Travel advice - Volterra to Bologna - Car or Train it from Florence?

Thousands drive along the A1 any day, it must be doable. The A1 is a divided highway that mostly runs under the mountains, what "road conditions" are you worried about? Are you going in winter?

After Flotence, take the Panoramic section if you don't like trucks on the right lane. Otherwise if you arr in a hurry take the new Direttissima section.

Use www.viamichelin.com for routes, realistic driving times, tolls and gas costs. You'll need clear directions especially around Bologna where 4 highways and a ring-road Intersect. Google based its Maps algorithm on a 20 something guy driving a sports car.

Thanks - we will be traveling this September.

As for road conditions - traffic, road work... anything that could hold us up in the morning hours. Biggest item would be is there a rush hour (increased car load) entering Bologna in the morning hours.

These are all potential items the train from Florence to Bologna will eliminate. However - that route will add two taxi's and thus moving luggage. while not a big deal or deal breaker being a traveler - I'd prefer to drive if there are no known travel issues on the roads into Bologna in the morning hours.

thanks again

Things can theoretically go wrong with trains, too. I would keep it simple by driving. You should probably pre-pay the agency's cost for a tank of fuel, to avoid having to find a station and refill near the airport.

If renting a car upon arrival at FLR, the shuttle to the rental complex at Via Palagio degli Spini departs from the left side of the little building in the car park. Stand by the doors, because everyone will enter the big building and pick a number. Read this about driving in Italy and restrictions involved [ZTLs]; avoid leaving anything of value in a car when parked:

http://driventoit.blogspot.com/

Driving routes on viamichelin; also a helpful smartphone app.

I go to Bologna airport often from Florence.
Drive.
Give yourself at least 3 hours.
I usually fuel my rental at the A1 Service Area (Area di Servizio) called CANTAGALLO.
It’s shortly before the Bologna Casalecchio exit.
Once you exit, follow directions on the Tangenziale (Beltway) to the airport. Often the airport sign is just an airplane icon.
https://images.app.goo.gl/Kkw8JUwK3sdKdS1r8
The Bologna Tangenziale (Beltway) runs next to the A14 lanes (basically they added the beltway lanes on both sides of the freeway and built a wall between them. It is important that you follow the signs to the airport and not the stupid navigator, because the navigator cannot distinguish whether you are in the internal A14 lanes or the external Tangenziale lanes, therefore the navigator will give you wrong directions.

Thank you -

To be clear - you give yourself 3hrs to go from Florence area to Bologna?

Our plan is to leave Volterra at 6am - we want to be there by 9am. According to all maps - this is a 2hr 15min drive from our Villa. If you say to give 3hrs from Florence - then we need to give ourself 4.5hrs which seems rather high for first thing - no?

Another option to consider...
Take the train from Florence to Bologna the day before your flight, and enjoy your last afternoon and evening in Bologna.

Great idea Priscilla. Normally we would for the flight time that we have. But - We have a night commitment in the Volterra area the day prior to departure.

We have made the drive several times. It is alot of freeway driving, but usually pretty direct. It’s around 200 km so I would allow 5 hours to return the car and check in. With your luggage. Hopefully your flight is not too early. Driving should involve less possibilities of things that could go wrong.

I would at count at least 4 Hours- 4hours and a half- especially that you would have to return the car.

Thanks again everyone. I really appreciate your input. I need to please be very specific here. I'm really just looking to know what to plan for the drive itself and if there are any 'normal' driving issues to know about for a Friday morning commute. Should we expect traffic along our way. (our travel time is 6am - 815am according to viamichelin.com) . We will be on the road during rush hour - is there a such thing in this area - do roads into Bologna get busier at this time of day? Is 3 hours enough time for just the drive part?

We are already giving buffer time and plan 3hrs for this drive as well as time to return, transfer and check in within 3hrs of departure. Plenty of time granted the 158km does in fact take 2:15 as most maps suggest.

THANK YOU

Give yourself at least 3 hours from the time of departure to the time of expected arrival at the airport.
The drive is likely just 2.5 hours, but the extra half hour is for fueling, possible slowdowns on the A1 around Florence, or even along the itinerary for possible road work or accidents.
There could be slow downs between the FIRENZE IMPRUNETA entrance (where you enter the A1 and FIRENZE NORD since you will be there at rush hour if you get there at around 7:30.
Traffic also slows down often after Calenzano, between Calenzano and Barberino after which traffic opens up thanks to the Variante split (one freeway becomes two parallel ones). You should get to Bologna Casalecchio exit after 8;30, so there might be possible slow downs on the beltway at the toll plaza. I don’t know for sure because I always go to Bologna airport the day before and sleep at the FlyOn hotel at the airport (formerly a Sheraton) which costs only about 80€ a night (consider that option).
I would also like to warn you that the Bologna airport tends to have long lines at security. The airport is a RyanAir and other low cost hub and the airport security gates have not been reconfigured to deal with the increased traffic in the past 10 years. Make sure you check in at least 2 hours prior to departure even for a intra European flight.