Bolonia Hop on Hop off Bus Tours

Most of the best things to see and do in Bologna have to do with the idea of touring the architectural treasures of the city while combining it with a gastronomic tasting of the best culinary offerings of this Italian town. Fortunately, all year round there are tour buses that facilitate the logistics of this urban exploration.

So I advise you to keep reading this post to find out all the important details associated with the best tour buses in the city of Bologna. They stand out for their economic advantages that at the same time facilitate the use of your time in the city.

Throughout the year, and especially in the summer season, the typical tourist bus tours that are present in most of the major cities of the world take place in the city centre of Bologna. As Bologna is one of the most visited cities in Italy, it is logical that this type of tourist service is also available. However, you should know that there is only one company dedicated to these tours and only one route is offered through the limited amount of passable streets that exist in the centre of Bologna.

Fortunately, this does not prevent the possibility that the bus allows you to enjoy the most important buildings of the city centre from the comfort of a vehicle with an air-conditioned atmosphere. In fact, you should know that these tourist buses are an excellent transport alternative even if you are not interested in doing the whole route. One of their stops is located at the northern end of the city centre in an area very close to the Bologna university campus.

In the opposite direction there is a stop near the gardens in the south of the city and that means you cross the central district of Bologna from north to south in record time. Along the way you will get significantly closer to some of Bologna' s best museums. In fact, one of the stops on the route is the Piazza Maggiore, which is the most central point for sightseeing tours of the city.

Also, you should know that the bus has an audio guide in over 10 different languages and that it operates on a free-stop basis. This means that you can get off at one point and then resume your route by getting on the next bus that arrives at that specific stop. In fact, the bus fares work as a one-off payment that guarantees you unlimited use of the system from early morning until early evening, when the tour ends.

You should know that the Bologna sightseeing bus does not have different routes. And this has to do with the way the city centre is configured. Most of the streets are pedestrianised. Therefore, there is not enough space for a double-decker bus to pass through the few roads that have been made for vehicular traffic.

However, this route usually starts in Piazza Maggiore, as it is an excellent meeting point and is also an accessible place for most people who are staying in the city centre. This also makes the planning of each tour participant more favourable.

The next stop on this route is usually Viale Pietramellara, which is a major avenue located at the northern end of the central district of Bologna. Tourists are usually advised to get off at this stop as they will be able to visit most of the museums that are located on Bologna' s university campus and also enjoy the famous Parco della Montagnola. This is a picturesque public park dating back to the 19th century and is located on a site where a castle once stood in the 14th century.

The last three stops of the Bologna sightseeing bus are then presented. The third stop is San Michele in Bosco and the fourth stop is very close to Piazza Maggiore. You should know that this route is one of the best things to do in Bologna during autumn, as it is a safe escape from the frequent rains during this time of the year.

On the other hand, if we have to talk about the advantages of using the Bologna sightseeing bus then we have to highlight the fact that it saves time and even money. And if a person has several days in the city and is already a bit tired of having to walk the same streets all the time then it is seen as an economical transport alternative. It is available all day long and guarantees a transfer from the north to the south of the city in a short time.

The same goes for those who are trying to save their energy for more complex activities. Not everyone enjoys the idea of walking the city and prefers to accelerate their enjoyment of its architecture by a means of transport that is conducive to urban sightseeing. In fact, it is quite common for people who propose a tour of the best automobile museums in Bologna, which are outside the city, to want to use their time with this type of bus tour.

It should also be understood that the flexibility of the use of the best tourist buses in Bologna allows it to be an activity that can be combined with other plans throughout the day. It can be a great way to learn about the history of the city through the audio guides. This can be combined with the idea of getting off at one of the stops to visit museums, restaurants or commercial establishments of interest to users.

In addition, it is also worth noting that the best tourist buses in Bologna are an excellent logistical alternative for the family. It is no secret that having to walk several kilometres a day with small children can be a real headache, especially in the summer when the streets are often crowded with people.

The Bologna sightseeing bus route as such is significantly short compared to routes operated by such buses in other parts of the world. For example, on a conventional day, the entire route will take about 2 hours in total. This is assuming you decide to get on at the first stop located in Piazza Maggiore and then complete a full cycle without getting off at any of the available points.

However, it is worth noting that different situations can cause this route to be delayed or accelerated. For example, if no one in the group decides to get off at any of the stops along the route, it is likely that the total trip will take one hour and 45 minutes. On the other hand, if at each of the stops a significant number of people get on and off the bus and some of them are in wheelchairs or have pushchairs then the whole tour is likely to take about two and a half hours.

Either way, you should be aware that this experience, although short, is quite entertaining and is convenient for speeding up the chance to see many places that would not be appropriate for an individual visit. So this type of tour becomes your best ally for those dates of your trip when you decide to participate in one of the best things to do in Bologna at night. You'll be rested and at the same time you'll be able to enjoy the city from a more comfortable and leisurely perspective.

From the tourist bus of Bologna you will be able to appreciate different realities of the city. At the beginning, right at the meeting point in Piazza Maggiore, you will have a privileged view of what is the heart of the historic district of Bologna. Along the route you will begin to notice the changes between the northern part of the city and this older and more touristic part.

At the second stop you will notice that there is a clear difference between the central district of Bologna and the surrounding neighbourhoods. These neighbourhoods are already much more similar to the modern Italian cities of today. Furthermore, you will be able to see the architectural identity that defines Bologna's university quarter par excellence.

When you head south, the panorama changes completely, as the houses start to turn into centuries-old mansions and you will be able to admire the natural landscape that characterises these southern neighbourhoods of Bologna. They are known for having a much more leisurely and calm lifestyle and are associated with the existence of centuries-old families that have marked the power and control of the cultural sphere in this Italian city.

On the way back to the first stop of the tour you can enjoy a different route with equally important buildings in the centre of Bologna. This means that along this bus tour you will see some of the most important areas for the best tours of Bologna. All this under one fare and in one go, thus favouring your pocket and the use of your time.

The price of the Bologna sightseeing bus depends on the age of the participant. For example, the approximate price for a full fare is about 15 euros per person. This applies to those who are over 10 years old, do not have any disability and do not require an accompanying person.

On the other hand, the reduced fare is about seven euros per person and is available for children from six to 10 years old visiting the city in school groups. It is also available for adults on university excursions, if they have a disability or if they require an accompanying person. The same applies to the reduced price for younger children. The approximate rate is around 3 euros per person and it is only available for children under five years of age.

You should know that in general the ticket is non-refundable and that the ticket is purchased by date. This means that if you decide to buy a ticket for 13 September in advance, it will only be valid for trips that take place on 13 September. The only exception is when the cancellation of the service is due to external causes.

This means that in general this is a very cheap service that you can combine with other equally interesting experiences such as the best gastronomic tours of Bologna. Which can perfectly complement your day's itinerary leaving each of the plans for both the morning and the afternoon.

The timetables of the Bologna tourist bus are changeable. Depending on the summer tourist influx it is likely that the schedule will be readjusted to be available to as many people as possible.

However, for most of the year the timetable is fixed and this means that it is open to the public from 10am to 6:30pm. This applies to every day of the week. This means that no matter if you want to participate in this tour on a Sunday, Monday or Wednesday, you will always find the same opening hours.

This is perfect for organising the logistics of your trip. You can perfectly schedule one of these transfers from Bologna airport first thing in the morning. You can then enjoy these sightseeing bus tours in the mid-afternoon and leave the rest of your day available for other sightseeing experiences in the evening. This makes an ideal scheme for those with a short one or two day trip to the city of Bologna.

The first thing you need to know about the operation of the Bologna sightseeing bus is that it is a private institution. This means that it has no funding from the city council and therefore there is no responsibility on the part of the government for the cancellation or activation of special routes or unofficial services.

At the same time, it is appropriate to know that at certain times of the year it is possible to be accompanied by a guide inside the vehicle to encourage the interest of the participants. This person will usually speak both English and Italian. In any case, audio guides in more than 10 languages are available at all times and Spanish is clearly one of those languages.

Unfortunately in this case there is no possibility to monitor via an app where each and every bus is located in order to plan the best time to get on the next one. However, the small size of Bologna's historic centre ensures that a bus passes every single stop within 30 minutes.

At the same time, you should know that the route is so well planned that with just a couple of other activities you could say that you have already seen most of the city centre. This will allow you to have plenty of time available to participate in other plans such as the excursions to the outskirts of Bologna. These are highly recommended as the Emilia-Romagna region is one of the most beautiful areas of northern Italy.