How to spend one day in Ravenna, Italy

With many ships now being moved from ports in Venice to Port Corsini in Ravenna, you have the opportunity to spend one day or more in Ravenna before or after your cruise.

It was the Roman emperor Honorius who once claimed Ravenna as the capital of the western Roman empire. This small city boasts the famous Basilica of San Vitale and countless works of art in the form of mosaics.

Curious? Good, because it’s well worth a visit.

Placed firmly on the visitor’s map thanks to, among others, Royal Caribbean, Azamara, and Celebrity Cruises, with cruises from Ravenna to the Mediterranean or Greek Isles, Ravenna has long been a popular destination with Italians. Especially when visiting the regions of Bologne or Rimini.

Closest airports to Ravenna

If you prefer to skip visiting Venice and fly straight to Ravenna, for your cruise from Ravenna, the closest airports are Rimini (60km) and Bologna International (80km).

You can hop into a taxi at one of the official taxis outside the arrival terminal to get to your hotel. The journey time is around 1hr and 20 minutes, costing you about 150-180 euros.

Alternatively, book a private transfer. This is often more cost-effective if at least four people travel together. You get the bonus of having the driver meet you inside the terminal.

Travel by train to Ravenna

Ravenna has a busy train station with good connections with regional and fast trains. You can easily reach many major cities when you travel by train to and from Ravenna.

From Bologna airport to Ravenna by train

To travel by train from Bologna airport to Ravenna, you must first get the airport shuttle train, called the Marconi Express, to Bologna’s central train station.

The journey is only 15 minutes, and an ordinary ticket costs 11 euros for a one-way trip. Book on their website, or app or buy a ticket at the train station.

Alternatively, get a taxi from the airport to Bologna central train station, about 6km.

There is a direct train from Bologna Centrale to Ravenna. The journey time is slightly over one hour, costing around 8 euros per person.

From Rimini airport to Ravenna by train

If flying into Rimini airport, take a taxi to the main central station. You can get a direct train from Rimini station to Ravenna. Journey time is under one hour, and a one-way ticket costs 6 euros per person.

Visiting Venice before transferring to Ravenna

Most cruise guests flying into Venice airport want to see and experience Venice before transferring to Ravenna or Trieste ports for their cruise.

We offer expert advice about visiting Venice and information about how to get to Port Corsini, Ravenna’s cruise port, on our Cruise from Venice page.

How to get from the port (Porto Corsini) to central Ravenna

If you are ending your cruise in Ravenna – often stated as Venice by the cruise lines but a town in itself 2.5 hours south of Venice, you are most likely using Porto Corsini. As always, check your cruise ticket for the exact name of your port.

Porto Corsini is a little seaside resort about 11 km from the center of Ravenna.

Local buses and shuttles to and from the port to the city center

Local public transport “Start Romagna” (bus line n° 90 – “Linea 90”) connects Porto Corsini to central Ravenna, stopping close to the main railway station. You will find the latest bus timetable here.

In addition, from 15th May to 30th October, port shuttle buses and minivans runs between the port and the city center. The journey time is about 30 minutes and costs 20 euros per person. You can book in advance via the Ravenna tourist office. They also have a telephone number on their website which you can use with What’s App.

Taxi or private transfers

Alternatively, there are taxis outside the cruise terminals. The journey time by car to central Ravenna is around 15 minutes in good traffic. The price of the taxi ride will be about 21 euros. Expect to pay about 26 euros if you travel later in the evening or at weekends.

Private transfers will be more expensive but ideal if you travel in groups of four or more and do not want to wait for a taxi or bus. Book so your driver is waiting when your ship arrives at the port. We recommend using a trusted supplier such as Viator or Scaioli. Expect to pay about 50 euros per way.

Storing your luggage for the day in Ravenna

If you are only in Ravenna for one day without staying overnight at a hotel, use the luggage storage facilities near the train station.

Perhaps you are taking an onward journey to the airport at Bologna at the end of the day or getting on an evening train bound for Venice. Whatever your plans, use the luggage storage in Piazzale Farini near the train station.

Parking options if you are driving to the port of Ravenna (Porto Corsini)

If you live in Europe and driving to the port in Ravenna, Porto Corsini, is an option, note that there is no private parking or garage in Porto Corsini. You can, however, park your car in one of these garages in Ravenna. 

These three options are the closest garages to bus route number 90, which stops on Via Maroncelli next to the train station.

• Garage Mariani
• Garage Navoni
• Garage La Torre

Please find more information on their website here.

Where to stay in Ravenna

It’s easy to visit Ravenna on a day trip, but we recommend you make the most of your time here by booking a hotel to enjoy the city and the friendly locals day and night.

We like the hotel NH Ravenna. It is right in the heart of historic Ravenna and only a 5-minute walk from the train station.

This 4-star hotel has 84 guest rooms, free wifi, and simple, fresh, clean rooms. Ask for a room on the upper floor for good views over the city. If you are a family and need more space, there are family suites or rooms with connecting doors.

There is a restaurant and cocktail bar at the hotel or several good restaurants nearby.

With English-speaking staff, an excellent breakfast buffet, and luggage storage facilities if your room is not quite ready when you check in, the NH Ravenna is ideal for your stay.

How to see Ravenna in one day

No less than eight ancient monuments in the historic city of Ravenna are UNESCO world heritage sites. But Ravenna, once the capital of the western Roman empire, is best known for its breathtaking early Christian and Byzantine wall mosaics.

Browse popular tours, day trips, and shore excursions.

Start the day at the train station, a central meeting point in the city’s heart. Walk past Giardino Speyer park towards the Arian baptistery, Battistero degli Ariani, located on Piazzetta degli Ariani.

From here, visit Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo on Via di Roma. It’s an easy walk and shouldn’t take about 15 minutes. This is your starting point for seeing the first Ravenna Byzantine mosaics and what must surely be the most beautiful in the world.

The best of Ravenna Byzantine and Christian mosaics

After you have been inside, continue your walking tour in this order before heading into the city’s center.

• Archbishop’s Chapel of St. Andrew, on Plaza Arcivescovado
• Neonian Baptistery (Battistero Neoniano) in Piazza Duomo
• Basilica di San Vitale on Via San Vitale
• Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, also located on Via San Vitale

The Basilica di San Vitale deserves a special mention among all the UNESCO world heritage sites. This is the most visited place in Ravenna to admire the mosaics.

Therefore, if you are pushed for time, make this your only stop from the list above. Built-in year 525, admire mosaics such as Voice of the Verb and The Emperor and the Lamb. The church is open daily except on Christmas and New Year’s Day, and the entrance fee is 10.50 euros per adult. We recommend that you book tickets in advance.

Next door to the Basilica di San Vitale, visit the National Museum to see the stunning collection of 14th-century frescoes. It costs a modest 6 euros entrance fee, and you can buy tickets online or at the door. In addition, if you are lucky enough to be there at the beginning of the month, the first Sunday offers free entrance.

The tomb of the poet Dante Alighieri

At the end of your visit to the beautiful Ravenna mosaics, walk towards the 700-hundred-year-old Dante’s Tomb, admiring the Byzantine architecture and baroque frescoes as you go. The legendary Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s tomb is next to the Basilica di San Francesco in central Ravenna.

Shopping, markets, and fairs

As you can imagine, Ravenna is packed with art shops featuring mosaics. Having gained inspiration, no doubt, from your morning of viewing the incredible mosaics in the historical buildings around the city, find handmade replicas of your favorite image to take home. Images depicting Roman history are popular, and the fantastic multi-colored mosaics are a great souvenir.

Many of these small artisan shops are in the main shopping street Via Cavour, Via Diaz, Via Cairoli, Via Corrado Ricci, Piazza del Popolo, Via IV Novembre, Via Matteotti, and Via Mazzini.

Head there in the afternoon and chat with the local artisans and mosaicists who skillfully recreate part of Ravenna’s history and the byzantine periods in their chosen art form.

Ravenna cuisine – where to eat

The Emilia Romagna region offers terrific gastronomic delights. Many of these can be found in the covered market in the city center. It’s also the perfect place to stop for lunch in the restaurant. We promise you won’t be sorry.

Located on Piazza Andrea Costa, the covered food market, Mercado Coperio, boasts food stalls with local cured meats and cheeses, an excellent restaurant for lunch or dinner, wine and food workshops, freshly made bread, and catch of the day straight from the coast.

It is one of the best food markets we have been to anywhere. Try the traditional Romanic dishes incorporating egg pasta and seafood.

If you have the time, you can join one of the food and wine tours within the market. Find out more about Mercado Coperio, the covered food market of Ravenna, here.

Prefer to explore with a guide? Do you need to book an airport or port transfer? Find out why we like to partner with Viator for Ravenna's best transportation and excursion options.

After Ravenna – ways to continue your discovery of Italy

Due to its location in the northeast of Italy, close to the Adriatic sea, Ravenna offers numerous possibilities to combine your trip with buck list destinations such as Florence, Bologna, and Venice.

If you would like to rent a car, there is a T-Rent behind the central train station, and you can also find a complete list of car rental agencies in Ravenna here.

If you prefer a more relaxing way of traveling, opt for the train instead. Some of the most popular train journeys booked by cruise guests are:

• Ravenna to Florence (Firenze Santa Maria Novella): Regional train and fast train “Frecciarossa”; ca. 2 hours and 5 minutes; often one change (in, for example, Bologna); from ca. 15 euros
• Ravenna to Bologna (Bologna Centrale): Regional train; ca. 1 hour and 10 minutes; direct; from ca. 8 euros
• Ravenna to Venice island (Venezia S Lucia): Regional and high-speed train “Frecciargento”; ca. 3 hours; often one change (in, for example, Ferrara); from ca. 15 euros

Further afield, good rail links make it possible to travel by train to Genoa, Milano, and Turin in the north and Rome & Naples in the south.

The name of Italy’s primary train operator is Trenitalia, a Government-owned train operator, and there are also some private operators, such as Italo.

You can book train tickets around three months before your travel date. It is easy to search, compare and book train tickets in Italy using a price comparison site such as Omio. Find out why we choose Omio as our trusted provider for rail travel in Italy.