Myer

When in Europe we travel almost exclusively by train. We do not rent a car.

As we get older I'm becoming more concerned with having to carry luggage up and down stairs in train stations. This happened to us in Toulouse.

Florence and Rome (I believe Venice as well but is not in these plans) are not problems as they are pull in and back out stations with all of the tracks on ground level.

Bologna is a possible arrival city (by plane) so the train station there would be used.

From my map it appears the Bologna train station is a pass thru station. That means to get to all tracks but the 1st one you either have to go underground or over-ground to the appropriate track and then back to ground level.

Does anybody know if this is truly the layout of the Bologna train station and if so, does each track have an escalator and not just stairs. This might be enough reason to switch arrival cities.

Thanks

Huggy

Was there about a month ago and used a lift.

lily3

We were just there a couple of weeks ago, did have to go upstairs to our track, but there was an elevator, so it was no problem even with quite a bit of luggage.

bvlenci

I was also there last week. I don't know if all the tracks have elevators, but we didn't need to use steps at all.

The high-speed Frecciarossa and Italo trains use a station about 3 levels below street level, and there are escalators and lifts to take you up to the street and other track levels.

Myer

So if we were taking the Frechiarossa train to Florence then we wouldn't have to carry luggage down or up stairs.

Correct?

shellio

"So if we were taking the Frechiarossa train to Florence then we wouldn't have to carry luggage down or up stairs.

Correct?"

My recollection from a year ago is that this is true, escalator and/or lift is available between those levels.

fmpden

However, I do think you need to be prepared to carry your luggage up and down stairs because we frequently find the elevators, etc. to be "out of order." The older we get the less we carry.

Myer

fmpden,

You are correct. "Out of order" requires more work.

But at least we're starting from a position of not having to carry up and down stairs.

The unexpected could always happen.

Thanks all.

lavender

Was there in May this year and took lift down to catch frecciarosa train- no problems.

sandralist

If you are leaving Bologna for Florence, tell the taxi driver taking you to Bologna Centrale that you are taking the Freccia Rossa trains. He will drop you off on the side of the station where you will have the shortest distance to Freccia platforms, with options of both escalator or elevator.

bvlenci

I passed through Bologna Centrale twice in the past week, transferring between Frecciarossa and regional trains. There were both lifts and escalators on all the tracks I used. The chances of both being out of order seems slim to me.

The Frecciarossa trains leave from tracks several levels below street level.

Holly_uncasdewar

When did all these changes happen at the Bologna train station? I was last there about a year and a half ago, and didn't notice anything different from previous visits.