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 a very impressive amount of archeological 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 leaves from the city so that its visitors can return to it with the privilege of having known 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 great passion for the world of European motor racing.

The Emilia-Romagna region is characterized by its beautiful countryside landscapes, 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.

These types of excursions usually take 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 specialized in the production of Parmigiano-Reggiano, one of the most famous cheeses worldwide.

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 tasting included to 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 have to know that the transfer is given in air-conditioned minibuses and it is a shared experience. It is usual that lunch is included and that at each of the stops there is a tasting of the products offered by that particular factory.

Details of interest

• Price: the approximate rate for this type of excursion is usually around 171 euros per person. There are usually no age distinctions.
• Duration: the average duration of an excursion with these characteristics is about 7 hours in total.
• Means of transportation: the most common 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 element that characterizes the Emilia-Romagna region is the fact that major Italian automotive brands 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 of the great excursions that can be made from Bologna is a tour through the factories and museums that are located in this part of Emilia-Romagna.

The most common is that such tours are composed of three main visits. One of them is the Ferrari museum which is located in the town of Maranello. Which 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 have to know that all these places are part of the best car museums in Bologna. At the same time they are one of the most important tourist destinations in all 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 train station of Bologna.

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

Details of interest

• Price: taking into account that this is a visit to really luxurious tourist attractions, it is logical that the tour will cost about 350 euros per person.
• Duration: the average duration of this type of excursion is usually eight hours in total.
• Means of transport: almost always really modern buses for about 25 to 30 people.
• Advantages of this option: to have the opportunity that a single excursion includes a visit to three of the most important factories in the automotive world is a real privilege.
• Disadvantages of this option: this alternative 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 civilization, or at least for its emergence. That's why you can't miss a visit from Bologna to the city of Ravenna. This site is a small town in the Emilia-Romagna region and is known for the colorful mosaics found in most of the buildings of the historic center as well as for having been the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 402 until its collapse in 476.

Excursions that focus on this city are related to the history of the town and therefore usually include a visit to some of the buildings that are part of the Unesco World Heritage Site decreed in this 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. Which makes it one of the most important corners of all Emilia-Romagna.

You have to 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. Moreover, it is an excursion that usually occurs with a small group of people and allows you to get close to the Adriatic coast of northern Italy.

Details of interest

• Price: these excursions usually cost at least 100 euros per person. You have to take into account that lunch is not included, although you will be accompanied by a guide specialized in the history of the place.
• Duration: the approximate duration of this type of excursion is about eight hours in total.
• Means of transportation: it is usually 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 wish 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 that allows you to get to know the other important 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 to enter the western Veneto. This site is known for its medieval architecture as well as for being the setting of Romeo and Juliet, the famous play by William Shakespeare.

These types of excursions usually take place both by bus and train. However, when it comes to a train trip, we would be talking about a particular planning and it does not include the accompaniment of a guide specialized 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 know one of the jewels of northern Italy.

On the other hand, excursions to Ferrara can be part of the same itinerary. Since it is located halfway depending on the highway you choose and it is a destination known internationally for its Renaissance buildings as well as for its great influence in the production of Italian marble.

You have to know that an excursion that includes both destinations is one of the best things to do in Bologna during Christmas. Since both places are characterized by very special decorations in the historical centers of each city.

Details of interest

• Price: the price of an excursion that includes Ferrara to Verona in the same itinerary is usually around 150 euros per person.
• Duration: the approximate duration of this type of excursion is usually about 10 hours in total. This is logical, since we are talking about two different locations and one of them is about 150 kilometers away from the center of Bologna.
• Means of transport: when it comes to a guided tour, the most common is an air-conditioned bus with a capacity for 30 to 40 people.
• Advantages of this option: it is an excellent choice for those who are looking to facilitate their tour of Northern Italy without the need to leave Bologna for a long time.
• Disadvantages of this option: visiting two cities in the same 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 with peace of mind to choose the most competitively priced rate.

In fact, most of the best food tours in Bologna along with other very similar tourist services are usually booked online. Which means that it is less and less possible to get vacancies in highly sought after activities if you don't book digitally.

On average, most of the best tours from Bologna tend to last between eight and 10 hours. Which is logical, since this is a time that allows you to explore the tourist destination you are going to visit and still have enough time to return to the city and participate in some of the best things to do in Bologna during the night.

So this duration is very favorable for those who want to make the most of their time in this beautiful Italian destination. For it does not limit the enjoyment of other plans on the same date of the excursion.

In 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. Which is characterized as 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 bloom everywhere.

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. For it is no secret that many people travel 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 the airport of Bologna to the airport 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. Thus 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 toured in all its dimensions.

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

This does not mean that you have to leave out attractions that are located within the city, among which are the best museums in Bologna, many commercial stores, markets, churches and public parks. The truth is that with 3, 4 or even 5 days you can cover a large part of the region if there is a good logistical planning.