Best Day Trips from Bologna

Northern Italy and specifically the region of Emilia-Romagna is one of the most entertaining places in Europe for tourists. Throughout this part of the country there is an impressive amount of archaeological sites as well as more modern tourist attractions. For this reason one of the best things to do in Bologna ends up being an excursion that departs from the city so that its visitors can return to the city with the privilege of having seen other facets of this Italian region.

So I advise you to continue reading this compilation of excursions that I have prepared for you. For each and every one of them individually stand out as excellent entertainment options for all types of tourists. From those who travel to Italy to enjoy its culinary world to those who have a passion for the world of European motor racing.

The region of Emilia-Romagna is characterised by its beautiful countryside, but above all it is internationally renowned for the quality of its gastronomic products. For this reason an excursion through some of the best factories dedicated to the production of prosciutto, cheeses and cured meats is an excellent choice for all types of tourists.

This type of excursion usually takes place with a guide who is an expert in the culinary history of Emilia-Romagna. In turn, one of the first things that are usually part of this itinerary is a visit to some of the factories specialised in the production of Parmigiano-Reggiano, one of the most famous cheeses in the world.

It is also common to visit some local family-owned factories focused on the famous Prosciutto di Parma. Prosciutto di Parma is another of the great representative products of the gastronomy of this Italian region. It is possible that these excursions may also include a guided tour with tastings at balsamic vinegar factories. Balsamic vinegar is the third star product in this part of the Italian culinary world.

You should know that these excursions are an excellent complement to the best tours of Bologna. It allows you to understand why the gastronomy of this region turned this specific city into one of the most important capitals of European tourism. You should know that the transfer takes place in air-conditioned minibuses and is a shared experience. Lunch is usually included and at each of the stops there is a tasting of the products offered by that particular factory.

Interesting details

• Price: The approximate price for such excursions is usually around 171 euros per person. There are usually no age distinctions.
• Duration: the average duration of such an excursion is about 7 hours in total.
• Means of transport: The most common means of transport is a minivan or a relatively small bus.
• Advantages of this option: it is an excellent alternative for those who wish to get to know the culinary world that defines the Italian region of which Bologna is the capital.
• Disadvantages of this option: It can be a bit of a boring alternative for someone who does not enjoy the idea of visiting a food factory.

Another feature of the Emilia-Romagna region is the fact that some of the biggest names in Italian motoring have come out of this corner of the country. In fact, a section of this part of Italy is known as the Motor Valley and so another great excursion to do from Bologna is a tour of the factories and museums found in this part of Emilia-Romagna.

Typically, such tours are made up of three main visits. One of them is the Ferrari museum which is located in the town of Maranello. This is south of Modena and about an hour from Bologna. The next visit is usually to the Lamborghini factory and museum and the whole scheme is completed with a visit to the Pagani supercar factory and museum. Which is located in San Cesario sul Panaro.

You should know that all these places are among the best car museums in Bologna. At the same time they are one of the most important tourist destinations in the whole of Northern Italy. The tour as such is usually reserved for a limited group of people and you should know that it includes a pick-up directly from your accommodation in the city or also from the central railway station of Bologna.

The buses in which the tour takes place are accompanied by a guide specialised in the history of car production in Emilia-Romagna. In addition, lunch is usually included in one of the many restaurants you will find in the city on this itinerary.

Interesting details

• Price: Considering that this is a visit to really luxurious tourist attractions, it makes sense that the tour will cost around 350 euros per person.
• Duration: The average duration of this type of tour is about eight hours in total.
• Means of transport: These are almost always really modern buses for about 25 to 30 people.
• Advantages of this option: to have the opportunity to visit three of the most important factories in the automotive world in a single excursion is a real privilege.
• Disadvantages of this option: this option is undoubtedly an expensive excursion that not all tourists can include in their travel budget.

It is no secret that Italy is one of the most important places for Western civilisation, or at least for its emergence. That's why you can't miss a visit from Bologna to the city of Ravenna. Ravenna is a small town in the Emilia-Romagna region and is known for the colourful mosaics found in most of the buildings in the historic centre as well as for having been the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 402 until its collapse in 476.

Excursions that focus on Ravenna have to do with the history of the town and usually include a visit to some of the buildings that are part of the Unesco World Heritage Site. This site was also part of the Byzantine Empire in Italy and at one point was the seat of the Kingdom of the Lombards. This makes it one of the most important sites in all of Emilia-Romagna.

You should know that this excursion is one of the best things to do in Bologna during autumn, as it can be an excellent escape from the rainy weather that defines the city at this time of the year. It is also an excursion that usually takes place with a small group of people and allows you to get close to the Adriatic coast of northern Italy.

Interesting details

• Price: These excursions usually cost a minimum of 100 euros per person. You have to take into account that lunch is not included, although you will be accompanied by a guide specialised in the history of the place.
• Duration: the approximate duration of this type of excursion is about eight hours in total.
• Means of transport: the most common means of transport is an air-conditioned bus that could pick you up directly at your hotel.
• Advantages of this option: it is a good alternative for those who want to visit cities that normally do not have so many tourists within the Emilia-Romagna region.
• Disadvantages of this option: It can be considered a waste of time for those who are only interested in seeing the big tourist attractions such as museums, factories or restaurants in Bologna.

On the other hand, you might be interested in the idea of combining your visit to Bologna with an excursion to the other major cities nearby. These are Verona and Ferrara and each of them stands out for different reasons. In the case of Verona it will be a slightly longer trip, as you will be leaving the Emilia-Romagna region and entering the western Veneto. This site is known for its medieval architecture as well as for being the setting of William Shakespeare's famous play Romeo and Juliet.

These types of excursions are usually by bus or train. However, in the case of a train trip, we would be talking about a particular planning and it does not include the accompaniment of a guide specialised in the history of the city. No matter which of the two alternatives you choose, it is an excellent plan that can occupy a few hours of your day allowing you to get to know one of the jewels of northern Italy.

On the other hand, excursions to Ferrara can be part of the same itinerary. It is located halfway along the motorway and is a destination known internationally for its Renaissance buildings as well as for its great influence in the production of Italian marble.

You should know that an excursion that includes both destinations is one of the best things to do in Bologna at Christmas time. Both places are characterised by very special decorations in the historical centres of each city.

Details of interest

• Price: the price of an excursion that includes Ferrara and Verona in the same itinerary is usually around 150 euros per person.
• Duration: the approximate duration of this type of excursion is about 10 hours in total. This is logical, since we are talking about two different locations and one of them is about 150 kilometres away from the centre of Bologna.
• Means of transport: when it comes to a guided tour, the most common option is an air-conditioned bus with a capacity for 30 to 40 people.
• Advantages of this option: it is an excellent option for those who are looking to facilitate their tour of Northern Italy without having to leave Bologna for a long time.
• Disadvantages of this option: Visiting two cities in one day can be a bit tiring for some types of tourists. This means that the experience can become inconvenient for some people.

There are different ways to book excursions from Bologna, but without a doubt the best of all is through an online purchase of the service. This is due to the fact that you have the opportunity to know the opinions of other people who have already lived the experience.

At the same time you have the possibility to cancel the reservation for free if you do it with enough time in advance. Moreover, it is something you can do from home by paying with your credit card and comparing at your leisure to choose the most competitively priced rate.

In fact, most of the best gastronomic tours in Bologna along with other very similar tourist services are usually booked online. This means that it is becoming less and less possible to get vacancies for highly sought-after activities without a digital booking.

On average, most of the best tours from Bologna tend to last between eight and 10 hours. This is logical, as it is a time that allows you to explore the tourist destination you are visiting and still have enough time to return to the city and take part in some of the best things to do in Bologna during the night.

So this duration is very favourable for those who wish to make the most of their time in this beautiful Italian destination. It does not limit the enjoyment of other plans on the same date as the excursion.

On the best excursions from Bologna you will always find a repetitive element. And that is the possibility to admire the best of this part of the Italian countryside. It is characterised by being one of the most beautiful sceneries of the whole country.

In fact, they are often one of the best things to do in Bologna during the spring for the opportunity to tour the plains and hills of Emilia-Romagna at the time when trees and shrubs are in full bloom.

There are different tips I can give you when you propose to take part in an excursion from Bologna. However, the best of them all is to plan the logistics of the activity very well. It is no secret that many people tour Italy from end to end for a month, but the visits in each of the cities are relatively short.

Therefore, resources such as transfers from Bologna airport to your destination or a tour of the city in a short time through one of the best tour buses in Bologna can be very convenient. At least to save time and money. Leaving you plenty of hours available to properly enjoy those excursions.

Now, if you are going to think about the reasons why taking an excursion from Bologna is advisable, you have to understand that Italy is a place that deserves to be visited in all its dimensions.

In fact, when you do a little research on the best tourist attractions in Bologna, you will find that many of them are in the outskirts. For although each city is a major tourist destination in its own right, they are always part of a relatively small region that must also be visited if you want to say that you have visited the place properly.

This does not mean that you have to neglect attractions within the city, which include Bologna' s best museums, many shops, markets, churches and public parks. For the truth is that in 3, 4 or even 5 days you can cover a large part of the region if you plan well logistically.