Ralstonlan

I am not familiar with the Bologna train station, but realize that it is quite big.
Any opinions on whether or not 15 minutes will be enough time to change trains, connecting Florence-Bologna-Parma?
Thank you!

TorontoSteven

Yes, shouldn't be a problem but you will want to be off your inbound train as quickly as possible.

ellenem

Bologna is a "through" station rather than a terminus, so you will have to make you connection by going down a staircase to the underpass and then up a staircase to your next track. 15 minutes should be plenty of time as long as your first train is not delayed more than 10 minutes.

Ralstonlan

Great, thank you.

greg

I think Bologna station was one of those that has "annex" type of construct where there are multiple tracks with same number but with suffix. I think the westbound (Bologna-Parma) uses the main tracks (non suffixed tracks) in front of the station, so I don't think it affects you.

Yes, Bologna is a large station and you must go down staircases if you don't want to rely on elevators. I have taken an elevator when I was pressed for time at another station, but the elevator got stuck. So now I never take an elevator when I am in a hurry. I hope you are traveling light.

To prepare yourself, ask the ticket inspector on your Florence-Bologna train which "binario" your current train "usually" arrives and where your next train "usually" departs. Then check the digital displays at Bologna to verify the current info. You need to know the train # (4-5 digits long) or the FINAL destination (that is how the display shows) of your next train.

Zerlina

It should be enough, but if it's the 9:52 to Parma and you miss it, your ticket is also good for the 10:26 from Bologna to Parma, since both are Regionale trains.

Andrew

I don't remember Bologna being a "huge" station - been there a couple of times. I mean, it handles a ton of trains but it isn't like Milano Centrale or anything, where the station itself is huge. I don't think it will be that hard to find a connecting train; get off your train, walk down the stairs (probably), find the monitor, find Parma on it, and find the track number, then walk up the stairs to the right track number. The destinations are probably on a reader board next to each track/stairway as well.

Dukey1

IDEALLY, you already know how to read the POSTED train schedules (specifically the departures) you will find in Italian rail stations.

I say "ideally" because sometimes those electronic boards (I mean the BIG ones that show all the trains) aren't always visible. However, these days some of the stations have TV monitors suspended at various points on the platforms themselves which show the trains leaving within the next hour or two and from which platform they will leave.

So, BEFORE you go rolling down any stairwells in some frantic rush to make a connection, and if one of those monitors is on your platform, and if the "conductor" on your arriving train gives you the "Italian answer for everything" (the shoulder shrug) when you ask about connections...who knows? Your connection could very well be coming in on your arrival platform!

GAC

IF IF you are arriving from Prato Centrale on a regionale train, you'll be deposited at Bologna Centrale-Binari EST, or the EAST annex which is quite a long walk, perhaps 600 meters or more, from the WEST annex, from where some northbound trains depart (e.g. to Verona). However, if your train to Parma departs from the central station area (which I believe to be the case), the walk would be less. If you're arriving from Florence on an AV or IC train, you'll definitely be let off in the central station area, NOT the east or west annex. In that case, all you need to do is change track by using the underground tunnel and stairs.

In case you did not already know this, taking the regionale train to Bologna from Prato Centrale (connecting from another regionale train from Firenze SMN) saves a ton of money compared to taking the super-fast, super-expensive AV train direct from Firenze SMN to Bologna. This would mean taking THREE regionale trains:

1. Firenze SMN to Prato Centrale
2. Prato Centrale to Bologna
3. Bologna to Parma