Bologna
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Bologna is the capital of Emilia-Romagna, 99.5 km (62 miles) east of Parma, and the biggest city you can reach in an hour. Regional trains run through the day, the fast ones taking 58 minutes for €8.50. The Frecciarossa is not faster on this route: on the sample day we checked it took 55 to 59 minutes and cost €15.90 to €18.90. From Bologna Centrale you walk 21 minutes, mostly under porticoes, to Piazza Maggiore.
The honest framing: Bologna is not a Parma day trip in the way Modena is. It is a bigger city that rewards a stay of its own. As a half day from Parma, though, it works well for a walk through the porticoes, the central squares and the market streets, and a lunch. One change to the classic plan: the Asinelli tower climb has been closed while the leaning Garisenda next to it is stabilized.
At a glance
- By train
- Fast regionals from €8.50, 58 minutes, at about 27 minutes past most hours from Parma. Frecciarossa costs €15.90 to €18.90 and saves 0 to 3 minutes.
- By car
- 99.5 km (62 miles), about 77 minutes. Not worth it: the train is faster to the center.
- From the station
- Bologna Centrale to Piazza Maggiore is 1.6 km, about 21 minutes on foot, much of it under porticoes.
- Porticoes
- 62 km of porticoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2021, free to walk.
- Two Towers
- The Asinelli tower has been fenced off with the leaning Garisenda during stabilization works; we could not confirm a reopening for climbs in 2026.
- Time needed
- Half a day for the center; a full day with a museum or a long lunch.
In this guide
Which train to take
On Wednesday, October 7, 2026, trains from Parma to Bologna Centrale included:
| Train | Departs | Arrives | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regionale Veloce | 8:27 a.m. | 9:25 a.m. | €8.50 |
| Frecciarossa | 8:43 a.m. | 9:42 a.m. | €18.90 |
| Intercity | 8:57 a.m. | 9:56 a.m. | €12 |
| Regionale Veloce | 9:27 a.m. | 10:25 a.m. | €8.50 |
| Regionale Veloce | 10:27 a.m. | 11:25 a.m. | €8.50 |
Coming back the same evening, fast regionals left Bologna at 5:33 p.m. and 6:33 p.m. (58 minutes), with slower ones in between. A 5:18 p.m. Frecciarossa took 55 minutes for €15.90. On Sunday, October 11, regionals ran at 8:06 a.m., 8:27 a.m., 9:27 a.m. and 10:27 a.m., all 58 minutes.
Two traps. The journey planner sometimes offers a route by bus to Reggio Emilia AV and a Frecciarossa from there for €30: it is slower and dearer. And the slower regionals (about 1 hour 10 minutes) cost the same €8.50, so check the arrival time, not just the departure. The same line calls at Modena, 29 minutes from Parma.
The half-day version
With the 8:27 a.m. train you are on Piazza Maggiore before 10 a.m. A half-day loop on foot, all outdoors and free:
- Via dell'Indipendenza from the station, under porticoes, to the center.
- Piazza Maggiore and Piazza del Nettuno, with the Neptune fountain, the town hall and the unfinished facade of the basilica of San Petronio.
- The Quadrilatero, the grid of old market streets just east of the square, for food shops and a standing lunch.
- The Two Towers at the end of Via Rizzoli, to see from the street (see below).
- Back to the station, or on to a museum if you have the full day.
We have not listed opening hours or prices for Bologna's churches and museums here; check them on the day with the city's tourist office, Bologna Welcome, on Piazza Maggiore.
The Two Towers: what is closed
By January 2024 the city had cordoned off the Garisenda, the shorter, leaning one of the Two Towers, amid fears for its stability, and the culture ministry had earmarked €5 million to secure it, ANSA reported. The Asinelli next to it was fenced off with it. In May 2025 Il Post reported that works on the Garisenda would run until at least 2028, with a first phase due by the summer of 2026 to meet EU funding deadlines, and that the city would decide during the works when the Asinelli could reopen.
We could not confirm on September 29, 2026 whether the Asinelli climb has reopened. Treat it as closed unless the city's booking site sells you a ticket. The towers are still worth seeing from the street.
The full-day version, with Modena
If you would rather see two cities than one properly, Modena sits on the same line. Take the 8:27 a.m. regional from Parma, get off at Modena at 8:56 a.m. for the cathedral and a booked slot on the Ghirlandina, then continue to Bologna for the afternoon on a later regional (27 to 32 minutes, €4.50). The two tickets total €10.80, against €8.50 for Parma to Bologna direct. Come back on the 6:33 p.m. from Bologna, at Parma by 7:31 p.m. It is a long day, and you will see the surface of both, but it suits a first trip to the region. Our Modena page has the Ghirlandina booking rules.
The porticoes
Bologna's porticoes cover a total of 62 km, and UNESCO inscribed them as a World Heritage site in 2021. You will walk under them whatever you do, which is why Bologna works in the rain and in August sun alike. The longest single run climbs to the sanctuary of San Luca on a hill outside the center; it is a half-day walk in itself, so leave it for a proper Bologna stay.
Should you stay in Parma or Bologna?
If you are choosing a base for Emilia-Romagna, the arithmetic is in our Parma or Bologna page. Short version: Bologna has more trains and flights; Parma is calmer, closer to the castles and the dairies, and every Food Valley trip on this site starts from it. If you arrive through Bologna's airport, our getting to Parma page covers the connection.
Coming the other way, from a Bologna base to Parma for the day, see Parma as a day trip from Bologna.
Tickets and tours you can book
Private Emilia Romagna Food Tour Full Day
Milan pickup is 7 a.m., Bologna 7:30. The guide stays only until lunch. Minimum two. Live production is not guaranteed.
Rating as shown on Viator
From Bologna: Parma Cheese & Ham Factory Tours and Tastings
You ride the train from Bologna on your own and are met at Parma station. The return train ticket and lunch are in the price.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
From Bologna: Parmigiano and Prosciutto Tour by 1st-Class Train
The train runs to Reggio Emilia AV, not Parma; a van does the rest. Only 13 reviews. A 'Smart' option starts in Parma without the train.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Parma to Bologna?
58 minutes on the fast regional trains, which cost €8.50. Slower regionals take about 1 hour 10 minutes for the same price. Frecciarossa and Intercity trains take 55 to 62 minutes and cost €12 to €18.90.
Is the Frecciarossa worth it from Parma to Bologna?
No. On the day we checked it saved at most three minutes over the fast regional and cost roughly twice as much.
Can you climb the Asinelli tower in Bologna?
It was fenced off to climbers together with the neighboring Garisenda tower, which was cordoned off by early 2024 for stabilization. We could not confirm a reopening as of September 29, 2026. Check the city's booking site before you go.
Is half a day enough for Bologna?
For the center on foot, yes: Piazza Maggiore, the market streets of the Quadrilatero, the porticoes and the Two Towers from the street. For museums, San Luca or a long lunch, take a full day.
How far is Bologna from Parma?
99.5 km (62 miles) by road, about 77 minutes by car. By train it is 58 minutes to Bologna Centrale, then 21 minutes on foot to Piazza Maggiore.
Further reading
Official sources
- Trenitalia - Le Frecce journey planner – Parma to Bologna Centrale on Wednesday, October 7, and Sunday, October 11, 2026: regional €8.50 (58 min to 1 h 12), IC €12, FR €18.90 out and €15.90 back, bus plus FR via Reggio Emilia AV €30; evening returns; Modena to Bologna regional €4.50, 27 to 32 min; checked September 29, 2026
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre - The Porticoes of Bologna – Inscribed 2021; porticoes cover a total of 62 km; checked September 29, 2026
- ANSA - Culture ministry earmarks 5 million euros to fix leaning tower of Bologna (January 4, 2024) – Garisenda cordoned off amid fears it may topple; €5 million earmarked
- Il Post - Garisenda works to last until at least 2028 (May 16, 2025) – Asinelli fenced with the Garisenda, reopening to be decided during works, first phase by summer 2026, completion at least 2028
- OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM and routing.openstreetmap.de) – Parma to Piazza Maggiore 99.5 km, about 77 minutes; Bologna Centrale to Piazza Maggiore 1.6 km on foot, about 21 minutes; computed September 29, 2026
