Mid range affordable hotel bologna near train & center

when I visited I first stayed by the station and moved to closer to the centre. The station is at the opposite end of town from the two towers and what I consider the centre. Much of the university is between the two.

It may be helpful if you could say which is more important to you...

We stayed at Hotel University

Affordable, great location although not really close to station it is still probably walkable if you’re not carrying too much

https://www.hoteluniversitybologna.it/

We stayed at Starhotels Excelsior last year and again this year, right across the street from the train station, highly recommend it. Good range of room types / prices. It's about a 15 minute walk from the hotel to the Piazza Maggiore area.

grazie mille!

I'd go with something closer to the historic center than the train station. The area around the train station (at least as of 2015) was rather unattractive--cheap fast-food joints, stores with luggage piled on the sidewalk, etc. I felt totally safe and got a great deal (a weekend may have been involved) at a chain hotel very nearby, but most travelers wouldn't be happy with the area. I'd recommend at least walking the area on Google Maps before opting to stay there.

I recall seeing a lot of buses right at the train station. I always walked back and forth to the historic area, but I'm sure there are useful bus routes that at least skirt the historic area and could be helpful with luggage.

We rented an apartment in Bologna through Trip Advisor 10 minute walk from the train station and one block from the center of town. It was a lovely apartment.

Last month we stayed at the Almarossa (Via Irnerio 22, 40126 Bologna) which is between the train station and the central area. We booked a room with a kitchenette, and there is a small laundry available (as well as a laundromat across the street). Clean, quiet, and a good value.