Key facts
Emilia-Romagna at a glance
Areas and places
Emilia-Romagna area by area
Each area has its own page, with its own character, plans and map.
Plan the trip
Emilia-Romagna, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Emilia-Romagna
Spring and autumn: mild temperatures for walking under the arcades and visiting cheese dairies and wineries. July and August are very hot and humid on the plain, though it's the Rimini coast's season. Winter brings fog, but the cities run at full tilt and it's a good time to eat.
How you travel
Emilia-Romagna your way
The ways of travelling that suit Emilia-Romagna. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
By planeCar-free
Nearby
Near Emilia-Romagna
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
43.43° N · 11.47° E
Tuscany
By carBy planeCar-free
45.44° N · 12.34° E
Veneto
By planeCar-free
44.13° N · 9.68° E
Liguria
By planeCar-free
43.07° N · 12.62° E
Umbria
By carBy planeCar-free
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Sleep in Bologna and travel by train
Modena is about half an hour away by regional train and Ravenna a little over an hour. There's no need to change hotel.
- 2Visit a cheese dairy in the morning
Parmigiano is made first thing. Many dairies in the Parma and Reggio Emilia area accept visits by reservation.
- 3Take your time in Ravenna
Its mosaics are spread across several buildings with a combined ticket. Give it a whole day, not just a few hours.
- 4Order tortellini in brodo
In Bologna and Modena they come in broth, not with sauce. And real bolognese is called ragù and goes with tagliatelle.
It's a summer resort of sunbeds in rows and nightclubs. If you want a beautiful sea, choose another region.
Which part of Emilia-Romagna should you choose?
Emilia-Romagna is a fertile plain between the Po and the Apennines, crossed in a straight line by the ancient Via Emilia, and its cities follow one another along that line: Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Imola, all the way to the sea at Rimini. It's the region that gives us Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma ham, Modena balsamic vinegar, mortadella and tortellini. You travel by eating, by train, and from city to city.
Bologna is the natural base: a capital, railway hub and university city, with dozens of kilometres of World Heritage arcades, medieval towers and a centre full of markets and osterie. It needs two or three nights and leaves you less than an hour from almost everything else.
To the west, along the Via Emilia, Modena has a World Heritage Romanesque cathedral and the acetaie, the lofts where balsamic vinegar ages; very close, in Maranello, is the Ferrari museum. Parma is elegant and quiet, with its baptistery and painted cathedral, and is the capital of Parmigiano and ham: around it you can visit cheese dairies and curing houses.
To the east, Ravenna keeps in its basilicas and mausoleums a set of Byzantine mosaics from the 5th and 6th centuries, a World Heritage Site. Ferrara, to the north, is a flat, walled Renaissance city, ideal to explore by bike. And on the coast, the Romagna Riviera, from Rimini to Cattolica, is sandy beaches and parasols for summer holidays, with the tiny republic of San Marino high up inland.
A good split for five days: three nights in Bologna with day trips to Modena and Ravenna, and one or two in Parma.
How do you get there from Spain?
By plane, to Bologna, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga, Alicante, Palma, Ibiza, Menorca, Santander, Castellón and the Canary Islands, among others. The Marconi Express runs from the airport to the central station, an automated elevated train that takes seven minutes.
Another option is to fly to Milan: Bologna is an hour away by Frecciarossa. By car, from Spain you come through northern Italy by motorway; the A1 and A14 cross the region, with tolls.
How do you get around Emilia-Romagna?
By train. It's one of the best-connected regions in Italy: Bologna is about forty minutes from Florence and an hour from Milan on the high-speed line, and regional trains link Bologna quickly with Modena, Parma, Ravenna and Ferrara. You can always sleep in Bologna and make day trips.
By car, only for the cheese dairies, ham curing houses and Apennine villages. The centres of Bologna, Parma and Modena have limited traffic zones: park outside. Ferrara and Parma are very easy to explore by bike.
When should you go and what does it cost?
Spring and autumn. In April, May, September and October it's pleasant to walk under the arcades and countryside visits are enjoyable. July and August are very hot and humid on the plain; it's the coast's season, but many city trattorias close for a few weeks in August. Winter brings fog and cold, and is a good time for hearty spoon dishes and for visiting museums without crowds.
Emilia-Romagna is cheaper than Tuscany or Venice for sleeping, and you eat very well at a good price. Bologna gets pricier during big trade fairs.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need for Emilia-Romagna?
Five: three in Bologna with Modena and Ravenna as day trips, and one or two in Parma. A week if you add Ferrara and a countryside visit.
Can you tour it without a car?
Yes, better than almost any other region: all the main cities are linked by train. The car is only useful for the countryside.
How do I get from Bologna airport to the centre?
On the Marconi Express, which reaches the central station in seven minutes. At night a bus replaces it.
What should I eat in Emilia-Romagna?
Tortellini in broth, tagliatelle al ragù, lasagne, mortadella, Parma ham, Parmigiano Reggiano and traditional Modena balsamic vinegar.
Is Ravenna worth it?
Yes, if you're interested in art: its 5th- and 6th-century mosaics are unique. It's a little over an hour from Bologna by train.
Bologna or Florence?
Both, as they are about forty minutes apart by train. Bologna is cheaper, less touristy and better for eating.