Bologna apartment for 3 adults—slim pickings

It looks like Airbnb.it has multiple listings.

One of the airbnb apartments we have really enjoyed staying in is called La Finestrella. It has some days available in October. Here’s a link that might work for it (the last time I tried to share an airbnb link here it didn’t work for some reason) —— https://www.airbnb.com/l/e7885RJ7

Pretty sure this was the apartment with an actual DRYER.

A Quattro Passi Bologna On a quiet side street beside a little tobacco store (no problems with smoke) and a café. As central as you want to be and highly rated. Old fashioned with two bedrooms and a kitchen. Loved it. Booked last year 5 months in advance. Three nights in late September. €229 in total. Property address; 10 Via Bertiera, Bologna, Italy.

I was going to say the same as others already have - for whatever reason, Bologna was the 1 location where there were far more options on Airbnb than vrbo. We actually had the same exact apartment booked as was linked for you already (with the dryer) until we had to change some dates around. The host was very friendly and helpful.

I'm having trouble finding it, but a friend and I were happy with a 2 bedroom apartment she found on booking called Borgonuovo Apartments. This was last October.

I'm the original poster looking to visit Bologna (3 people) in October and I thank you for your recommendations. What a journey! I've tried AirBnB, VRBO, TripAdvisor and Booking.com and also the apts suggested above (not available darn it) It is the strangest thing I've seen. when seeking an apartment. if I search for what I thought would be a standard apartment: 2 BRs, requesting smokefree, 2 beds (not a sofa or pull out), a kitchen, a living room, and internet in Bologna....the number of postings is small for Bologna. And what there are, don't have good comments.

There are more options if I leave out "living room" but then I get postings that have either no living room at all, or a small combo area (usually with seating consisting of a kitchen table for 2 and a small couch for 2 people). With 3 people travelling, that is not workable. Has never been a problem anywhere else. When I read the reviews, although the scores look good, the comments are frequently not great at all. ie the apt is on the 6th floor no lift. Or smoking is not permitted in apt but ok on the balcony. Or the apartment has no windows---at all. Or the apartment is so noisy that no one could sleep, or that if the windows were open no one could sleep and when they were closed no one could sleep due to warmth. Oh my.

There is no convention in town, and we are 6 months out, so I guess the lesson is to start earlier. If anyone has any other suggestions for booking sites or 2 BR apts, don't be shy, I'd love to take a look. Happy travel planning to all.

https://www.airbnb.com/l/39WksCME

https://www.airbnb.com/l/jHrXwD8U

https://t.vrbo.io/Ud1LL27jLSb

https://t.vrbo.io/IaKJrzfkLSb

https://t.vrbo.io/r81yE6jkLSb

https://t.vrbo.io/25tkklokLSb

Here are a few that I had saved as “favorites” that have some October availability. I think my search was essentially for 2 bedrooms/3 beds/air conditioning (our trip is in June). I would probably remove the living room so you can at least see more options, and decide from there if any have space you can live with for the time you’re there. It depends how much time you plan to spend in the apartment, and whether that will be to hang out or rest/decompress in bedrooms, of course.

https://www.booking.com/Share-XhWQYs

We stayed here in 2023. It is about a 5 to 10 minute walk from the center, in a quiet area. I recommend it and would stay there again.

I’d remove as many filters as possible and then look at places on a case by case basis. The filters may be removing places that are fine. A lot of apartments have a combined kitchen/living space so maybe owners didn’t select the ‘separate living room’ filter as appropriate, for example.

Let’s know your exact dates and let some of us look. Do you need a full kitchen or would a kitchenette be ok? Are three flights of stairs ok? Is a couch and a comfortable chair in the same room as the dining table and chairs ok? Do you care if the bedrooms have no windows (I like shutters or blackout curtains myself, so no windows wouldn’t bother me one bit!) as long as the living space has windows? Is farther from the center of town ok (anywhere within that ring road is still quite walkable)? Are there budget constraints? Apartments are definitely way more expensive these days —- prepandemic we easily found places we liked for under 100 euros a night but now it’s more like 200 or more, even in off-season (and October is not even shoulder season any more). Any other requirements, like a washing machine?

I’m in Italy right now with only my old cellphone, but when I get home to my beloved laptop, I’d be happy to be one of the people helping you find a place.

I do suspect that some renters tie up numerous apartments and then cancel all but one. “Free cancellation” seems like it’s asking for that to happen.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/41250176?check_in=2025-10-01&check_out=2025-10-31&guests=1&adults=3&s=67&unique_share_id=41883909-e1b8-4085-8109-110c6bcf4dab

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/10843817?check_in=2025-10-01&check_out=2025-10-31&guests=1&adults=3&s=67&unique_share_id=b6b76771-e056-438c-8ae7-b26c9af6ea6b

IF you are willing to stay just outside the ring road, apartments can be considerably less expensive. The second one above, I currently have on my list for October, although I normally don’t save 2 bedroom apartments to my list. I tend to not look at anything with a lower rating than 4.85, then carefully check reviews. Sometimes the lower rating is for inconsequential matters that generally would not be a problem.

Transport is very good and walking in Bologna is a delight. I hope you find a suitable accommodation.

Any luck yet?

To all who replied with advice, help, and even specific suggestions for apartments, thank you so much. I looked up every apartment that was suggested to me and strangely they were not available for my dates in October. What a wonderful community this is and I appreciate each one of you offering help and even pasting in links to apartments.

I did finally find a two bedroom apartment that I am happy with. Not so happy with the price but for a two bedroom apartment with a living room near the city center. I am satisfied. All the reviews are strong, except one thing keeps coming up, no washer dryer.

In case it helps someone else here is the link to the apartment. PANORAMA APARTMENT Bologna on Booking.com https://www.booking.com/Share-hY4552.

Looks like a great place! You could message the host and ask about a washing machine --- the listing says twice that there is one, but maybe it was waiting for repairs or something.

So glad you found a place. Looks beautiful!