Bologna-Questions on public transport for getting around.

Travel within Bologna including the city center: your only public transit option is bus.

I didn't ride the bus during my visit, so I'm not able to answer your other questions.

If it's helpful, travel from the train station (Bologna Centrale):

1. To/from the airport, there is an airport monorail train (Marconi Express).*

2. To/from other cities and regions, there are intercity, regional and high-speed trains.

*There is also a separate shuttle service to the airport (Q Line).

Thanks for the advice. I'm not coming from the airport but the train station. But thanks anyway, it could help someone.

You're welcome.

The good news is that a new Bologna tram network is under construction. Its first line (Red) is expected to be operational by 2026 with three more interconnected lines (Green, Yellow and Blue) added by 2030.

Unless you're going to or coming from a further location I would be surprised if you even use the bus. Like many old Italian cities the centro streets are too small for buses so they basically run around the old core. If you stay anywhere near the core and don't head too far out I would just expect to walk almost everywhere.

The core feels much smaller in person than it looks on a map. On my first visit I was constantly surprised by how close everything was and was expecting to have to walk further than I ever did. And walking under the colonnades is part of the Bologna experience anyway.

The shake box tram runs from the train station to the airport (with one stop in between) and back. A taxi from the airport is 20-25e into the city depending on traffic and construction - there is always traffic and construction.

Here's a guide to the buses and other options: https://www.tastebologna.net/blog/bologna-public-transport

Enjoy Bologna,
=Tod

Just to give you some perspective. . . Last spring my sil and I spent a few days in Bologna. We’re both in our 80s and use canes. We mostly walked. I WAS tired, but I managed.

thank you all

Like many old Italian cities the centro streets are too small for buses so they basically run around the old core.

No wonder when i google map some distances, the bus route can take 30+ mins while the car was like 7 mins. And I was wondering why that was so

I'm thinking of staying in the Fiera district. While its walkable to the station and the city center, its still about a 30 mins walk each way. So wanted to find bus alternatives. By the sounds of it, a day pass is probably not going to be worth it, i may just get a carnet of 10 and use it when I need to.

As a side question, if I didn't want to venture out into the city center, is there anything to see or do in Fiera?

Do you mean out by the high rises and sports venues north east of the city? If that's what you mean, I would recommend staying in the city itself instead.

Unless you have some reason, business or event related, that is putting you out there I can't think of an advantage to staying there and several disadvantages.

My $.02,
=Tod