Day trip from Florence Bologna
The capital of Emilia-Romagna, a brick-red university city of porticoes and food markets, 38 minutes north of Florence by high-speed train.
Is Bologna worth a day trip from Florence?
Go. Fastest day trip from Florence.
Yes, and it is the easiest one on this list. Frecciarossa trains take 37 or 38 minutes and leave three or four times an hour, so you can decide at breakfast. The cost is the catch: € 23 to € 35 each way when bought late, against € 10 for a regional that takes 1 h 46 with a change at Prato. Book the fast train a few days ahead. In town, most of the day is free: Piazza Maggiore, San Petronio, the Quadrilatero market streets, the porticoes. The Asinelli tower has been closed since late 2023, so the view now comes from the Torre dell'Orologio, € 10.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 38 min+ 20 min walk to Piazza Maggiore · one way · Trenitalia
- Transport
- High-speed train
- Self-guided cost
- € 30–80Train return, regional at € 10 each way (min) or Frecciarossa at up to € 35 each way (max), + Torre dell'Orologio ticket (€ 10) · Bologna Welcome
- Tour price
- –
- Time needed
- 6–9 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- 25 Dec (Torre dell'Orologio)
- Best time
- All year; Sep-Nov and Mar-May for walkingDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth a full dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Bologna
- 01
Piazza Maggiore and San Petronio
The main square and its huge unfinished basilica, half marble and half bare brick. Inside, a 67 metre brass meridian line crosses the floor. Entry is free. Allow 30 minutes.
- 02
Torre dell'Orologio
The clock tower of Palazzo d'Accursio, climbed in timed groups every 20 minutes. Two terraces look over the square and the red roofs. The ticket also covers the city art collections.
- 03
Quadrilatero
A grid of narrow market streets east of the square, with stalls of mortadella, fresh pasta, cheese and fruit. Walk Via Pescherie Vecchie and Via Drapperie. Twenty minutes, or two hours with lunch.
- 04
Archiginnasio
The first seat of the university, with walls covered in student coats of arms and a wood-panelled anatomical theatre from 1637. A small ticket and 30 minutes.
- 05
Santo Stefano
A cluster of interlocking medieval churches and cloisters known as the Seven Churches, on a cobbled triangular square. Free with a donation. Ten minutes on foot from the Two Towers.
How to spend the day
Take the 09:10 Frecciarossa from Santa Maria Novella, in Bologna Centrale at 09:48. Walk 20 minutes down Via dell'Indipendenza to Piazza Maggiore. Climb the Torre dell'Orologio, entries every 20 minutes from 10:00, then San Petronio and the Archiginnasio. Lunch in the Quadrilatero at 13:00, the Two Towers and Santo Stefano after. Stay for an early dinner and take the 21:02 or 21:27 back, 37 minutes. The last regional leaves at 22:05.
Bologna in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustJune to August is hot and humid on the plain, but the porticoes keep you in shade nearly all day. Many family-run trattorie and food shops close for two weeks around 15 August, so check before you build the day around one lunch. The city is emptier of students and queues are short. Take a late train back.
Winter
December to FebruaryFrom December to February Bologna is cold, often foggy and at its best for eating: this is tortellini in brodo season. The porticoes keep you dry in rain, and everything indoors stays open except the clock tower on 25 December. Short days matter little in a city of arcades, churches and long lunches.
How crowded it gets
Busy- Busiest
- Saturdays, trade fair weeks, lunch hours in the Quadrilatero
- Quietest
- Weekday mornings, and most of August
Bologna has more locals than visitors, so the pressure is on restaurant tables, not sights. Book lunch a day or two ahead for Saturday, or eat at 12:15. Tower slots are limited, so reserve the time online.
How do you get to Bologna from Florence?
Frecciarossa
- Travel time
- 37-38 min
- Frequency
- 3-4 trains an hour
- Cost
- € 22.90-35 each way
- Departs from
- Firenze Santa Maria Novella
High-speed trains with seat reservation and dynamic prices, cheaper when booked ahead. Bologna Centrale's high-speed platforms are deep underground, allow 10 minutes to reach the street. Intercity trains take 1 h 12 to 1 h 17 for € 12.50 to € 13.90.
Regional train
- Travel time
- 1 h 16 to 1 h 48
- Frequency
- About hourly, change at Prato
- Cost
- € 10 each way
- Departs from
- Firenze Santa Maria Novella
The budget route: a regional to Prato Centrale and another over the Apennines to Bologna. Fixed price, no reservation. The 07:09 makes it in 1 h 16, most others take 1 h 46. It saves up to € 50 on a return but costs you two hours.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Shoes for a full day on stone: expect 8 to 10 km under the porticoes. No umbrella needed in the centre. Bring a warm coat from November to March, when damp fog makes it feel colder than it is.
What to eat
Order tagliatelle al ragù, never spaghetti, tortellini in brodo, green lasagne and a board of mortadella with crescentine fried bread. The Quadrilatero is the place to graze from stalls. For a sit-down lunch try the streets around Via del Pratello and Santo Stefano.
What you will spend
The train decides the bill: € 10 each way on the slow regional, € 22.90-35 on the Frecciarossa. In town almost everything is free, with € 10 for the Torre dell'Orologio. Spend what you save on lunch, which is the reason many people come.
How to get the most out of the day
- Bologna Centrale is large. High-speed trains leave from underground platforms 16 to 19, 10 minutes on foot from the main hall, so arrive early.
- The portico to the Sanctuary of San Luca runs 3.8 km uphill from Porta Saragozza under 666 arches. Allow 2 hours return and skip something else.
- Many food shops in the Quadrilatero close on Thursday afternoons and all day Sunday. Go on a weekday morning to see the market at full strength.
- Vacuum-packed mortadella and wedges of Parmigiano travel well. Ask the shop to seal them, and buy on the way back to the station.
How long do you need in Bologna?
Plan 6–9 h on site, plus 38 min of travel each way from Florence.
When is Bologna closed?
25 Dec (Torre dell'Orologio). Best time: All year; Sep-Nov and Mar-May for walking.