Bologna to Florence by train
It's one of the easiest train hops in Italy. A high-speed train links the two cities in about 37 minutes, both stations sit in the centre, and trains run all day.
Florence is the most popular day trip from Bologna, and the reason is simple: the high-speed line gets you there in roughly 37 minutes, city centre to city centre. That's faster than a lot of people's commute. You board at Bologna Centrale and step off at Firenze Santa Maria Novella, a ten-minute walk from the Duomo. No transfers, no airport, no fuss.
- Fastest time
- About 37 min
- Distance
- ~91 km
- Frequency
- Up to 3–4 trains/hour
- Operators
- Frecciarossa · Italo · Regionale
Your two real options
There are two ways to make this trip, and the choice comes down to speed versus price.
1. High-speed (Frecciarossa or Italo)
The fast trains run through the Apennine tunnels and cover the route in about 37 minutes. Two companies compete on it: Frecciarossa (Trenitalia's flagship) and Italo (the private operator). They use the same line, hit the same speeds, and both pull into Santa Maria Novella. Departures come thick and fast, often every 15 to 20 minutes through the middle of the day. If you book a few days ahead you can usually find fares around €10 to €20 one way; walk-up prices on a busy morning climb higher.
2. Regional (Regionale)
The slower regional train skips the high-speed tunnels and takes the old line over the hills. Reckon on roughly an hour to an hour and ten. The trade-off is a flat, cheap fare (usually in the low teens of euros) that never changes whether you book in advance or buy it on the platform. Regional tickets aren't tied to a specific train, so they're the flexible choice if your plans are loose. Just remember to validate a paper regional ticket in the green machine before you board, or you risk a fine.
Which one to pick
For a day trip, take a high-speed train out in the morning and a regional one back if you want to save a few euros and don't mind the slower return. The high-speed fare is dynamic, so the earlier you book, the less you pay. The regional fare is fixed, so there's no reward for booking it early.
Buying tickets
Book high-speed seats through the official Trenitalia or Italo sites or apps, or at the machines and ticket office inside Bologna Centrale. Both operators release cheaper advance fares that sell out as the train fills, so booking 1–2 weeks ahead pays off for the fast trains. For the regional service there's no advantage to booking early; grab it on the day. Avoid third-party resellers that tack on fees unless the convenience is worth it to you.
Rather not handle the logistics?
Guided Florence day trips from Bologna bundle the train, a local guide and skip-the-line entry to the big sights, so you turn up and follow along.
See Florence day trips & toursThe two stations
You'll leave from Bologna Centrale, the city's main hub. High-speed trains depart from the deep underground AV platforms, so leave yourself a few extra minutes to get down there from the main concourse. Our Bologna Centrale survival guide walks you through the layout, the AV level and where to wait.
In Florence you arrive at Firenze Santa Maria Novella, often shortened to Firenze SMN on the boards. Every train, fast or regional, uses this same central station, so there's no confusion about where to get off. It's a dead-end station right in the heart of town, and the Duomo is about a ten-minute stroll out the front. Walk eastward and you're among the sights almost immediately.
Making it a day trip
Because the journey is so short, a Florence day trip out of Bologna genuinely works. Catch an 8 or 9am train, spend the day on the Duomo, the Uffizi and a walk across the Ponte Vecchio, and you're back in Bologna for dinner. Book any timed-entry sights in Florence (the Uffizi and the Accademia in particular) well ahead, since walk-up queues swallow hours. Then come home to the real tagliatelle al ragù rather than chasing it in tourist-priced Florence.
Going the other way
The trip works just as well in reverse if you're based in Florence and curious about Bologna. Same trains, same 37 minutes, and on this end you arrive into a city that's cheaper, less crowded and arguably eats better. Plenty of people now do Bologna as a day trip from Florence rather than the other way round.
Other train routes from Bologna
Bologna sits on the main north-south high-speed spine, which makes it a brilliant base. Florence is the closest big city, but the same fast line runs up to Milan in about an hour and down to Rome in just over two hours. Heading east, you can reach Venice in around an hour and a half, while the foodie favourite Modena is a short regional hop. For getting around the city itself, see how the buses and tickets work, or read why the centre is so walkable once you arrive.