How much time to connect in Bologna

I am sure someone will offer actual helpful information, but I found the Bologna train station one of the more confusing that I've ever had to navigate. I'm sure jetlag didn't help. I think it took us 30 minutes just to figure out how to get out of the station from our train!
The one helpful thing I can offer is that it's not necessary to buy your ticket in advance for a regional train like it is for the high speed trains. You can just get it there after you get your bags stowed.

I haven't been in the Bologna train station yet, but I will be there in May. I have read on Trip Advisor that this is a very confusing train station. It is listed in the top 5 for size (I think) and confusion in all of Italy. You can google Bologna Centrale Train Station, and you will find a diagram of the station with photos. That might help.

Agree with celeste
We found the Bologna station very confusing, it’s huge
The fast trains and regional trains are on different levels
I would book fast train to Bologna then find the bag check and then make your way to regional train
You can just purchase tix for next train
Never sell out, price never changes and looks like they run frequently

Get the Trenitalia app

You will need 2 separate fast trains tix one Florence to Bologna and one Bologna to Venice

The station is enormous, is on two or more levels and very long tracks on each.
It’s really busy and really confusing.
I agree about the difficulty finding your way out of the place…it’s a real maze!
30 minutes won’t be enough time for you.
I’d give it at least an hour, or more, to get off your train, find the bag storage, line up to store the bags, find the next platform.
That’s with no dilly dallying.

30 minutes might work. You will need 2 minutes from the platform to the main councourse, then need to find the luggage storage, and if there is no wait that should be done quickly. Then a few minutes to find your next train. People tend to overestimate the time needed to do things at stations.

Regional tickets are flexible. You need to "check in", but can change the check in to the next train if you miss it. If you book with Italo you should still get a booking code that allows you to add the ticket to the Trenitalia app.

Bologna centrale has four underground tracks for fast trains; north of the surface tracks and quite deep. To get from the underground tracks to the main building you need ten minutes - hoping you do not get lost - so a 30 minutes stop is not a lot of time if you have something to do in the meantime.

If you arrive on tracks 16-19 which are way underground you may not have enough time to get to the street level where the bag storage is located and then down a level to where most of the regional trains are. Trains are frequently 5-10 minutes late and as mentioned the Bologna Station can be confusing. At the bag storage... you may encounter a line and it doesn't move quickly. I think maybe the news stand the one near the pharmacy has a bag storage sign outside of it.

In Bologna they have added to the old station a high speed station in the underground, which is connected to the main station with pedestrian tunnels with two exits. One leads to Via de Caracci, where the monorail to the airport departs. If you see signs to the airport, take the other direction. I don't know, how long Kibag needs to accept the luggage, but 30 minutes shall be enough to leave the luggage and take the regional train. You can check in advance where the regional train will depart.

The regional train from Bologna to Modena is less than 5 EUR. Just buy a ticket from Florence to Bologna. When you get to Bologna and have stored your bag, buy a ticket to Modena. Just put the trenitalia app on your phone and buy the ticket using the app after you have arrived at the station.

There are 3 regional train from Bologna Centrale to Modena every hour, at 23, 33 and 50 past the hour. There are also a few IC trains at various times which cost twice as much.

The regional train to Modena departs from the WEST platforms on the surface.
28 minutes.
Buy 2nd-class tickets.

Thank you all so much for this information. It is really helpful to know what I am getting into before I go. Good to know that I should just buy the regional train ticket in Bologna. And I had no idea that the train station was as big as it is, so now I am prepared for that!

Thank you!