Day trip from Verona to Bologna: one full day by train

Outbound 52 minAbout 10 h for your visit in Bologna
Costs for the dayabout €52.80 to €62.80 per person2 adults, recommended sights, with AI Tour Guide and foodWork out your costs ↓
Start the Bologna tourSee the day plan
Bologna

A day trip from Verona to Bologna works well, but plan it as a long day: you leave Verona in the morning and on the recommended plan you are back late in the evening. The fast train takes under an hour each way, which leaves you about ten hours in Bologna, enough for the full walking tour, a long lunch and a slow afternoon.

Is a day trip from Verona to Bologna worth it?

Yes, for most people with a spare day in Verona. Both cities sit on Italy's main north to south rail line, the fast trains need less than an hour, and Bologna Centrale is a walk away from the old centre, so you lose little of the day to travel and need no car.

Bologna gives you what Verona does not: a loud, food-obsessed university city instead of quiet, romantic elegance. You get medieval towers, a cluster of great churches around Piazza Maggiore, the old university building and some of the best tagliatelle al ragù in Italy, at prices well below Venice or Florence.

The cost is the length of the day. To see the churches before their midday break and still eat properly, you start early and stay into the evening. If you only have one or two days in Italy, spend them in one city instead.

Who this day trip suits

  • Food lovers: Bologna is Italy's culinary capital, and lunch here alone justifies the ride.
  • Travellers staying several days in Verona who want a clear change of mood for a day.
  • History and architecture fans: leaning towers, the old university and a basilica complex in one compact centre.
  • Budget travellers: cheap regional trains, simple trattoria lunches and a walk where most stops are free.
  • Walkers: the whole tour and the way from the station are on foot.

Go if you have a full day and care about food and medieval streets; if you want a short day or only have a day or two in Italy, choose Padua or stay in Verona.

Other day trips from Verona

How to get from Verona to Bologna by train

Take a direct high-speed train, Italo or Trenitalia Frecciarossa, from Verona Porta Nuova to Bologna Centrale: it takes under an hour and gives you the longest day in Bologna. FlixBus also runs a direct coach to Bologna's central bus station, but it takes about two hours.

Train: Italo

Trains leave from Verona Porta Nuova and arrive at Bologna Centrale. The fast Italo and Frecciarossa trains take about 50 minutes; Trenitalia regional and Intercity trains are slower, often around an hour and a half. Italo runs a handful of direct trains a day with two in the early morning, and Trenitalia adds departures roughly every hour, a little fewer on Sundays. High-speed and Intercity tickets come with a reserved seat; buy them ahead online, because fares rise sharply close to departure. Regional tickets are open: validate them before boarding, the fines are steep. Bologna Centrale gets very busy at rush hour, so leave time to find your platform.

Operator
Italo
Route
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna Centrale
Journey time
52 min
Morning departures
Monday to Sunday: 2 departures
Travel fare
Outward €8.90; return €8.90 (€17.80 return total)

Tickets at Italo ↗

Piazza Maggiore, where the walking tour starts, is roughly 1 km from Bologna Centrale. Walk it or take a city bus, and allow about half an hour from the train to the square.

Timetable

departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Italo08:2209:1452 min
Show all departures (15)
departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Verona (Porta Nuova) → Bologna (central bus station)Wednesday to Thursday · FlixBus05:0006:451 h 45 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia05:1806:531 h 35 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia06:0507:391 h 34 min
Verona (Porta Nuova) → Bologna (central bus station)Monday to Thursday · FlixBus06:3508:201 h 45 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia06:5207:4452 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia07:0308:441 h 41 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Italo07:2208:1452 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Friday · Trenitalia07:4209:291 h 47 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia07:5308:4451 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Italo08:2209:1452 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia08:5209:4452 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia09:3710:441 h 7 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleSaturday to Sunday · Trenitalia10:2611:581 h 32 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia12:2613:581 h 32 min
Verona Porta Nuova → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia13:2614:581 h 32 min

Timetable: Italo, as of 22 October 2026

Timetable: Trenitalia, as of 22 October 2026

Timetable: FlixBus, as of 22 October 2026

departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Italo20:4621:3852 min
Show all departures (21)
departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Friday · Trenitalia12:0513:351 h 30 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaSaturday to Sunday · Trenitalia12:1013:381 h 28 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia12:1613:0852 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia13:1614:0852 min
Bologna (central bus station) → Verona (Porta Nuova)Monday to Thursday · FlixBus13:4015:301 h 50 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia14:1015:351 h 25 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Italo14:4615:3852 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia16:1017:351 h 25 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia17:0318:351 h 32 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Friday and Sunday · Trenitalia17:1618:0852 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia18:1019:351 h 25 min
Bologna (central bus station) → Verona (Porta Nuova)Monday and Thursday · FlixBus18:4520:301 h 45 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Friday and Sunday · Trenitalia19:1020:481 h 38 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia19:1620:0852 min
Bologna (central bus station) → Verona (Porta Nuova)Monday and Thursday · FlixBus19:5021:401 h 50 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia20:0521:351 h 30 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia20:1621:0852 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Italo20:4621:3852 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia21:0522:351 h 30 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia21:1622:0852 min
Bologna Centrale → Verona Porta NuovaMonday to Sunday · Italo21:4622:3852 min

Timetable: Italo, as of 22 October 2026

Timetable: Trenitalia, as of 22 October 2026

Timetable: FlixBus, as of 22 October 2026

Verona to Bologna day trip itinerary for one full day

Day plan for: Tue–Sat

Leave Verona on an Italo shortly before half past eight so you reach the churches before their midday break, walk the tour in the morning and early afternoon, and keep the evening for food before an evening train home.

  1. Morning08:22 – 09:14

    Take the direct Italo train from Verona Porta Nuova shortly before half past eight, arrive at Bologna Centrale around a quarter past nine and make your way to Piazza Maggiore.

    An early arrival gives the walk a calm start and lets you see San Domenico and Santo Stefano before they close at midday.

  2. Tour10:00 – 12:45

    Open the tour in the browser on Piazza Maggiore. The AI Tour Guide greets you, tells the story of the square and leads you on, asking what interests you: into the Basilica of San Petronio, to the Archiginnasio for the visit to the palace and Anatomical Theatre, to the Basilica of San Domenico, the Basilica di Santo Stefano and finally to the Two Towers, which you see from outside.

    The two churches with a midday break come before lunch, and the Archiginnasio is the one paid visit worth planning around.

    1. Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour1Piazza Maggiore
    2. Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour2Basilica of San Petronio
    3. Archiginnasio in Bologna, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour3Archiginnasio
    4. Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour4Basilica of San Domenico
    5. Basilica di Santo Stefano in Bologna, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour5Basilica di Santo Stefano
    6. Two Towers in Bologna, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour6Two Towers

    Start the Bologna tour

  3. Lunch12:45 – 13:45

    Eat after the Two Towers and before the Finestrella di via Piella. Trattoria Serghei sits on Via Piella itself and serves tagliatelle al ragù; book a table ahead, especially in high season.

    The churches are closed anyway at this hour, lunch menus are better value than dinner, and the next stop is right on the street where you eat.

  4. Afternoon13:45 – 19:45

    The guide continues to the Finestrella di via Piella, the Neptune Fountain and the Palazzo del Podestà, where the tour ends around a quarter to three. The rest of the afternoon is free: as an optional extra, the Clock Tower at Palazzo d'Accursio with the Municipal Art Collections costs about an extra hour, or you can simply wander and end with an aperitivo in the early evening.

    With around five hours of slack after the tour, you can take things slowly, and an aperitivo can replace dinner before the train.

    1. Finestrella di via Piella in Bologna, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour7Finestrella di via Piella
    2. Neptune Fountain in Bologna, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour8Neptune Fountain
    3. Palazzo del Podestà in Bologna, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour9Palazzo del Podestà
  5. Return19:45 – 21:38

    Leave the Palazzo del Podestà area by around a quarter to eight and make your way back to Bologna Centrale. The direct Italo departs shortly before nine and arrives at Verona Porta Nuova a little after half past nine.

    This leaves time for the way to the station and a short buffer at a busy station, with one more direct train after it as a fallback.

Arrival to return departure: 11 h 32 min. Time for your visit: about 10 h.

Realistically you get about ten hours in Bologna; if you arrive later, the free afternoon absorbs it, and if you run very late, shorten the end of the tour rather than changing its order.

Best day to visit Bologna from Verona

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

Bologna walking tour in one day: nine stops from Piazza Maggiore

The walking tour is how you explore Bologna on this day: it starts on Piazza Maggiore, loops through the university quarter, the churches and the towers and ends back by the main square at the Palazzo del Podestà. It covers about 3 km, roughly 40 minutes of pure walking spread over the morning and early afternoon. The AI Tour Guide leads it as a conversation, telling the stories of each place and following up on what catches your interest.

The Bologna tour: your guide leads you from stop to stop.
  1. Piazza Maggiore
  2. Basilica of San Petronio
  3. Archiginnasio
  4. Basilica of San Domenico
  5. Basilica di Santo Stefano
  6. Two Towers
  7. Finestrella di via Piella
  8. Neptune Fountain
  9. Palazzo del Podestà

Start the Bologna tour

Opening hours as of 1 October 2026.

  1. Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour
    1Stop 1

    Piazza Maggiore

    Bologna's main square, surrounded by the most important buildings of the medieval centre.

    Price
    Free
  2. Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2Stop 2

    Basilica of San Petronio

    The great basilica that dominates Piazza Maggiore and the first interior of the day.

    Hours
    Daily: 10:00–18:00 (last admission 17:50)
  3. Archiginnasio in Bologna, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3Stop 3

    Archiginnasio

    Once the main building of the University of Bologna, today home to the municipal library and the Anatomical Theatre.

    Hours
    Mon–Sat: 10:00–17:40
    Sun: closed
    Price
    €10
  4. Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4Stop 4

    Basilica of San Domenico

    The church where Saint Dominic lies in the Arca di San Domenico, a shrine begun by Nicola Pisano.

    Hours
    Mon–Fri: 07:00–13:00, 15:30–20:00
    Sat: 07:15–13:00, 15:30–19:30
    Sun: 07:55–12:30, 15:30–19:00
    Price
    Free
  5. Basilica di Santo Stefano in Bologna, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Stop 5

    Basilica di Santo Stefano

    Not one church but a whole complex of religious buildings grouped together.

    Hours
    Mon: 18:00–19:30
    Tue–Sat: 07:30–12:30, 14:30–19:30
    Sun: 08:30–13:00, 15:00–19:30
    Price
    Free
  6. Two Towers in Bologna, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour
    6Stop 6

    Two Towers

    The two leaning towers that became the symbol of Bologna, seen from the street since their interiors are closed.

    Status
    Currently closed
  7. Finestrella di via Piella in Bologna, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour
    7Stop 7

    Finestrella di via Piella

    A small window on quiet Via Piella, the after-lunch stop right on the street with Trattoria Serghei.

    Price
    Free
  8. Neptune Fountain in Bologna, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour
    8Stop 8

    Neptune Fountain

    The monumental civic fountain on Piazza del Nettuno, right next to Piazza Maggiore.

    Price
    Free
  9. Palazzo del Podestà in Bologna, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour
    9Stop 9

    Palazzo del Podestà

    The palace facing Piazza Maggiore beside the Palazzo Comunale and San Petronio, with the Voltone passage underneath always open.

    Price
    Free
AI Tour Guide in Bologna

Your guide for the Bologna tour

In Bologna the AI Tour Guide leads you from Piazza Maggiore to the Palazzo del Podestà as a spoken conversation: it tells you about the old university at the Archiginnasio and Saint Dominic's shrine, asks you questions and remembers what you want to hear more about at the next stops. You start it in the browser on Piazza Maggiore and can interrupt it whenever a question comes up.

stops
9
route
2.9 km
walking only
39 min
with visits
3 h 35 min
  • 100 free credits to start
  • €19.99 once for the whole group
  • Travel and admission tickets are not included
Start the Bologna tourSee the whole tour →

What a Verona to Bologna day trip costs

The train fare is the biggest variable: high-speed fares change with demand, so booking early or taking a slower regional train saves the most. On the walk itself only the Archiginnasio visit is worth a ticket, since most stops are free or seen from outside, and lunch at a simple trattoria keeps the food budget modest.

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 backItalofrom €8.902 adults × €17.80€35.60
SightsArchiginnasio: Palace + Anatomical Theatre (audio-guided visit)2 adults × €10€20
AI Tour Guide touronce for the whole group€19.99
Food (estimate)€15 to €25 per person€30 to €50
Total€105.59 to €125.59
Split between peopleabout €52.80 to €62.80 per person
Sights
  • €10
Buffer and private guide

Make lunch your main meal and let an early-evening aperitivo stand in for dinner, or grab a mortadella sandwich near the station before the train.

Prices as of October 2026.

Getting back from Bologna to Verona

The way back is the outbound trip in reverse: from the end of the tour to Bologna Centrale, then a direct train to Verona Porta Nuova. On the recommended plan you take the Italo shortly before nine and arrive a little after half past nine. Plan about an hour from the Palazzo del Podestà to departure, including the way to the station and a short buffer, because Bologna Centrale can be crowded.

If you prefer a shorter day, direct trains run back through the afternoon and early evening, so you can leave whenever you have had enough.

If you run late, drop the free afternoon first, never the tour stops before lunch. If you miss the last direct train, FlixBus runs a late coach from Bologna's central bus station to Verona Porta Nuova, which takes about two hours.

Recommended returnItalo: departs 20:46, arrives 21:38Leave the last stop of the tour by 19:45

Latest return that fits the day: 21:46

  • Italo from Bologna Centrale, Monday to Sunday: departs 21:46, arrives 22:38

Questions about the day trip from Verona to Bologna

Can I go up the Two Towers?

No, the interiors of both towers are currently closed to visitors. The tour stops in front of them and the guide tells their story from the street.

Can I see inside the Palazzo del Podestà?

Only during exhibitions or events. The Voltone, the passage underneath it, is always open and free, so the last stop of the tour works on any day.

Do I need to book the train in advance?

For Italo, Frecciarossa and Intercity, yes: seats are reserved and fares rise close to departure. Regional tickets are open, but validate them before you board.

Is a Sunday trip possible?

Yes, the trains run and the walk works, but the Archiginnasio is closed and San Domenico closes earlier for its midday break, so you see less inside.

When is the best season for this trip?

Spring from April to June and autumn in September and October. Summer is hot and crowded, and in August many family-run restaurants in Bologna close for holidays.

More day trips from Verona

Venice in a day 1 h 1 min Milan in a day 1 h 12 min Padua in a day 47 min Bergamo in a day 1 h 20 min

Sources

Timetables, fares and opening hours come from these operators:

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