Bologna Airport to the City Centre and Bologna Centrale

To get from Bologna airport to the city centre, take the Marconi Express. The automated monorail runs from the terminal to Bologna Centrale, the main railway station, in about 7 minutes, every day from 5:40 to midnight, for €12.80 one way (checked October 2026). From the station, Piazza Maggiore is 1.5 km south, a flat walk of about 20 minutes. A taxi or a private transfer takes you to the door instead, and after midnight bus Q runs from the airport to the station.

All fares and times below were checked on the operators’ own pages in October 2026.

Your options at a glance

For most people traveling light, the monorail wins: it is frequent, it cannot get stuck in traffic and the ticket also covers a city bus afterwards.

The Marconi Express, step by step

1. Find the station. Leave the Arrivals hall and follow the signs for “Marconi Express”. The station is on the first floor, the Departures level, joined to the terminal by a covered walkway. The airport station has a lift and a travelator for step-free access.
2. Pay. The simplest way is to tap a contactless card, phone or watch on the gate. It accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards and Maestro and VPay debit cards, but not Postepay cards. Tap the same card again when you leave at the other end. You can also buy a ticket at the machines in the station and in the baggage claim area, online, or on the Roger app. Card payments carry no extra fee.
3. Ride. The operator gives the running time as about 7 minutes 30 seconds. There is one stop on the way, Lazzaretto. You cannot reserve a seat, but at peak times there are eight departures an hour in each direction, so the wait is short. Two bags each, up to 80 x 50 x 50 cm, travel free.
4. Arrive at Bologna Centrale. Tap out at the gate. If you paid by card, use the same one. Your ticket is now valid for 75 minutes on TPER city buses.

Marconi Express fares

Children up to 4 travel free. Fares checked October 2026 on the Marconi Express fares page.

The last run leaves around midnight, and the operator advises being on the platform by 23:40. If the line is interrupted, a banner on marconiexpress.it gives live information and a replacement shuttle bus starts.

Is there a bus from the airport to the city?

Not by day. Some guides, including older copy on this site, say a cheaper city bus runs the same route as the monorail. The airport’s bus page shows otherwise. In the daytime, line Q runs from the airport to Ospedale Maggiore and line 54 to Villaggio Speranza. Neither goes to the station or the old center.

At night it is different. From midnight to 5:40, when the monorail is closed, line Q runs from the airport to the railway station at Piazzale Medaglie d’Oro in about 30 minutes, operated by TPER. Sources disagree on its fare, so check TPER before you travel.

The airport also lists buses to other cities: Florence in about 90 minutes, Modena in about 50 and Ferrara in about 60. If you are heading out of Bologna first, our day trips from Bologna guide covers the towns.

Taxi from Bologna airport

Taxis wait at the rank outside arrivals. The two companies the airport lists are Cotabo (051 372727) and CAT (051 4590). You cannot hail a taxi in the street in Bologna, so for the trip back to the airport, go to a rank or book one.

We do not quote a taxi fare. Neither the airport, the city nor Bologna Welcome publishes one, and the figures on third-party sites disagree with each other. Ask the driver for an estimate before you set off.

Private transfer

The private transfer shown above is a car from the airport to any address in Bologna, priced from $95 for a group of up to two, with the driver following your flight. Be aware of two things. It has only 8 reviews, averaging 4.4, so there is not much to judge it by. And it will not go to places outside Bologna.

It makes sense for a late arrival with heavy bags, or for two people who would rather not change at the station. For one person with a backpack, the monorail is far cheaper.

From Bologna Centrale to Piazza Maggiore on foot

The walk from the station to the middle of Piazza Maggiore is 1,512 meters, about 20 minutes at a steady pace (measured with OpenStreetMap foot routing in October 2026). From the Marconi Express platform, add a few minutes: 1,782 meters, about 24 minutes.

1. Leave the station by the main front entrance onto Piazza delle Medaglie d’Oro.
2. Cross to Via dell’Indipendenza and walk south.
3. Keep going. The street runs almost straight to Piazza del Nettuno, which opens onto Piazza Maggiore.

There are no hills and no steps, and porticoes cover most of the route, so wheeled cases are fine. Since December 2025 the stretch of Via dell’Indipendenza from Via Righi down to the Via Rizzoli junction has been pedestrian, which makes the second half quieter than it used to be.

If you would rather ride, your Marconi Express ticket covers 75 minutes on TPER city buses. Routes through the center keep changing because of the tram works, so check tper.it for the current line rather than trusting a number from an old guide.

Where to go next

If you are choosing a hotel, our where to stay in Bologna guide names the ones near the station and near the square. Arriving by car instead? Read the parking and ZTL guide before you leave the motorway. The map of central Bologna shows the station, the square and the sights in one view.