Bologna to Venice
Sep 14th, 2015, 07:30 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bologna to Venice
We will be in San Gimignano for four days and traveling to nearby cities by car. We will then travel to Bologna for one night, then to Venice for one night. Our plane departs from Venice. My question is, should we take the car from Bologna to Venice, or leave car in Bologna and take the train into Venice? Any help would be appreciated.
Sep 15th, 2015, 07:06 AM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 6,534
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bologna has many ZTLs, and unfortunately one of them is quite near most of the car rental offices, so be careful how you approach. Simplest thing to do is to arrange to drop off the car at the airport and take a taxi to your hotel -- usually less than 20 euros. If you are staying within walking distance of the train station, you can take the airport shuttle bus to the train station and walk to your hotel. I seem to recall airport shuttle bus tickets being about 6e each.
Unless you have a reason for wanting to drive to Bologna, another possibility is to drop off the car at the Florence airport and take the 45 minuge train ride to Bologna. Even though it would cost more to do it that way, I would prefer not to commit myself to driving over the mountains to Bologna, since it is an unpleasant stressful drive should it be raining. But even if you decide to drop off the car in Bologna, you can always change your mind and call your rental company and tell them you'll be dropping it off at Florence airport if weather is lousy that day.
Unless you have a reason for wanting to drive to Bologna, another possibility is to drop off the car at the Florence airport and take the 45 minuge train ride to Bologna. Even though it would cost more to do it that way, I would prefer not to commit myself to driving over the mountains to Bologna, since it is an unpleasant stressful drive should it be raining. But even if you decide to drop off the car in Bologna, you can always change your mind and call your rental company and tell them you'll be dropping it off at Florence airport if weather is lousy that day.
Sep 15th, 2015, 08:15 AM
#6
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 22,987
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If the purpose is to fly out of Venice without visiting Venice but towns between Bologna and Venice, such as Ferrara or Ravenna (taking a slight detour), drive; if the point is to go directly to Venice, take the train.
Sep 15th, 2015, 10:01 AM
#7
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 7,962
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The airport is not far from the center of Bologna, so I agree with Sandra that it's a good place to drop a rental car. The shuttle makes a few other stops in the city center before arriving at the train station, so it can be convenient even if you'll not be staying very near the station.
I once stayed at the Hotel Paradise, which was just a stone's throw from one of the shuttle stops, and was also in walking distance from the station, as well as near the Piazza Maggiore. This hotel also had a few apartments they managed just across from the hotel. You had all the advantages of an apartment, with the services of a hotel. We went to the hotel for the breakfast every day.
I once stayed at the Hotel Paradise, which was just a stone's throw from one of the shuttle stops, and was also in walking distance from the station, as well as near the Piazza Maggiore. This hotel also had a few apartments they managed just across from the hotel. You had all the advantages of an apartment, with the services of a hotel. We went to the hotel for the breakfast every day.
