Bologna as home base

If you stay in Bologna no reason to stay near the train station - as usual the area right around the train station is not the best. The city is small enough that you can easily get to the train station if you are anywhere in the center area of the city.

Bologna will certainly support 4 nights and Florence is about 35 minutes away by fast train and Parma, Modena and Reggio Emilia stand out as food destinations and look into maybe Ferrara as well. Bologna is considered the food capital of Italy and is worth at least a couple of days on its own.

Verona is the best jumping off point for lower Lake Garda (train) or the eastern side of the lake (bus) like Malcesine. Verona is worth at least a day to check it out and get the vibe. It is an arty, upscale, chic, cafe culture town that I really like.

Hope that helps, have a great trip,
=Tod

Love Bologna.
2 visits 5 days each. Next visit is 5 days the November.
Did day trip to Modena, Ferrari museum.
Did day trip to Ferrara, castle, Jewish Museum.
We are train people.
We stayed in AirBnBs:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16440074
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5001023

There are a number of very reasonably priced hotels around the Bologna train station. See the below Google Map:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/bologna+train+station/@44.5076234,11.3429753,17z?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDEwMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Thanks, everyone. Since area by train station isn’t the best, do you recommend a certain neighborhood there or just somewhere near downtown?

Been to Bologna twice: in 2022 and 2023 - love the city.
We stayed at Letizia Campo di Costa - Casa Letizia Apartments - Strada Maggiore 7-40125 Bologna - Tel +39 339 5002912 WhatsApp
https://casa-letizia-apartments.business.site/. Each time I booked directly with Letitia.
The apartment is perfectly located near the Towers, lots of breakfast places around the corner. If you want a hotel, I'd suggest the same area.
During our 2023 trip, we only used only trains for over the 3-week travel, no problem whatsoever.

Definitely do Ravenna.

I spent a week in Bologna with day trips to Ravenna, Parma, and Faenza. I would have also day tripped to Ferrara or Modena if it hadn't been for train strikes. Also there is plenty to do in Bologna but nothing that requies advanced tickets. I stayed about a 5 minute walk from the train station, in the direction of the historic center, and never felt there was anything wrong with the area at night or any other time. It was very convenient for multiple day trips.

Thank you all for the advice. I will look up all that was mentioned. I honestly wasn’t keen on any of this, but my fiance is a foodie and really wants to do Bologna and Parma. I had wanted that time in Florence but we were swayed by a friend who travels there a lot to consider Venice and continue North for this trip.

One more question. Would Bologna or Verona be a better base? Would definitely be visiting both either way.

“Would Bologna or Verona be a better base?”
Bologna.
Best connected train station in Italia in my opinion.

Agreed on the last point.

I love Venice and highly recommend a visit if you have never been, but it just to visit and difficult to day trip from. It is off in the far corner of Italy and logistics to the train station usually involve a boat trip so not ideal for quick and easy travel.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Thank you. We are doing Venice for 3 nights and not using that one as a home base. Concentrating just on Venice. Finding another home base like Bologna is the next 4 to 5 nights then off to either Como or lake Garda.

I’m a usually-solo female traveler , and always stay near train stations in Italy.
I like the convenience of easily getting in and out of town, and have never felt unsafe, even in big cities near big busy stations.
I’m very cautious, and always aware of my surroundings.
Last trip to Bologna in 2022 I stayed in a wonderful Airbnb apt on Via Fratelli Rossi, about a 8- 9 minute walk from the station.
Safe street and an easy walk up to Bologna’s centre.
However, I’ve just looked it up and it seems to be unavailable for your dates.
This is it for reference:

https://www.airbnb.com/l/Zd3UY4g2

We rented an apartment in town (Trip Advisor) and did day trips. Nice walk to the train station. We enjoyed Ravenna

We stayed at this lovely hotel across from the train station. I saw no problems with that area at all and I plan to stay there again.
https://www.starhotels.com/en/our-hotels/excelsior-bologna/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADgV4eDbWC9uiCBxLoZPc_bnATuYa&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIi-Gl45TbigMVozLUAR2rLAVPEAAYAiAAEgIjQ_D_BwE

Oops, sorry debbieengerran, I read that too quickly the first time.

I really like Verona but Bologna is better connected for day trips if that's your criteria. Verona is chic, arty with a mostly pedestrian core based on the old Roman city core and has a very cafe culture feel to it. The favorite day trips from Verona and Padua/Padova, Vicenza, Venice and Lake Garda. Since you're already doing Venice and one of the lakes and Padua is only a little longer from Bologna than from Verona there's not much to recommend Verona for better connections.

You can get to Brescia, Bergamo and Trento from Verona but those are pretty far down on the list for tourists. If you haven't been to Bologna then I would definitely start there.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Is true that usually the area near the train station isn't the safest in Italy, but is neither a dangerous area. There is a kind of criminality that usually doesn't affect tourists, like drug smuggling. At late night some parks could be less safe, but we are talking after 11/12pm, when usually the most of tourists are back.
In Bologna in front of the train station is plenty of 4* hotels, even is a little business oriented so skipped by leisure tourists. If you move away a couple of blocks is not anymore considered "train station area" and you find several solutions where to sleep, even if you are within 10 minutes walking from the trains. The Fratelli Rosselli street as suggested, or hotels like Portici, Carlton, Internazionale are some examples.

I was the one to start the "train station area" commentary. To be clear the area around the train station does not show Bologna at it's best but this is true of most trains stations, especially in large cities. My comment was not to imply it's unsafe but since it is not the best area why not stay closer to the tourist attractions or the university?

If you arrive on the train from a day trip the mile or so walk down via Indipendenza looking at the shops and colonnades is part of 'getting to know Bologna' experience. But on the third day you do that walk to get Piazza Nettuno area - again - I think it would start to lose its charm. I'm simply advocating staying near the areas you want to explore and not staying in a sketchier area for easy access to the train station. The train station is easy enough to reach when you need to go there so stay someplace nicer and visit the train station area only when you use it.

Incidentally when we fly out of Bologna we stayed at the Mercure Bologna Centro directly across of the train station. I was very nice and was perfect for rolling out of the hotel to head to the airport tram (or train station) in the morning. But I would not stay there to "see Bologna" we stayed closer to the center when we there for multiple days.

My $.02,
=Tod

Thanks to all for these great tips on Bologna!!! I have travelled numerous times to Italy, usually with a car. Have never been to Bologna, but am determined to get to Ravenna to see the mosaics on my trip this Spring. Appreciate positive comments on Bologna. Verona has peaked my interest also. Am planning to be approximately 10 days in Italy. Was planning to fly from Bologna to Brussels after 10 days. Previous posters on this thread have encouraged me to use Bologna as a home base, and use the train more frequently. I actually like riding trains, just too Americanized I guess!

If staying in Bologna, we strongly recommend Taste Bologna for their walking food tour and the pasta class. They also have food tours in other towns and I would try them all.

We stayed about a ten minute walk from the train station, towards the city center and found it very convenient. Lots of choices for places to stay in the area.

I’m considering Bologna as a home base after all the above recommendations. Any comments Piacenza from Bologna as an interesting city?

If you arrive on the train from a day trip the mile or so walk down via Indipendenza looking at the shops and colonnades is part of 'getting to know Bologna' experience. But on the third day you do that walk to get Piazza Nettuno area - again - I think it would start to lose its charm.

Yes, you are right. But the same matter is valid even if you stay near the main square and you must walk almost every day to the train station to visit other cities.
Depends by the style of your travel and a person who want to use Bologna as home base for day trips is supposed to go to the station quite often.

Any comments Piacenza from Bologna as an interesting city?

Piacenza as city is nice, but has the lack of a very important monument to be attractive for foreign tourists. Usually a guide to learn more about the city is strongly suggested.
In the hillside there are some of the nicest castles, villages and fortress of Emilia Romagna, like Bobbio, Castell'Arquato, Grazzano Visconti, Vigoleno...