Day trip from Bologna to Rimini by train

Outbound 53 minAbout 5 h for your visit in Rimini
Costs for the dayabout €92 to €102 per person2 adults, recommended sights, with AI Tour Guide and foodWork out your costs ↓
Start the Rimini tourSee the day plan
Rimini

A day trip from Bologna to Rimini is an easy one: the fastest direct trains take under an hour, and with a morning departure you get about five hours in Rimini. That is enough to walk the Roman and Malatesta old town with a proper lunch break, and if you want the beach as well, you simply take a later train home.

Is a day trip from Bologna to Rimini worth it?

Yes, for most travellers. Rimini sits on the Adriatic on the same railway as Bologna, direct trains run from early morning to late evening, and the only planning the trip needs is a train ticket. The ride costs you roughly two hours in total on the faster trains, less than many of the shorter-sounding trips in the region once you count changes.

What Rimini gives you that Bologna cannot is the sea: a wide, sandy beach and Italian seaside life. Behind the resort lies an old town that many visitors miss, with a Roman triumphal arch, a Roman bridge still in use, the excavated house of a Roman surgeon, Sigismondo Malatesta's unfinished cathedral and castle, and the home town of Federico Fellini.

Know what you are getting: Rimini is a working beach resort with high-rise hotels along a flat coast, not a picturesque fishing village with cliffs. The common mistake is to spend the whole day on the sand and never see the old town, so the plan here starts with the walk and leaves the beach as an option for the afternoon.

Who this day trip suits

  • Travellers who want a sandy beach within an hour of Bologna
  • Roman history fans: the Arch of Augustus, the Tiberius Bridge and the Domus del Chirurgo in one short walk
  • Fellini fans who want to see the town that shaped his films
  • Families and anyone after a taste of Italian beach life without a long journey
  • Visitors who like a lively city that keeps going outside beach season

Go if you want the Adriatic and a compact Roman old town in one easy day; pick Ferrara or Modena instead if you are after a historic town without the beach resort around it, or Florence if you came for Renaissance art.

Other day trips from Bologna

How to get from Bologna to Rimini by train

Take a direct Trenitalia train from Bologna Centrale to Rimini: it is the quickest and most flexible way, with departures throughout the day and no change needed. FlixBus also runs a few direct coaches from Bologna's central bus station, but they are slower and far less frequent than the train.

Train: Trenitalia Frecciarossa

Several kinds of Trenitalia and Trenitalia Tper trains run the line direct from Bologna Centrale to Rimini. The Frecciarossa and Intercity services are the fast ones, at just under an hour, with a reserved seat bound to the train you book; their fares move with demand, so buying a few days ahead usually pays. The Regionale and Regionale Veloce trains take about an hour and a half, have open seating and fixed fares, and are the budget choice. Trains leave at least hourly through most of the day, so you can pick your time. Buy online or at the machines in the station; a paper regional ticket must be validated in the machines on the platform before you board. The fare for your train is shown in the cost tool.

Operator
Trenitalia Frecciarossa
Route
Bologna Centrale → Rimini
Journey time
53 min
Morning departures
Monday: 9 departures; Tuesday to Thursday: 8 departures
Travel fare
Outward €30; return €30 (€60 return total)

Tickets at Trenitalia ↗

Rimini station lies between the old town and the beach. The Arch of Augustus, where the walking tour begins, is roughly 1 to 1.5 km from the station on foot, or you can take a local bus; the day plan allows a generous margin for this first transfer.

Timetable

Train: Trenitalia

Monday

DepartureArrivalDuration
06:3408:011 h 27 min
08:0009:111 h 11 min
08:4509:3853 min
09:4510:3853 min
10:0011:131 h 13 min
11:4512:3853 min
12:0013:131 h 13 min
12:1213:361 h 24 min
12:4513:4156 min

Tuesday to Thursday

DepartureArrivalDuration
06:3408:011 h 27 min
08:0009:111 h 11 min
08:4509:3853 min
09:4510:3853 min
10:0011:131 h 13 min
11:4512:3853 min
12:0013:131 h 13 min
12:4513:4156 min

Timetable: Trenitalia, as of 22 October 2026

Check current times at Trenitalia ↗

departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia16:1517:151 h
Show all departures (17)
departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia12:1513:151 h
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia13:1514:151 h
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia13:4715:001 h 13 min
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia14:1515:151 h
Rimini → Bologna CentraleFriday · Trenitalia14:3615:481 h 12 min
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia15:1516:151 h
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia15:4717:001 h 13 min
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia16:1517:151 h
Rimini → Bologna CentraleSunday · Trenitalia17:1018:331 h 23 min
Rimini → Bologna CentraleSunday · Trenitalia17:2918:401 h 11 min
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia17:4719:011 h 14 min
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia18:1719:1558 min
Rimini (Centro Studi) → Bologna (central bus station)Monday to Thursday · FlixBus18:2520:101 h 45 min
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia19:1520:151 h
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia19:4721:001 h 13 min
Rimini (Centro Studi) → Bologna (central bus station)Monday to Thursday · FlixBus20:4522:101 h 25 min
Rimini → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia21:1522:151 h

Timetable: Trenitalia, as of 22 October 2026

Timetable: FlixBus, as of 22 October 2026

Bologna to Rimini day trip itinerary

Day plan for: Tue–Thu

Leave on the fast morning train, start the walk at the Arch of Augustus around half past ten and see the two sights that close at midday first, so lunch falls exactly when Rimini's museums take their break.

  1. Morning08:45 – 09:38

    Take the direct train from Bologna Centrale shortly before nine, which reaches Rimini just after half past nine. From the station walk or ride into the old town to the Arch of Augustus.

    This fast train gets you in before ten, which leaves the whole morning for the two stops that close over lunch.

  2. Tour10:30 – 12:45

    Open the tour in the browser at the Arch of Augustus. The AI Tour Guide greets you, tells the story of the arch and walks you to the Tempio Malatestiano around 11, then on to the Domus del Chirurgo shortly before noon, the one ticketed entrance of the day, where you go inside the Roman surgeon's house and the City Museum.

    The Tempio Malatestiano and the Domus del Chirurgo both close at midday, so the morning is the only window for them on this plan.

    1. Arch of Augustus in Rimini, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour1Arch of Augustus
    2. Tempio Malatestiano in Rimini, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour2Tempio Malatestiano
    3. Domus del Chirurgo in Rimini, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour3Domus del Chirurgo

    Start the Rimini tour

  3. Lunch12:45 – 13:45

    Have lunch after the Domus del Chirurgo and before La Vecchia Pescheria, in the old town streets around Piazza Cavour. A piadina, Rimini's thin folded flatbread, is the quick local choice; passatelli or cappelletti in brodo if you want to sit down.

    The museums close for lunch anyway, the next two stops are where the trattorias and osterias cluster, and the old town is better value than the beachfront restaurants.

  4. Afternoon13:45 – 15:15

    The guide picks up again at La Vecchia Pescheria and Piazza Cavour, continues past Castel Sismondo and the Fellini Museum, which you see from outside, then crosses the Tiberius Bridge and ends in Borgo San Giuliano. Optional detour after the last stop: the beach lies on the far side of the station, about 20 minutes on foot from it; allow at least two extra hours and take a later train back.

    The castle and the Fellini Museum are still in their midday break at this hour, so the walk keeps moving, and finishing across the river leaves the rest of the afternoon free for the beach or an early train.

    1. La Vecchia Pescheria in Rimini, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour4La Vecchia Pescheria
    2. Piazza Cavour in Rimini, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour5Piazza Cavour
    3. Castel Sismondo in Rimini, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour6Castel Sismondo
    4. Fellini Museum in Rimini, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour7Fellini Museum
    5. Tiberius Bridge in Rimini, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour8Tiberius Bridge
    6. Borgo San Giuliano in Rimini, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour9Borgo San Giuliano
  5. Return15:15 – 17:15

    Leave Borgo San Giuliano by around a quarter past three, walk or ride back to the station and take the direct train at around a quarter past four, which reaches Bologna Centrale about an hour later.

    The transfer back takes a similar margin to the morning, plus a buffer at the station; later direct trains run through the evening if you stay for the beach.

Arrival to return departure: 6 h 37 min. Time for your visit: about 5 h.

You get about five hours in Rimini; if you arrive late, either take a later train back or shorten the time at the last stops of the walk rather than reordering it.

Best day to visit Rimini from Bologna

  1. Monday: better not
  2. Tuesday: recommended
  3. Wednesday: recommended
  4. Thursday: recommended
  5. Friday
  6. Saturday
  7. Sunday
  • Monday: The planned interior visits (Domus del Chirurgo) do not fit the opening hours on this day.

Rimini walking tour in one day: from the Arch of Augustus to Borgo San Giuliano

The walk is how you see Rimini on this day: about 2 km from the Arch of Augustus through the old town and across the Tiberius Bridge to Borgo San Giuliano, under half an hour of pure walking and around four hours with the stops. It runs from Roman Ariminum's gate through the town of the Malatesta to Fellini's Rimini, and the AI Tour Guide leads it as a conversation from the first stop to the last.

The Rimini tour: your guide leads you from stop to stop.
  1. Arch of Augustus
  2. Tempio Malatestiano
  3. Domus del Chirurgo
  4. La Vecchia Pescheria
  5. Piazza Cavour
  6. Castel Sismondo
  7. Fellini Museum
  8. Tiberius Bridge
  9. Borgo San Giuliano

Start the Rimini tour

Opening hours as of 3 October 2026.

  1. Arch of Augustus in Rimini, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour
    1Stop 1

    Arch of Augustus

    A gate in Rimini's former city wall built in the form of a Roman triumphal arch, and the natural opening of the walk.

    Price
    Free
  2. Tempio Malatestiano in Rimini, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2Stop 2

    Tempio Malatestiano

    Rimini's unfinished cathedral, officially the Cathedral Basilica of Santa Colomba, still known by the name of the Malatesta family.

    Hours
    Mon–Sat: 08:30–12:00, 15:30–18:00
    Sun: 08:30–18:30
    Price
    Free
  3. Domus del Chirurgo in Rimini, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3Stop 3

    Domus del Chirurgo

    A Roman house from the second half of the 2nd century, found in 1989 under Piazza Luigi Ferrari and open to visitors since 2007.

    Hours
    Mon: closed
    Tue–Sun: 10:00–13:00, 16:00–19:00 (last admission 18:30)
    Price
    €7
  4. La Vecchia Pescheria in Rimini, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4Stop 4

    La Vecchia Pescheria

    The old fish market a few steps from Piazza Cavour, at the heart of the lanes where the old town eats.

    Price
    Free
  5. Piazza Cavour in Rimini, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Stop 5

    Piazza Cavour

    The main square of the old town, lively all year when the beach is quiet.

    Price
    Free
  6. Castel Sismondo in Rimini, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour
    6Stop 6

    Castel Sismondo

    A 15th-century castle designed and built by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, then lord of Rimini and Fano.

    Hours (optional interior visit)
    Mon: closed
    Tue–Sun: 10:00–13:00, 16:00–19:00
    Price
    Optional entry · Castel Sismondo: €10
  7. Fellini Museum in Rimini, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour
    7Stop 7

    Fellini Museum

    The museum of Rimini-born Federico Fellini, spread over three places in the historic centre, including the interior of Castel Sismondo.

    Hours (optional interior visit)
    Mon: closed
    Tue–Sun: 10:00–13:00, 16:00–19:00
    Price
    Optional entry · Fellini Museum: €10
  8. Tiberius Bridge in Rimini, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour
    8Stop 8

    Tiberius Bridge

    A Roman bridge from the 1st century AD, properly the bridge of Augustus and Tiberius, and a national monument since 1885.

    Price
    Free
  9. Borgo San Giuliano in Rimini, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour
    9Stop 9

    Borgo San Giuliano

    The old quarter just past the bridge, where the walk ends.

    Price
    Free
AI Tour Guide in Rimini

Your guide for the Rimini tour

In Rimini the AI Tour Guide leads you from the Arch of Augustus to Borgo San Giuliano and talks with you on the way: about the Roman arch and bridge, Sigismondo Malatesta's unfinished temple and his castle, and the town that Fellini grew up in. It tells the stories of each place, asks what you want to hear more about and remembers it for the stops that follow. You start it in the browser when you reach the Arch of Augustus.

stops
9
route
2.0 km
walking only
27 min
with visits
3 h 41 min
  • 100 free credits to start
  • €19.99 once for the whole group
  • Travel and admission tickets are not included
Start the Rimini tourSee the whole tour →

What a Bologna to Rimini day trip costs

The train is the biggest item, and it depends on the kind of train: the fast Frecciarossa and Intercity services cost more and change price with demand, while the slower regional trains have fixed, lower fares. On the walk only the Domus del Chirurgo with the City Museum is a paid entrance, everything else you see from outside, and a piadina lunch keeps food cheap.

Adults
Children

One device is enough for the whole group: two people listen on two connected headphones, larger groups use the phone speaker.

Cost breakdown

Costs for 2 adults · planned visits

Travel there and backTrenitalia FrecciarossaEstimated fare as of 22 October 2026. The price may differ depending on the connection.2 adults × €60€120
SightsCity Museum with Domus del Chirurgo2 adults × €7€14
AI Tour Guide touronce for the whole group€19.99
Food (estimate)€15 to €25 per person€30 to €50
Total€183.99 to €203.99
Split between peopleabout €92 to €102 per person
Sights
  • €7
  • €10
  • €10
Buffer and private guide

Food is where you save most: eat in the old town lanes around Piazza Cavour rather than at the beach clubs, where the same quick lunch costs noticeably more.

Prices as of October 2026.

Getting back from Rimini to Bologna

Direct trains run back from Rimini to Bologna Centrale throughout the afternoon and evening, so you can stay longer without planning ahead if your ticket is for a regional train; a reserved fast-train ticket is bound to its departure. From Borgo San Giuliano allow the same margin back to the station as in the morning, plus a quarter of an hour at the station to find your platform.

If you run late, drop the beach detour first and keep the walk's last stops short. If you miss the last fast train of the evening, a regional train shortly after ten still runs direct to Bologna and arrives around half past eleven.

Recommended returnTrenitalia: departs 16:15, arrives 17:15Leave the last stop of the tour by 15:15

Latest return that fits the day: 21:15

  • Trenitalia from Rimini, Monday to Sunday: departs 21:15, arrives 22:15

Questions about the day trip from Bologna to Rimini

Can I go inside Castel Sismondo and the Fellini Museum?

Not on the early-return plan, because both are in their midday break while the walk passes. Take a later train back and return to them once they reopen in the afternoon.

Can I add San Marino to the same day?

A bus to San Marino leaves from Rimini station and takes between half an hour and fifty minutes each way, so it only fits if you give up most of the walk. Treat it as a separate day.

Should I bring swimwear?

Yes, if there is any chance you want the beach. Pack it in a daypack and do the old town first, then head to the sea in the afternoon.

When in the year is this day trip best?

June and September are the ideal months. In August the beach is packed, and between November and March the beach clubs close and the resort side goes quiet, while the old town around Piazza Cavour stays lively.

What should I eat and drink in Rimini?

Piadina is the local street food, fritto misto the seaside classic. With a meal try a Sangiovese di Romagna red, or a Rebola dei Colli di Rimini white with seafood.

More day trips from Bologna

Florence in a day 37 min Venice in a day 1 h 30 min Ravenna in a day 1 h Modena in a day 30 min Verona in a day 52 min Ferrara in a day 30 min Parma in a day 55 min

Sources

Timetables, fares and opening hours come from these operators:

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