Bologna to Modena by train
Modena sits half an hour up the line from Bologna. Regional trains run all day, tickets cost a few euros, and you don't need to book ahead, it's one of the easiest day trips in Emilia-Romagna.
If you only know one route out of Bologna, make it this one. Modena is the home of balsamic vinegar, Ferrari and one of Italy's great Romanesque cathedrals, and the train gets you there in about 30 minutes for the price of a couple of espressos. Here's how to do it without overthinking it.
- Distance
- About 37 km
- Journey time
- 18–35 min
- Ticket
- Regionale, a few euros each way
- Frequency
- Roughly 2–3 trains an hour
Which train to take
You want the Regionale (or Regionale Veloce) trains run by Trenitalia. They leave from Bologna Centrale and drop you at Modena station, a flat 15-minute walk or a short bus ride from the old town. Most services take around 30 minutes. A handful of faster trains do it in under 20, and a few slower ones that stop everywhere stretch to about 35. Any of them is fine for a day trip.
You'll also see high-speed trains (Frecce and Italo) passing through on the way to Milan, but they're not worth it here. They cost several times more for a journey that's barely quicker, and they don't run as often on such a short hop. Stick with the regional service.
Local tip
Regionale tickets are a flat fare with no seat assignment, so you can hop on any regional train that day. There's no reason to book in advance for price, fares don't rise the way high-speed ones do. Just validate your paper ticket in the little green-and-white machines on the platform before boarding, or activate a digital ticket in the app. Skip that and an inspector can fine you.
Tickets and how to buy them
A one-way Regionale ticket runs only a few euros. You can buy it three ways: from the red Trenitalia machines in the station hall, at the ticket counter, or on the Trenitalia app before you walk in. The app is easiest because you skip the queue and activate the ticket on your phone. For a return trip, just buy two singles, there's no real round-trip discount on regional fares, and two singles give you flexibility on when you come back.
Children and groups sometimes qualify for reduced fares, and check official Trenitalia channels for current prices and any regional passes if you're doing several short hops. Don't trust a screenshot of an old price, regional fares get adjusted periodically.
What to do once you arrive
Modena packs a lot into a compact, walkable centre. The standouts:
- Piazza Grande and the Duomo. The cathedral, its leaning Ghirlandina bell tower and the square together form a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Romanesque carving on the Duomo is some of the finest in Europe.
- Balsamic vinegar. Real traditional balsamic (aceto balsamico tradizionale) is aged for years in family acetaie. Several producers near Modena run tastings, book a visit ahead if you want the full story.
- Ferrari. The Museo Enzo Ferrari sits right in Modena, walkable from the station. The bigger Museo Ferrari in Maranello is a short shuttle or bus ride further out, and a free shuttle links the two.
- The market. The Mercato Albinelli is a gorgeous covered food hall, a good spot to graze on Modenese specialities at lunch.
Prefer to skip the logistics?
Guided day tours from Bologna bundle Modena's balsamic acetaie, a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy and the Ferrari museums into one driven day, so you don't juggle trains and shuttle buses. Worth it if you want all three in a single trip.
See Modena & Ferrari tours from BolognaIs Modena worth a full day?
Easily. The historic centre alone fills a relaxed half-day, and if you add the Ferrari museum or a balsamic tasting you'll want the whole thing. Trains run late enough that you can have a leisurely lunch and still get back to Bologna for dinner. If you're tight on time, the cathedral, the Ghirlandina and Mercato Albinelli are all within a few minutes of each other and make a satisfying short visit.
Staying over?
Most people treat Modena as a day trip and sleep in Bologna, which has far more places to stay across every budget. But if you'd rather wake up in Modena and slow down, there are comfortable hotels right around Piazza Grande.
Find a room in Modena
Stay in the old town and you're a short walk from the Duomo, the market and the evening passeggiata.
Check Modena hotels on Booking.comOther ways to reach Modena
You can drive, it's a straightforward run on the A1 motorway, about 40 minutes without traffic, but parking in central Modena means dealing with the same kind of restricted-traffic zone you get back home, so read up on the ZTL and parking rules first. For a single day out, the train is simpler and cheaper than fuel plus parking.
Planning the rest of your trips
Modena is the gentlest of Bologna's rail day trips, but it's far from the only one. The same Centrale platforms send fast trains to Florence in well under an hour, north to Venice and the lagoon, and on to Milan or all the way down to Rome. For the bigger picture on getting in and out of the city, see the guide to getting around Bologna and our full list of day trips from Bologna.
Before you head to the platform, it's worth knowing how Bologna Centrale is laid out, the high-speed platforms are deep underground and easy to miss. Our Bologna Centrale survival guide covers that, plus where to find the validation machines and the ticket app.