Day Trips from Bologna Without a Car: 11 Places

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Bologna Centrale is on the main north-south railway and on the regional lines of Emilia-Romagna, so most day trips from the city are a single direct train. Modena, Ferrara and Parma each fill half a day to a full day; Ravenna and Venice need the whole day.

At a glance

Easiest trips: Modena and Ferrara, on direct trains that take under half an hour on the fastest services.
Best single trip for art: Ravenna, for the mosaics. Give it a full day.
Best for food: Modena and Parma. The Bologna, Modena and Parma food itinerary joins them.
Where trains leave from: Bologna Centrale. If you have not picked a base, see where to stay in Bologna.
Book ahead: high-speed train seats, entry times for two of the Ravenna monuments, and the Ferrari museum shuttle.

How day trips from Bologna work

Two kinds of train matter. Trenitalia regional trains (Regionale and Regionale Veloce) serve Modena, Parma, Ferrara, Ravenna, Faenza, Rimini and Marzabotto. They have no assigned seats, so buy the ticket on the day; see how regional trains work in Italy. High-speed Frecciarossa and Italo trains serve Florence and Venice, and their prices rise as the date gets closer.

Journey times below are the fastest or typical times shown by timetable sites in November 2026. Slower trains on the same route can take much longer, so check your exact train on the operator's site, and check the strike calendar the day before.

The day trips, from easiest to hardest

1. Modena

Getting there: direct Trenitalia trains from Bologna Centrale. ItaliaRail lists about 60 trains a day and 18 minutes for the fastest.

What to see: the cathedral, the Ghirlandina tower and Piazza Grande form one UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cathedral was begun in 1099 by the architect Lanfranco, with sculpture by Wiligelmo, and the tower was completed in 1319. As of November 2026 the city tourist office lists the Ghirlandina climb at €6, a guided visit to the municipal balsamic vinegar loft (Acetaia Comunale) at €5 from Friday to Sunday, and the historic rooms of Palazzo Comunale as free from Monday to Saturday and €5 on Sunday. Then eat: the Modena guide says where.

When it is not worth it: if you want to visit a producer of traditional balsamic vinegar. Most are outside the city and need a car or a tour.

2. Ferrara

Getting there: direct trains from Bologna Centrale. Trainline shows 20 minutes for the fastest and about 28 minutes on average. The station is outside the walls, and city buses link it with the castle.

What to see: Ferrara is a UNESCO site for its Renaissance town plan. The Addizione Erculea, laid out at the end of the 15th century by Biagio Rossetti, extended the city inside walls that still enclose the old town. Start at the Castello Estense, a moated brick castle begun in 1385 for Niccolò II d'Este. Its ticket office is open from 10:00 to 18:00 and is closed on Tuesdays. Then walk to Palazzo dei Diamanti. The cathedral is free to enter. The Ferrara guide has a full route.

When it is not worth it: on a Tuesday. The Province of Ferrara has also announced restoration and seismic works on the castle, starting no earlier than 2026, so check the castle site for which rooms are open.

3. Parma

Getting there: direct trains from Bologna Centrale. Regionale Veloce trains run about hourly and stop at Modena and Reggio Emilia; ItaliaRail gives 49 minutes for the fastest high-speed service.

What to see: Piazza Duomo first. The cathedral is free for individual visitors and is open from 7:45 to 19:20, except during services. The Baptistery and the Diocesan Museum are open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 on one pass that costs €12 and is valid for two days (as of November 2026); see the guide to Parma cathedral and Baptistery. The second stop is the Pilotta complex, with the national gallery and the Teatro Farnese. A route is in one day in Parma.

When it is not worth it: if your aim is a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy or a ham producer. They are outside the city, the ham producers in the hills around Langhirano, and need a car or an organized visit. See the dairy visit guide.

4. Ravenna

Getting there: direct Trenitalia regional trains from Bologna Centrale. ItaliaRail lists about 26 trains a day and about one hour for the fastest. High-speed trains do not run on this line.

What to see: eight buildings from the 5th and 6th centuries form the UNESCO site "Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna". One combined ticket covers monuments in the center, including the Basilica of San Vitale, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Neonian Baptistery and Sant'Apollinare Nuovo. You must book an entry time for Galla Placidia and for the Neonian Baptistery when you buy. From 3 November 2026 to 6 March 2027 the monuments are open from 10:00 to 17:00; from 8 March to 2 November 2026 the hours were 9:00 to 19:00. They close on 25 December and 1 January. Short on time? See San Vitale and Galla Placidia, then Sant'Apollinare Nuovo. The Ravenna mosaics guide explains what each one shows.

When it is not worth it: with a late start in winter, when everything closes at 17:00. Sant'Apollinare in Classe and the Mausoleum of Theodoric are outside the center and are hard to add by train. If mosaics are the reason for your trip, stay a night and follow the Ravenna itinerary.

5. Florence

Getting there: direct Frecciarossa and Italo trains from Bologna Centrale to Firenze Santa Maria Novella in 35 to 40 minutes. Slower trains take hours; do not book them by mistake.

What to see: one day is enough for the cathedral area, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio and one museum, not two. Follow one day in Florence and reserve the museum slot before you buy the train ticket.

When it is not worth it: in high season without a museum reservation, when much of the day goes in queues. If you are deciding where to sleep, read the comparison of the two cities as a base.

6. Faenza

Getting there: direct Trenitalia trains from Bologna Centrale. Trainline shows 21 minutes for the fastest and about 47 minutes on average.

What to see: the International Museum of Ceramics (MIC) at Viale Baccarini 19. From 1 November it is open from 10:00 to 18:00, Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays. Allow two hours, then walk to the central squares and the ceramic workshops. Background is in the Faenza ceramics guide.

When it is not worth it: on a Monday that is not a holiday, when the museum is closed, or if ceramics do not interest you. The town is small.

7. Marzabotto and the Etruscan city of Kainua

Getting there: direct regional trains from Bologna Centrale. Omio lists 22 minutes for the fastest train and a rail distance of 20 km.

What to see: the National Etruscan Museum "Pompeo Aria" and the archaeological area of Kainua, at Via Porrettana Sud 13. You can walk among the house blocks, the acropolis and the eastern necropolis of the Etruscan town. Bologna Welcome lists a €3 full ticket and free entry on the first Sunday of the month. More in the Kainua guide.

When it is not worth it: Monday to Wednesday. The museum is closed on Mondays and opens on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only for booked groups. The opening hours differ between the sources we checked, so confirm them with the museum.

8. Rimini

Getting there: direct Trenitalia trains from Bologna Centrale. ItaliaRail lists about 30 trains a day and 53 minutes for the fastest.

What to see: the old town has a Roman arch, a Roman bridge and the Tempio Malatestiano. The beach is on the other side of the railway. See the Rimini guide.

When it is not worth it: for the beach in July and August, the most crowded weeks on this coast. Outside summer the seafront is quiet and the old town fills about half a day.

9. Maranello and the Ferrari museums

Getting there: train to Modena, then a shuttle bus. Italia.it, the national tourism site, lists a shuttle that starts at Modena railway station and links the Ferrari museums in Modena and Maranello. The shuttle ticket does not include museum entry. Check times and prices on the Ferrari museums site.

What to see: the Modena museum is about Enzo Ferrari; the Maranello museum is about the cars and the racing team. See the Ferrari Museum guide and, for other makers, the Ferrari and Lamborghini museums guide.

When it is not worth it: if you are not a car enthusiast. Two museums, the shuttle and the train take the whole day and leave no time for Modena's center.

10. Venice

Getting there: direct high-speed trains from Bologna Centrale to Venezia Santa Lucia. ItaliaRail gives about 1 hour 15 minutes for the fastest Italo trains and about an hour and a half for the others. Stay on past Venezia Mestre, the mainland station. Italo trains also stop at Padua; see the Padua guide for a quieter day.

What to see: walk from the station to Rialto and St Mark's Square, and enter one building, not three. Use one day in Venice.

When it is not worth it: on days when Venice charges day visitors an access fee. The 2026 trial ended on 27 July 2026 and the fee returns on set days from 26 March 2027. The dates and prices are published on the city's access fee site. If you can give Venice a night, do that instead.

11. San Marino

Getting there: San Marino has no railway station. Take a train to Rimini, then the Bonelli Bus shuttle from Rimini station. The one-way fare is €7 as of November 2026, and the winter timetable runs from 8 November 2026 to 21 March 2027. Plan the return bus before you leave Bologna.

What to see: the old town on Monte Titano, its towers and the views over the coast.

When it is not worth it: in fog or low cloud, and on any day when you cannot leave early. With two legs each way this is the longest trip on this page.

How to choose

One day trip only: Ravenna for art, Modena for food.
Half a day: Modena or Ferrara. Both leave time for dinner in Bologna.
Two towns in one day: Modena and Parma are on the same line. It works, but you will see one square in each.
Rainy day: Parma or Faenza, where the main sights are indoors.

Towns that need a bus or a change of train, such as Dozza and Brisighella, are in the list of small towns in Emilia-Romagna. If you plan three or more day trips, consider changing base once: see the five-day Emilia-Romagna itinerary. Keep at least one full day for the city, with the Bologna guide and how many days to spend in Bologna.

Questions travelers ask

What is the easiest day trip from Bologna?

Modena. About 60 direct trains a day leave Bologna Centrale and the fastest take 18 minutes. The cathedral, the Ghirlandina tower and Piazza Grande are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Can you visit Ravenna as a day trip from Bologna?

Yes. Direct regional trains take about one hour on the fastest services. You must book an entry time for the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and the Neonian Baptistery. From 3 November 2026 to 6 March 2027 the monuments are open from 10:00 to 17:00.

Is Florence a realistic day trip from Bologna?

Yes. Frecciarossa and Italo trains link Bologna Centrale and Firenze Santa Maria Novella in 35 to 40 minutes. Book the train and one museum slot in advance.

Can you do Modena and Parma on the same day?

Yes. Regional trains from Bologna to Parma stop at Modena. The Parma Baptistery and Diocesan Museum are open daily from 10:00 to 18:00, so start early if you visit Modena first.

How do you get from Bologna to San Marino?

By train to Rimini and then by bus. San Marino has no railway station. Bonelli Bus runs the shuttle from Rimini station, and the one-way fare is 7 euro as of November 2026.

Keep planning: Best things to do in Bologna.

Sources

More Bologna guides

Author: the TourLeaderPro.com editorial team, a network of tour leaders and registered tourist guides in Italy.

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Day trips from Bologna: 11 places you can reach without a car