor Information -- The helpful tourist office is at Via Salara 8 (tel. 0544-35404; www.turismo.ravenna.it). It's open Monday to Saturday 8:30am to 7pm, and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Stop in here for a good map, free bicycle rental, and a combination ticket to the city's attractions.

Special Events -- If you're here in June and July, you can enjoy the Ravenna Festival Internazionale. Tickets begin at 10€ ($15) but go much higher. For information, call tel. 0544-249211; for tickets, call tel. 0544-249244 (Teatro Alighieri). A Dante Festival is held the second week in September, sponsored by the church of San Francesco.