Any recommendations of reasonable places to stay that are within walking distance of the main train station in Bolonga?
We used www.venere.com to find a hotel walking distance from Bologna's train station. There are a bunch. You can also search by price if you'd like on this site.
It's hard to recommend a hotel when we don't know your budget. Reasonable to one is not so to another!
Plus, prices change based on dates, conventions, etc. Where we stayed was $150 ( a lot more than I wanted to pay, but it was the cheapest for the dates we needed)
I stayed in the Albergo delle Drapperie which is in easy walking distance of Piazza Maggiore. The Piazza is in the center of the old part of Bologna, and is an easy walk from the train station (maybe 10 minutes). Right around the hotel are great places to walk, there are the cafes in the Piazza, the leaning towers are nearby, etc. Great place to stay if you're a Rick Steves kind of traveler (which means you'll be walking up some stairs). Just thinking about it makes me miss it, the neighborhood shops with ham hanging from the ceiling. The rooms aren't too big, but then again you hopefully aren't there to hang out in the room. The room was very clean, and the location was wonderful.
I saved their card because I knew I'd go there again. They are at 5 Via delle Drapperie and phone is 051.223955 The place is a bit hard to find because the entry is just a doorway and you walk up a flight of stairs to the lobby.