Bologna, and only Bologna.

Where to stay, what to eat, and which day trips are worth the train fare.
One Italian city, covered properly.

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Start with the decision you are stuck on

Six guides cover the questions a Bologna trip actually turns on. Pick the one that is in your way.

People walking a narrow street in central Bologna between ochre buildings

Where to stay

Which neighborhood to book

What each central area costs, and how far it leaves you from dinner.

Outdoor restaurant terrace in Bologna at night with warm lights, umbrellas, and people enjoying dinner.

Eating

What to eat, and where

Dish by dish, from ragù to gelato. The one to read first.

Railway tracks and platforms at a Bologna station at dusk, with a train waiting under an orange sky

Day trips

Worth the train fare

Florence, Venice, Modena and Parma, and which of them is worth a whole day.

A white passenger aircraft on the tarmac at Bologna airport, with wooded hills rising behind the runway

Arriving

Airport to city centre

The Marconi Express, the bus and the taxi, and the trains once you are here.

Graffiti on the bricked-up arches of a Bologna portico at night, lit warm against stone columns and a cobblestone pavement.

Safety

Is Bologna safe?

A straight answer, plus the areas worth knowing about.

A street at sunset, with scooters and cars under overhead tram wires

Budget

What a trip costs

Beds, meals and trains, broken down, so the budget is a number and not a hope.

The focus stays narrow: Bologna and the decisions that shape a trip.

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