Dopa Hostel
Why we like it: Hostel on Via Irnerio, in the university district, with a private suite with bathroom, private rooms and dormitories; breakfast included and a kitchen for guests.
From €22
View details
Duration2 nights, Friday to Sunday
Getting thereFlight to Bologna (BLQ) and Marconi Express, or train from Rome
Getting aroundOn foot, under the porticoes
Best timeMarch – June · September – November
BudgetFrom about €250 pp without flights
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive on Friday at midday and return on Sunday afternoon. Saturday is the day of the guided walk in Spanish and of the visits that are closed on Sunday; Sunday is for San Luca and the long lunch at Diana. You do not need a car at any point.
Friday
- 113:00Arrival
You land in Bologna, take the Marconi Express to the station and walk twenty minutes along Via Indipendenza to the hotel. Drop your bag.
- 216:20Clock Tower
Climb on foot to the terraces of the Palazzo d'Accursio, above Piazza Maggiore and San Petronio, in the afternoon light. €10, by reservation; the last climb is at 18:20.
- 319:30Dinner at Osteria dell'Orsa
Tagliatelle al ragù and a board of cured meats at the students' osteria on Via Mentana. It does not take reservations; at this hour you can still get in.
Saturday
- 110:00Archiginnasio
The old university and its 1637 anatomical theatre, with an audioguide in Spanish. €10, booking compulsory. Closed on Sunday.
- 212:00Lucio Dalla's house
The singer-songwriter's house, on Via D'Azeglio, on a guided visit in Italian. €18. If you do not speak Italian, swap it for a stroll around the Quadrilatero.
- 313:15Lunch at Da Cesari
Tortellini in broth and scaloppina alla petroniana beside Piazza Maggiore. Book by phone.
- 415:30Guided walk in Spanish
Discover Bologna, two hours from Piazza Maggiore to the two towers, with the inside of San Petronio. €18. In summer, at 16:30.
Sunday
- 109:30San Luca
San Luca Express from Piazza Maggiore to the sanctuary, €15 return, and a walk back down along the 666 arches of the portico. On Sunday mornings many Bolognese people go up.
- 213:15Lunch at Ristorante Diana
The 1909 classic: tortellini in broth, green lasagne and the boiled-meat trolley. On Sunday it is only open at midday; book on their website.
- 315:30Museum of the History of Bologna
In the Palazzo Pepoli, beside the two towers: the city from the Etruscans to today. €10, audioguide in Spanish and free up to age 12.
- 417:30Return
On foot to the station and the Marconi Express to the airport, or the train to Rome.
Bologna is well seen in two nights. There are direct flights from several Spanish cities, the airport is seven minutes from the centre by train and everything that matters is done on foot, almost always under porticoes. In two and a half days you climb to the terraces of the Clock Tower, enter the anatomical theatre of the old university, take the official guided walk in Spanish, go up to San Luca and eat Bolognese cooking in three very different places. If you are already in Rome, you arrive by high-speed train in a little over two hours.
How do you get there?
From Spain, by plane to Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ). There are direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Seville and the Canary Islands; see the "By plane" panel on the Bologna page. From the airport to the central station there is the Marconi Express, an elevated train that takes about seven minutes and runs from 5:40 to midnight; a single ticket costs €12.80. At night the Q bus does the journey.
From Rome, by train: Frecciarossa or Italo from Termini to Bologna Centrale, in about two hours and a quarter. From the station, walk to any of the three accommodations.
Where to stay?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Albergo delle Drapperie | Quadrilatero, beside Piazza Maggiore | Three-star hotel in an old inn, breakfast included |
| Dopa Hostel | University district, 10 min from the station | For spending little, with private rooms |
| Grand Hotel Majestic | Via Indipendenza | The 1912 five-star, for a treat |
What if I have one more day?
Florence is less than forty minutes away by high-speed train and Venice a little over an hour and a half: see the Florence and Venice pages. If you return to Rome, you can do Florence on the way.
With children
Bologna is comfortable with children: the museum at Palazzo Pepoli and the guided walk are free up to age 12, they like the San Luca Express and the porticoes give shade and shelter. At the Clock Tower, under-8s do not go up to the highest terrace. Swap Lucio Dalla's house, only in Italian, for the museum or for an ice cream in the Quadrilatero.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Bologna, 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 Bologna
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Direct flight to Bologna and the Marconi Express into the centre
Bologna is one of the easiest Italian cities from Spain: Guglielmo Marconi airport has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Seville and the Canary Islands, and is about 8 km from the centre. An elevated train, the Marconi Express, drops you at the central station in about seven minutes. You do not need a car: the city is covered on foot and Florence, Milan and Venice are a short high-speed train ride away.
- Getting thereBologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ), with…
- Getting aroundOn foot through the centre…
- Where to sleepDopa Hostel, ten minutes' walk…
- ServicesBologna Welcome tourist office in…
Getting there
- Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ), with direct flights from several Spanish cities
- Marconi Express from the airport to the central station: about 7 minutes, from 5:40 to midnight, €12.80 for a single ticket
- From midnight to 5:40, Tper's city bus Q runs the same route with the Marconi Express ticket
Getting around
- On foot through the centre, beneath the arcades
- Tper city buses from the station
- High-speed train from Bologna Centrale to Florence, Milan, Venice and Rome
Where to sleep
- Dopa Hostel, ten minutes' walk from the station
- Grand Hotel Majestic, on Via Indipendenza, between the station and Piazza Maggiore
- Albergo delle Drapperie, in the Quadrilatero, beside the square
Services
- Bologna Welcome tourist office in Piazza Maggiore, selling tours and the Bologna Welcome Card
Car-free: train, Marconi Express and arcades
Bologna is easy without a car. You arrive by plane or high-speed train at the central station, the centre is covered on foot beneath the arcades and the Sanctuary of San Luca has its own tourist train. The car only causes problems: the centre is a limited-traffic zone and hotels send you to underground car parks or paid garages.
60–250 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepDopa Hostel, in the university…
- Getting aroundOn foot: from the station…
- Where to eatOsteria dell'Orsa, open every day…
- ServicesBologna Welcome, in Piazza Maggiore…
Where to sleep
- Dopa Hostel, in the university district, with private rooms and dormitories
- Albergo delle Drapperie, in the Quadrilatero, breakfast included
- Grand Hotel Majestic, on Via Indipendenza, for a treat
Getting around
- On foot: from the station to Piazza Maggiore, about 20 minutes along Via Indipendenza
- Marconi Express between the airport and the station
- San Luca Express from Piazza Maggiore to the sanctuary, or on foot beneath the portico
Where to eat
- Osteria dell'Orsa, open every day from 12:30 to 23:00, no reservations
- Da Cesari, beside Piazza Maggiore, Monday to Saturday
- Ristorante Diana, the 1909 classic, open Sunday lunchtime
Services
- Bologna Welcome, in Piazza Maggiore, for tickets and guided tours
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a car
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Albergo delle Drapperie
Why we like it: Three-star hotel with 21 rooms in a former inn in the Quadrilatero, the market district, two minutes from Piazza Maggiore. Breakfast included.
Grand Hotel Majestic “già Baglioni”
Why we like it: Five-star hotel in an 18th-century palace on Via Indipendenza, open since 1912, with a restaurant beneath frescoes from the Carracci school.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Bologna
Osteria dell'Orsa
What to order: tagliatelle al ragù or tortellini, a cured meat board to share and the wine from the Imola hills; ask at the bar about the dishes of the day
Ristorante Da Cesari
What to order: tortellini in veal broth, tagliatelle or gramignone verde with sausage ragù, and for a main course scaloppina alla petroniana with roast potatoes
Ristorante Diana
What to order: tortellini in broth or green lasagne, then the boiled-meat trolley or the roast trolley, and crème caramel or the house ice cream
Osteria del Sole
What to order: a glass of the house wine and whatever you have bought in the shops on Via Pescherie Vecchie or Via Drapperie
Enoteca Italiana, on Via Marsala
What to order: a glass recommended by the house with a board of mortadella, culaccia and cheeses
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Look at the Bologna Welcome Card: it includes several of these visits, such as the Clock Tower or the Palazzo Pepoli. Compare it with what you are going to do before buying it.
We'd skip it
Do not plan to climb the Asinelli tower: it is closed until further notice because of the work on the Garisenda. And do not go by car: the centre is a restricted-traffic zone.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the getaway cost?
Without flights, with a three-star hotel, tickets and meals, from about €250 per person for the two nights; in a hostel, quite a bit less.
Do you need a car?
No. The centre is done on foot and the airport has a train to the station.
What do you need to book?
The Clock Tower, the Archiginnasio, Lucio Dalla's house and the guided walk with Bologna Welcome; a table at Diana and at Da Cesari.
What is the best time of year?
Spring and autumn. In July and August it is very hot and Da Cesari closes in August.