I have a chance of a very cheap flight for early January. Can anyone give me any insight into what to expect at that time of year? Would it be really miserable? Am I mad???

Thanks

Hi Jake!

Jump at the chance!! Bologna is a beautiful city and relatively inexpensive. Only about an hour from florence and a little bit longer to milan and venice. It will be cold, but not freezing. if you need places to stay, let me know your budget and i'll give you some suggestions. definitely climb the tower asinelli, but be very careful if you're afraid of heights. . . it's an "open" staircase inside. 2 restaurants not to miss (even if they are on the expensive side they are the most classic bolognese cuisine) are Pappagallo and Diana. Pappagallo is in Via Indipendenza, 24 (phone 051.23.13.02, closed mondays). pappagallo is very near the tower in piazza della mercanzia, 3c (telephone 051.23.28.07, closed sundays). and don't forget to eat "mortadella", a.k.a. bologna!! if you have any other questions, just drop me a line Laura [email protected]

Thanks for your help Laura. I don't have an exact budget in mind. I just saw the cheap flights today and then checked out some hotels on venere.com. I saw a few hotels for around 80-100 euro which sounds fine. It's a place I've always been quite curious about so maybe I should take it while I can. Thanks again for your help. Any hotel suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Good morning, Jake The average hi for January would be 40 deg. f. the low of
29 deg. and with 1.70" precip. January is its dryest month. Have only been into Bologna in September and November and found it a good place to visit. Used the HOTEL ROMA and
two reasonable ristorantes I might mention and they are the LA MELA, via de Fusari, 5 $$$ excellant fish and pizza, and the Trattoria DE ADOLFO
Corte Galluzzi, 7, $$$, a ma and pa type ristorante, good food and very small both located within a half block of the Roma. and would suggest reservations in each.. Never let the weather lessen you enjoyment of the place which you are visiting, there will be many pluses.. Richard of LaGrange Park, Il

There is a realistic possibility of experiencing mist and fog in Bologna in January, which can disrupt flight schedule. Flights are often diverted to Rome, which doesn't usually have the same problem as places further north.

Jake-

We were in Bologna for the first week of January in 2003, and fell in love with the city. It was pretty cold, but not unbearable. We walked, ate AMAZING meals, drank fabulous wines, ate some more wonderful food, etc. Yes, we agreed with the Bolognese that they have the best food in Italy.

Try the hot chocolate somewhere in town. We found it to be the best ever. I also loved the indoor farmer's market, and the little wine bar right across the street.

Have a great trip!

We also went in January 2003 and had a wonderful visit. It wasn't so cold as to be awful and we both hate the heat anyway so...

And even if it's raining - there are so many covered colonnades you can walk most of the city under cover!

The eating is the best we've had in Italy - just fantastic!

Thank you all so much for your reply. It sounds like a fantastic city. I have booked the flights for January 8th. Any recommendations for a cheap-ish hotel?
Thanks again!

And this thread is the perfect example of why I like Fodor's message boards!

I haven't been to Bologna yet, but now, it has moved up my list of must-see's. As I only live about 5 hours away, what am I waiting for??

Cheers,
Jan

Did that some years ago. Excellent time, a very rich city with culture and art. Nice walks under the city's 34 km of historical arcades. Also excellent shopping potential during january sales. Don't hesitate and go!

We are sort of planning Bologna in Jan or early Feb..where did you find such an irresistible airfare?

Hi Jody. I'm flying from Ireland with Aer Lingus. 100 euro return!

Darn! I was hoping you were flying from the US! We never get any good fares here in Touristland, FL!

Actually, that's not true. Orlando has had some of the best fares to Europe. Last November, it was $380 Orlando to Trieste. That's almost a giveaway!
Cheers,
Jan

I must just miss those fares. Maybe I should try some of the smaller places instead of London, Paris and Rome. One of my problems is I like to use my FF miles for upgrades so I can blame it mostly on myself!

jody, I also try to use FF miles for upgrades, but many airlines will not allow it when you try in conjunction with a deeply discounted fare. Rats!

I copied and edited this from an old post of mine on Bologna:

Definitely check out the very old church, I think it is called San Stefano, which has all kinds of old monk's quarters and chapels to explore. We went at dusk, and it was very atmospheric.

Be sure to have tortollini somewhere- it's the specialty of the town. I also loved the soup called Tortollini en brodo, just the pasta in a nice broth- so simple and warming on a cold day.

We stayed at the Hotel Arcoveggio and really enjoyed it. It is a clean, modern budget hotel, close to the train station, a twenty-thirty minute walk (or a quick bus ride) from the city center, in a quiet neighborhood of homes and stores.

Our room was fresh and bright, with Ikea-style modern furniture, funky periwinkle and lime decor, a firm, comfortable bed, a nice bathroom, and French doors opening onto a tiny balcony. It doesn't have old world charm, but the cleanliness and comfort (and price) made up for that.

People who don't really like to walk or take busses might want to be closer to the city center. It was sort of a hike to come home for a rest during the down time before dinner when everything was closed and it was getting dark and extra-cold.

However, we really enjoyed seeing a "real" neighborhood, and our daily walks helped us find a great jazz club, Cantina Bentivoglio, where we had a good meal and saw great music from the Luca Barbieri Trio.

Now I want to go back! Have a great trip.