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Panoramic Bologna or Ferrara Accessible Driving Tour

Panoramic Bologna & Ravenna Accessible Driving TourChoose one of two great medieval cities outside Ravenna!
If you have the whole day to enjoy the countryside surrounding Ravenna, this 8 hour accessible driving tour that visits either Bologna or Ferrara is a great choice!

On this full day, panoramic accessible driving tour from Ravenna, you have the option to visit either Bologna or Ferrara. Your guide and driver will pick you up from the cruise terminal in a wheelchair accessible van in Ravenna to start the tour! Next, you’ll drive to either Bologna or Ferrara for a tour of the city of your choosing, along with a break for lunch in an accessible restaurant (price not included).

Afterwards, you’ll return to Ravenna for a visit to either the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia or the Basilica of San Vitale before your driver drops you off back at the ship.

Bologna

The first option for your Bologna accessible driving tour is the beautiful, medieval city of Bologna, which sits at the foot of the Apennine Mountains.This well-known Italian city is famous for its delicious cuisine (Bolognese sauce originated here!) and having the oldest university in continuous operation in the world—the University of Bologna—founded in 1088 AD!

If you choose to visit Bologna, your guide will first take you to the heart of the city, the historic centre, where you will see Piazza Maggiore and Piazza del Nettuno—two adjoining city squares lined with Medieval and Renaissance palaces.

The impressive palaces—or “palazzos” as they’re called in Italian—will take you back in time to the 13th and 14th centuries when these buildings were in use by local governing organizations. Although they’ve all undergone renovations and improvements to keep them in working order, the palazzos haven’t changed much since the Renaissance!

Your Bologna accessible driving tour will end at the Two Towers of Bologna—did you know that the city used to boast an estimated 180 of these ancient “skyscrapers?” Drawings of the ancient skyline of the city look eerily similar to modern skylines! The two remaining towers are a vestige to the city’s unique history—but the reason for these towers still remains unknown.

Ferrara

The relatively less well-known city of Ferrara is not any less impressive than its neighboring city of Bologna to the south. The differences are many, but primarily you will find that it is a smaller, quieter city, with much less tourist traffic and a laid-back atmosphere.

Ferrara is also a medieval and Renaissance city, home to many well-preserved ancient structures, and rich with history. Your accessible driving tour of Ferrara will begin with a panoramic view of the ancient city walls of Ferrara, from the comfort of your accessible van, as you drive into the city. You’ll stop at the Crossroads of the Angels to admire the unique exterior of the Palace of Diamonds or “Palazzo deiDiamanti,” and learn how it got that name.

From here you will leave the vehicle and continue to stroll/roll through the city, toward the CastelloEstense, a real, medieval moated castle! After admiring the impressive exterior of the castle, you’ll continue through the medieval town, watching for locals cycling through the narrow streets and alleyways. You’ll be able to stop and admire the Basilica Cattedrale di San Giorgio, Duomo di Ferrara (Ferrara Cathedral), pass through the Jewish Ghetto, and stroll/roll along the Via delle Volte. The Via delle Volte runs 2 km along the Po river, and makes for an excellent end to your Ferrara accessible driving tour . Don’t miss the little shops, homes, and twisting backstreets along the way! Soak in the quiet atmosphere of Ferrara and imagine life in the 14th century!

The Panoramic Bologna or Ferrara Accessible Driving Tour features:

  • Convenient accessible van transportation with a wheelchair ramp
  • 8 hour driving tour
  • Lively commentary by an officially-certified, English-speaking tour guide
  • Tour guide familiar with the needs of disabled travelers
  • Pick-up and drop-off at any centrally-located hotel or at the cruise port
  • Memorable sightseeing and great photo opportunities in Bologna or Ferrara!

Contact us to Book Your Accessible Ravenna Tour

 

If you’d rather spend the whole day in Ravenna, consider the 7 hour Highlights of Ravenna Accessible Shore Excursion. Or, if you’d prefer a shorter tour that has a 5 star Sage Accessibility Rating, we recommend the Essential Ravenna Accessible Cruise Excursion—our most accessible tour in Ravenna!

Tour Highlights

If you visit Bologna you’ll see

  • Piazza Maggiore
  • Piazza del Nettuno
  • Neptune’s Fountain
  • Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall)
  • Palazzo deiNotari (Old College of Notaries)
  • Palazzo del Podestà (Governor’s Palace)
  • Palazzo di Re Enzo
  • Basilica of S. Petronio
  • Two Towers of Bologna
  • Mausoleum of Galla Placidia or the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna

If you visit Ferrara you’ll see

  • Renaissance walls of the city
  • Crossroads of the Angels
  • Palace of Diamonds
  • Este Castle or “Castello Estense”
  • Renaissance street CorsoErcole
  • Ferrara Cathedral
  • Jewish ghetto
  • Via delle Volte
  • Mausoleum of Galla Placidia or the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna

Either of these options will make for a wonderful full day accessible driving tour from Ravenna! However, you must choose just one! If you’re having trouble deciding which city to visit, we recommend Ferrara as the better option for wheelchair users or travelers with limited mobility, because the city of Ferrara is more accessible.

Bologna is still a great option, but your route will be slightly more limited than it would be in Ferrara. It is a very large city (the seventh most populous in Italy!), but since you will have an experienced guide with you, you’ll be able to navigate to the few streets in the city that do not include steps or rough, unmanageable cobblestones.

Accessibility Details

The Panoramic Bologna or Ferrara Accessible Driving Tour has a 4 star Sage Accessibility Rating because it uses a wheelchair accessible vehicle and follows a step-free route. It did not receive a higher rating because you will encounter mild to moderate cobblestones along the way and the guide is unable to push a wheelchair.

When you arrive in port, you’ll go through the cruise terminal into the adjacent parking lot (shown on the left). This is where you will meet your guide and driver. Transportation will be in a wheelchair accessible vehicle with a lift (shown in the photo below on the right).

cruise terminal into the adjacent parkingwheelchair accessible vehicle with a liftIf you would prefer to use a normal vehicle for this excursion, please contact us for a price quote.

Tour Details

Tour duration: 8 hours
Cost: €1050 for 1-2 people, €1100 for 3-4 people, €1150 for 5-6 people
* €50 off if booked as part of an accessible cruise & excursions package.
Days of the week the tour is offered: 7 days a week
Meet-up time: 9 am or when ship arrives
Meet-up place: Ravenna accessible hotel lobby or cruise dock
Dress code: None
Maximum number of people on tour: 2 wheelchair users plus 3 other people or 1 wheelchair user plus 5 other people.
Entrance tickets: Not necessary
To review our cancellation policy, please click: HERE Tours run rain or shine.
Not included: Snacks/meals and gratuities.

Contact us to Book Your Accessible Ravenna Tour

Read more:

Accessible Shore Excursions  –  Alexandria,  Amsterdam,  Argostoli,  Ashdod,  Athens,  Barcelona,  Bari,  Berlin,  Bruges,  Brussels,  Cannes,  Catania,  Capri,  Civitavecchia,  Copenhagen,  Corfu,  Dublin,  Dubrovnik,  Edinburgh,  Egypt,  Ephesus,  Florence,  French Riviera,  Genoa,  Helsinki,  Israel,  Istanbul,  Izmir,  Katakolon (Olympia),  Koper,  Kotor,  Kusadasi,  La Spezia,  Le Havre,  Livorno,  Malta,  Marseilles,  Messina,  Monte Carlo,  Montenegro,  Mykonos,  Naples,  Nice,  Normandy,  Palermo,  Palma de Mallorca,  Port Said,  Ravenna,  Rome,  Salerno,  Santorini,  Sicily,  Sorrento,  Split,  St. Petersburg,  Stockholm,  Tallinn,  Taormina,  Toulon,  Valencia,  Valletta,  Venice,  Villefranche,  Warnemunde,  Zeebrugge

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