Bologna

Italy's gastronomic capital Bologna is reachable by taking a sleeper train to Munich or Zurich, followed by a fast Frecciarossa south. You roll through the Apennines right into the Emilia-Romagna heartland. Main departure and boarding stations for the ICE / Nightjet + Frecciarossa include:

• Brussels-South (Midi) (12h 48m, 2 transfers)
• Antwerp Central (13h 42m, 2 transfers)
• Rotterdam Central (14h 17m, 2 transfers)
• Amsterdam Central (14h 52m, 2 transfers)

Trenitalia and DB offer advance tickets from €65.00 when reserved 3 to 6 months ahead. Last-minute seats can rise to €210.00 (saving up to 69%). Slower road options include Flixbus or multi-leg budget connections.

Arrival is at Bologna Centrale. From the underground high-speed platforms, the TPER Bus & Marconi Express connects to Piazza Maggiore, or pedal under the famous porticoes with RideMovi Bologna.

Driving to Bologna takes around 13h 50m (~1173 km). Expect €149 in fuel (assuming 6.5 L/100 km, or ~€89 for EV charging (19 kWh/100 km)), plus around €78 in tolls (Swiss/Austrian vignette plus Italian Autostrada tolls) and parking (€26 per day in the city center (or ~€10 per day at a peripheral P+R)). For a weekend trip (round-trip fuel, any tolls, and 48 hours of central parking), total driving costs amount to ~€506 (~€386 for an electric car). Strict camera-controlled Bologna ZTL (camera-enforced restricted traffic zone in the historic center) rules apply. EV charging points are mapped via this link.