# Two nights in Bologna, with a direct flight from Spain or by train from Rome: porticoes, San Luca, towers and tortellini Direct flight to Bologna and the Marconi Express to the centre, or high-speed from Rome; three days on foot with the old university, the walk in Spanish, San Luca and the tortellini. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/emilia-romagna/bologna/itineraries/two-nights-san-luca-and-tortellini · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Dónde: Bologna 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? AccommodationAreaWho it suits Albergo delle DrapperieQuadrilatero, beside Piazza MaggioreThree-star hotel in an old inn, breakfast included Dopa HostelUniversity district, 10 min from the stationFor spending little, with private rooms Grand Hotel MajesticVia IndipendenzaThe 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. ## El plan ### Friday · 13:00 · Arrival You land in Bologna, take the Marconi Express to the station and walk twenty minutes along Via Indipendenza to the hotel. Drop your bag. ### Friday · 16:20 · Clock 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. ### Friday · 19:30 · Dinner 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 · 10:00 · Archiginnasio The old university and its 1637 anatomical theatre, with an audioguide in Spanish. €10, booking compulsory. Closed on Sunday. ### Saturday · 12:00 · Lucio 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. ### Saturday · 13:15 · Lunch at Da Cesari Tortellini in broth and scaloppina alla petroniana beside Piazza Maggiore. Book by phone. ### Saturday · 15:30 · Guided 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 · 09:30 · San 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. ### Sunday · 13:15 · Lunch 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. ### Sunday · 15:30 · Museum 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. ### Sunday · 17:30 · Return On foot to the station and the Marconi Express to the airport, or the train to Rome. ## Un consejo más 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. ## Cuándo no ir 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. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### 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. ## Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Dopa Hostel**, desde 22 € / bed: A small hostel in the university district Dopa Hostel is at Via Irnerio, 41, in a yellow building in the university district, north of the centre. From the central station it is about ten minutes on foot, and Piazza Maggiore and the two towers are a short walk away. It is a small hostel of seven rooms, which prides itself on being 99% handmade: wooden pods for the bunk beds, walls with tree-trunk slices and furniture made for the place. Rooms There are three private rooms and four dormitories: Woodland, a private suite for one or two people, the only one with its own bathroom. Edge, a private triple, and Harbor, a private for four with two bunk beds. Mixed dormitories of 4, 6 and 8 beds, and a 6-bed dormitory for women only. Apart from the suite, the rooms share a large bathroom. Each bed has a curtain, reading light, socket, its own locker and a hanger. Bed linen is included. What the price includes Breakfast is included, from 8:00 to 10:00: coffee, tea, milk, yogurt, juice, bread, toast, jams, Nutella, honey, fruit and something savoury that changes each day. You have an equipped kitchen, wifi, two computers, a printer and free luggage storage. Laundry is paid separately and they rent bikes by the hour or by the day. The website gives indicative prices: €22 to €30 per bed in a dormitory and €45 to €70 for a private room, with breakfast, though they rise a lot in high season. When you book you pay a 2% deposit; the rest on arrival. Getting there From the airport, the Marconi Express to the central station and then on foot along Via Indipendenza and Via Irnerio; from the station, buses 36 or 37 also go, three stops. There is no parking: on Via Irnerio itself you park on the street, paid Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 20:00. Check-in is from 12:00 to 23:00 and check-out before 10:00. Reception is open from 8:00 to 23:00. There is no curfew if you leave a deposit for the key. - **Albergo delle Drapperie**: An inn on the drapers' street Albergo delle Drapperie is at Via Drapperie, 5, in the Quadrilatero, the market district behind Piazza Maggiore. The street takes its name from the drapers, the cloth and wool merchants who had their shops here. Today these are narrow streets of food shops and bars. Piazza Maggiore and San Petronio are two minutes away, and the two towers and the Archiginnasio five. The building was already an inn with rooms for travellers in the second half of the 19th century. It was restored from 2004 and is run by the Caruba family: Umberto and Rita, and their children Guglielmo and Letizia. The rooms There are 21 and no two are alike. Many have frescoed ceilings and classic furniture with an Art Nouveau air; the junior suite has exposed wooden beams. There are small singles for solo travellers, standard doubles looking onto the inner courtyard or the streets of the Quadrilatero, twins with two beds and junior suites for two or three people. All have a bathroom with shower, air conditioning, television, minibar, safe and wifi, and are non-smoking. Continental breakfast is included, from 7:30 to 10:30. Reception is open from 7:00 to 24:00, with a night porter. The building has four floors, with a lift from the first floor up. You can leave your bags in the luggage store and order an airport transfer, which is paid separately. Getting there From the central station it is about fifteen minutes on foot down Via Indipendenza; from the airport, the Marconi Express to the station and then on foot or by taxi. By car, the centre is a limited-traffic zone and the hotel has no parking: the website refers you to the underground car park at Piazza VIII Agosto. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 11:00. Cancellation is free up to 72 hours before, except on non-refundable rates. - **Grand Hotel Majestic “già Baglioni”**: A palace on Via Indipendenza The Grand Hotel Majestic “già Baglioni” is at Via dell'Indipendenza, 8, the arcaded street that runs down from the station to Piazza Maggiore, five minutes' walk from the square. It occupies an 18th-century palace and has operated as a hotel since 1912. It is a five-star luxury hotel and has been a member of The Leading Hotels of the World since 1990. It has 106 rooms decorated in Venetian style, with stucco and silk walls, or in 19th-century French style. They range from classic and superior rooms to suites, among them a royal suite dedicated to Giuseppe Verdi, with two bedrooms, and an Art Deco suite on the fifth floor, with a terrace and private lift. All have fibre wifi, television, safe and minibar. There are adapted rooms, with walk-in showers. Eating and drinking without going out The restaurant I Carracci, which also has an entrance on Via Manzoni, 2, sits beneath a vault frescoed by the Carracci school, the Bolognese painters of the 16th century. There are also the Cafè Marinetti, in Deco style with a Carrara marble floor, the Enoteca Morandi, in the historic cellar, and the hotel's terraces, where they serve aperitifs. Breakfast is taken in a room that opens onto the winter garden. Getting there From the central station it is about 900 metres: on foot, by bus A or by taxi. From the airport, about 8 km away, the Marconi Express drops you at the station in a few minutes. By car you need to be careful: the hotel is in a limited-traffic zone. Do not put the hotel's address into the satnav, because that street is pedestrianised: the hotel says to enter via Via Marconi, go to Via Galliera 23 and continue along Via Manzoni to the end, where the valet is waiting. The guarded garage costs €55 to €70 a night, depending on the car, and must be reserved. It has a charging point for electric cars. The main entrance has two flights of steps, with a stairlift and a platform at the back, with the help of staff. ## Dónde dormir without a car - **Dopa Hostel**, desde 22 € / bed: A small hostel in the university district Dopa Hostel is at Via Irnerio, 41, in a yellow building in the university district, north of the centre. From the central station it is about ten minutes on foot, and Piazza Maggiore and the two towers are a short walk away. It is a small hostel of seven rooms, which prides itself on being 99% handmade: wooden pods for the bunk beds, walls with tree-trunk slices and furniture made for the place. Rooms There are three private rooms and four dormitories: Woodland, a private suite for one or two people, the only one with its own bathroom. Edge, a private triple, and Harbor, a private for four with two bunk beds. Mixed dormitories of 4, 6 and 8 beds, and a 6-bed dormitory for women only. Apart from the suite, the rooms share a large bathroom. Each bed has a curtain, reading light, socket, its own locker and a hanger. Bed linen is included. What the price includes Breakfast is included, from 8:00 to 10:00: coffee, tea, milk, yogurt, juice, bread, toast, jams, Nutella, honey, fruit and something savoury that changes each day. You have an equipped kitchen, wifi, two computers, a printer and free luggage storage. Laundry is paid separately and they rent bikes by the hour or by the day. The website gives indicative prices: €22 to €30 per bed in a dormitory and €45 to €70 for a private room, with breakfast, though they rise a lot in high season. When you book you pay a 2% deposit; the rest on arrival. Getting there From the airport, the Marconi Express to the central station and then on foot along Via Indipendenza and Via Irnerio; from the station, buses 36 or 37 also go, three stops. There is no parking: on Via Irnerio itself you park on the street, paid Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 20:00. Check-in is from 12:00 to 23:00 and check-out before 10:00. Reception is open from 8:00 to 23:00. There is no curfew if you leave a deposit for the key. - **Albergo delle Drapperie**: An inn on the drapers' street Albergo delle Drapperie is at Via Drapperie, 5, in the Quadrilatero, the market district behind Piazza Maggiore. The street takes its name from the drapers, the cloth and wool merchants who had their shops here. Today these are narrow streets of food shops and bars. Piazza Maggiore and San Petronio are two minutes away, and the two towers and the Archiginnasio five. The building was already an inn with rooms for travellers in the second half of the 19th century. It was restored from 2004 and is run by the Caruba family: Umberto and Rita, and their children Guglielmo and Letizia. The rooms There are 21 and no two are alike. Many have frescoed ceilings and classic furniture with an Art Nouveau air; the junior suite has exposed wooden beams. There are small singles for solo travellers, standard doubles looking onto the inner courtyard or the streets of the Quadrilatero, twins with two beds and junior suites for two or three people. All have a bathroom with shower, air conditioning, television, minibar, safe and wifi, and are non-smoking. Continental breakfast is included, from 7:30 to 10:30. Reception is open from 7:00 to 24:00, with a night porter. The building has four floors, with a lift from the first floor up. You can leave your bags in the luggage store and order an airport transfer, which is paid separately. Getting there From the central station it is about fifteen minutes on foot down Via Indipendenza; from the airport, the Marconi Express to the station and then on foot or by taxi. By car, the centre is a limited-traffic zone and the hotel has no parking: the website refers you to the underground car park at Piazza VIII Agosto. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 11:00. Cancellation is free up to 72 hours before, except on non-refundable rates. - **Grand Hotel Majestic “già Baglioni”**: A palace on Via Indipendenza The Grand Hotel Majestic “già Baglioni” is at Via dell'Indipendenza, 8, the arcaded street that runs down from the station to Piazza Maggiore, five minutes' walk from the square. It occupies an 18th-century palace and has operated as a hotel since 1912. It is a five-star luxury hotel and has been a member of The Leading Hotels of the World since 1990. It has 106 rooms decorated in Venetian style, with stucco and silk walls, or in 19th-century French style. They range from classic and superior rooms to suites, among them a royal suite dedicated to Giuseppe Verdi, with two bedrooms, and an Art Deco suite on the fifth floor, with a terrace and private lift. All have fibre wifi, television, safe and minibar. There are adapted rooms, with walk-in showers. Eating and drinking without going out The restaurant I Carracci, which also has an entrance on Via Manzoni, 2, sits beneath a vault frescoed by the Carracci school, the Bolognese painters of the 16th century. There are also the Cafè Marinetti, in Deco style with a Carrara marble floor, the Enoteca Morandi, in the historic cellar, and the hotel's terraces, where they serve aperitifs. Breakfast is taken in a room that opens onto the winter garden. Getting there From the central station it is about 900 metres: on foot, by bus A or by taxi. From the airport, about 8 km away, the Marconi Express drops you at the station in a few minutes. By car you need to be careful: the hotel is in a limited-traffic zone. Do not put the hotel's address into the satnav, because that street is pedestrianised: the hotel says to enter via Via Marconi, go to Via Galliera 23 and continue along Via Manzoni to the end, where the valet is waiting. The guarded garage costs €55 to €70 a night, depending on the car, and must be reserved. It has a charging point for electric cars. The main entrance has two flights of steps, with a stairlift and a platform at the back, with the help of staff.