Hello ,
Traveling to Tuscany this summer with my wife and using Florence as my home base - just finalizing my trip and now need to decide between visiting Bologna or Volterra (just south of Florence)
I have no car and have not been to either city . My plan was to visit one of these cities for the day - has anyone been to both and if so , what would you recommend based on your experience.
Thanks
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
9248 posts
You really need a car to get to Volterra
There is a train/bus combo but a bit convoluted and time consuming
No train in Volterra
Bologna is a quick fast train ride 45 min or so
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
2026 posts
These are wildly different choices. Bologna is a city 400K while Volterra is a small hilltown of less than 10K.
Bologna is considered the food capital of Italy and Volterra has ancient buildings and twisty streets and alleys.
As stated logistics to Volterra are difficult without a car while Bologna is well served by the fast train from Florence.
If you want a mix of the two and you're not already visiting Siena I would recommend that instead since it is a mix of a hilltown and bigger city. Lucca is also a possible modern plus medieval town to visit about 1:20 from Florence by train. About the same population as Volterra inside the walls with the modern city kept at arm's length by the old wall and fortiifcations.
Have a great trip,
=Tod
Posted by
Saint Paul, Minnesota
2142 posts
Have stayed in both: Volterra for 4 nights, Bologna for several weeks total. For a day trip, compare about 2.5 hours by train and then a bus to Volterra, 40 minutes by one train to Bologna. Volterra is a lovely town and surprisingly crowded in mid-September four years ago, Bologna is a city (bigger than Florence both by population and by walking distances between attractions). My husband and I love both places for different reasons --- I guess I'd pick Volterra if I had a car, Bologna if using public transportation.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
17764 posts
The choice is yours based on your interest.
VOLTERRA is a quaint hill town that is interesting to visit. However it is not quick to reach, no matter how you travel. Even if you had a rental car it would be easily a 90 min drive on top of the time necessary to go to the rental agency and pick up the car (including wait line and paperwork). So 2 to 2.5 hours is probably the best estimate if you rent a car. If you take the train to Pontedera plus the #500 bus from Pontedera, we are still talking about one hour on the train plus another 75-80 min on the bus from Pontedera to Volterra. So, including wait times, 2.5 hours each way is the minimum you can hope for. The bus from Florence to Colle VE plus the bus from Colle VE to Volterra requires similar travel times, maybe 10 min less if all planets align, and service is not frequent.
BOLOGNA is a major city, larger than Florence in fact. It is flat with a large city center. Lots to see so you need the best part of your day to visit. You can Google “Bologna what to see” or go to the official tourism website for Bologna here to discover more. The advantage of choosing Bologna is that although more distant than Volterra, it is however served by high speed trains so you can reach it from Florence in 38 minutes for about 30€ one way (or a bit less if you book in advance). Bologna is the culinary capital of Italy, so if you are a foodie, Bologna is a great choice.