The easiest Bologna day trips by train
Bologna Centrale sits at the crossroads of Italy's rail network, so you can be in Florence, Modena or Parma before lunch and back for dinner. Here's how to do it without a car.
If you only learn one thing about Bologna, learn this: it's the best base in central Italy for train day trips. Around 800 trains a day pass through Bologna Centrale, and the city sits dead centre on the Milan–Rome high-speed line and the regional spokes that fan out across Emilia-Romagna. Florence is 35 minutes away. Modena is half an hour. You don't need to rent a car, and most of the time you don't even need to book ahead.
Below are the day trips worth the train fare, sorted by how quick and easy they are. Each one links to a full guide with what to see, where to eat and how long to stay.
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How the trains actually work
Two kinds of train leave Bologna Centrale, and the difference matters for your wallet and your planning.
Regional trains (marked Regionale or Regionale Veloce, run by Trenitalia) cover the nearby Emilia-Romagna towns. They're cheap, they run all day, and the fare is fixed. Buying at the station on the morning costs exactly the same as booking online, so you can stay flexible and just turn up.
High-speed trains (Frecciarossa and Italo) handle the bigger cities like Florence and Venice. These are fast and comfortable, but the price climbs as the train fills and the date approaches. For those, book a few days out for the cheap seats.
Local tip
Mix and match. Take a high-speed train to a hub like Modena, then hop a regional connection onward. The shuttle to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello leaves from Modena station, so a fast train out plus a short bus puts you trackside before midday.
The quick wins (under an hour each way)
If you've got a single free day and want maximum payoff for minimum train time, start here. All of these are close enough that you'll wonder why you didn't go sooner.
The Food Valley runs
Emilia-Romagna is Italy's larder, and the train threads straight through it. If you came to Bologna to eat, point yourself west. Each of these towns is a name you already know from a menu.
Maranello (Ferrari)
Train to Modena, then the museum shuttle bus. The Ferrari Museum, test tracks and the sound of V8s being warmed up. Bucket-list stuff.
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Food Valley loop
How to chain Modena, Parma and a producer visit into one greedy day. Cheese dairies, vinegar cellars and ham cellars, by rail.
More →Rather not plan the logistics?
Guided food tours run out to the Parmigiano dairies, vinegar lofts and Ferrari from Bologna and Modena, with transport and tastings sorted for you.
Browse day trips & food toursWorth the longer ride
These take an hour or more, so leave early and treat them as a full day out rather than a quick hop. They're still very doable by train from Bologna.
A few more deserve a mention. San Marino, the tiny cliff-top republic, takes a train to Rimini and then a bus, so budget a long day. Imola pairs an easy regional ride with the famous F1 circuit and a quiet medieval centre. And for slower, prettier corners, the painted village of Dozza, the medieval hill town of Brisighella, and the canal town of Comacchio are all reachable with a regional train plus a short local bus.
Tickets, validation and timing
A few practical things that trip up first-timers at Bologna Centrale.
- Buy regional tickets at the station. The English-language machines are everywhere and easy. No price penalty for buying on the day.
- Validate paper regional tickets before you board. Stamp them in the little machines on the platform or you risk a fine. Tickets bought online and on the app are already validated, so skip this step.
- Book high-speed seats ahead. Florence and Venice fares jump as the train fills. A few days' notice gets you the cheap seats.
- Mind the platform. Bologna Centrale has both surface tracks and a deep underground level for high-speed trains, so leave a few extra minutes to find yours.
- Last train home. Check the return times before you commit to a long day. Regional services thin out in the evening.
Heading back into town afterwards? See how to get from the station to your hotel in the getting around guide, line up a base near Centrale on the where to stay page, and once you're back, the top sights and the restaurant picks are all a short walk from Piazza Maggiore.