Taking a day trip from Bologna to Verona in Italy is easy, enjoyable, and a great thing to do if you are travelling solo, as a couple or in a group.
Plus, it gives you a chance to explore two of the most famous Italian cities in the span of the same Italian holiday.
Universally known as the City of Love, fair Verona is the backdrop of the Romeo and Juliet story. The city’s other major claim to fame is Arena di Verona – an impressive Roman amphitheatre that is older than the Colosseum in Rome. In addition, Verona is rich in beautiful and unique sights that span over 2,000 years of history and art. With a lively historic centre, the city offers a great number of things to see, do, and enjoy. Many of them can be easily covered in a day.
With travel times starting from 52 mins one way this is a day trip in Italy that is very easy and straightforward to organise. Don’t miss the chance! Fast trains connect Bologna to Verona all throughout the day. A modern motorway links them, too.
To make it easy for you, in this blog post, I have collated all the details to make planning a day trip from Bologna to Verona a success. From first-hand tried and tested information on how to travel between these two Italian cities by train and by car to a shortlist of the major sights to see in Verona in a day, everything’s covered.
During my six years of living in Italy, I often travelled to Verona and Bologna. Each time, it was so worth it and it opened yet another horizon in front of me in terms of Italian history, culture, food, and art.
Now, I would like to share my tips with you to help you have a great experience, too. Logically organised in easy chunks, below you will find the information that you need to enjoy Verona on a great day trip from Bologna in Italy.
Have a look!
Bologna to Verona – An Easy Day Trip in Italy You Need to Take (With Travel Tips and Sights to See)
Where is Verona, Italy?
Verona is one of the major cities in the Northern Italian region of Veneto. The capital of its own province, Verona is an important cultural centre in Northern Italy. For its concentration of unique historic landmarks, Verona has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since the year 2000.
The city’s main train station – Verona Porta Nuova – is among the ten busiest railway stations in Italy. As such, Verona is easy and quick to reach from a number of large Italian cities like Venice, Milan, Bologna, Turin, Florence, and even the Italian capital Rome. In addition, Verona enjoys excellent railway connections to a number of important European cities in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.
Geographically, the area of the Province of Verona is beautifully diverse. Here you will find the:
- Venetian Plain – an expansive flatland that stretches from the Veneto to Italy’s Northeasternmost region of Friuli Venezia Giulia;
- Valpolicella Valley – famous for its vineyards and wines;
- Lessinia Hills – known for their beautiful virgin nature and millennial history,
- Monte Baldo mountain chain – often called the Garden of Europe for its botanical richness; and
- Lago di Garda – Italy’s largest lake.
All of them are within a short distance away from Verona.
Adige – the second-longest river in Italy – holds Verona in its elegant embrace. The historic centre is, generally speaking, on flat ground, so it’s very easy to walk everywhere here and cover a lot of ground within a day. Veronetta – the city’s quarter on the left shore of the River Adige – is hillier in respect to the historic centre. There are a number of sights here (like Giardino Giusti and Piazzale Castel San Pietro) that afford beautiful panoramic views over the whole of Verona.
Bologna itself is the capital of the Northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The distance between Bologna and Verona is about 145 km depending on your starting point in Bologna.
Verona is connected to Bologna by road and railway. Travel between these two important Italian cities is easy and straightforward.
Why Visit Verona from Bologna?
If you are spending a few days in Bologna, it’s always a good idea to take a day trip to explore the many beautiful Italian cities and towns nearby.
For its proximity to Bologna and its wealth of art, history, and culture, Verona is a top choice for such a day trip. The city has a large number of well-preserved Roman structures in addition to several important medieval and Renaissance sights.
As noted above, Verona is also famous as the setting of the world’s most well-known love story – Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The city has capitalised on this literary connection to the point of becoming universally known as the City of Love. There are a number of Romeo and Juliet sights here with Juliet’s House a must-see. In addition, every February the historic centre hosts the Verona in Love festival.
Verona also has a very lively vibe to it. Many large-scale events and festivals take place here all throughout the year. A notable example is the Verona Opera Festival which is held every summer in Arena di Verona – an imposing Roman amphitheatre that pre-dates Rome’s Colosseum.
How to Travel from Bologna to Verona?
There are two main convenient ways to travel from Bologna to Verona. Here they are in further details:
– Bologna to Verona by Train – train times vary from short to very manageable depending on the type of train you choose. There are dozens of trains running between Bologna and Verona all throughout the day.
In general, there are two types of trains here:
High-speed trains (Frecciargento, ItaloTreno, and Db-Oebb Eurocity):
- On average they take about 52 mins (Frecciargento and ItaloTreno) and from 55 mins to 1 h 2 mins (Db-Oebb Eurocity) from Bologna Centrale train station to Verona Porta Nuova train station.
- They travel directly from Bologna to Verona and don’t stop at any train stations along the way.
- They are very swish and travel really fast.
- However, the tickets for these trains cost more and get more expensive the closer to the date of travel you buy them.
- The earlier you buy your tickets, the less you will pay. Plan ahead and keep an eye on the TrenItalia and ItaloTreno websites for the best pricing.
- If you want to maximise your sightseeing time and don’t mind the cost, then definitely get the high-speed train from Bologna to Verona.
Fast Regional and Regional trains (Regionale Veloce and Regionale):
- Taking a Regionale Veloce (Fast Regional) or a Regionale (Regional) train from Bologna to Verona can be a good alternative to the high-speed train. This option can be significantly cheaper, too. These trains stop at several smaller train stations along the way. So, travel times start from 1 h 25 mins one way.
- You can buy your tickets in advance online or on the day of travel at the train station. The price for this type of trains usually remains the same irrespective of when you buy your tickets.
- Just be aware that Bologna Centrale – Bologna’s main train station – can get very busy during rush hours. Allow plenty of time to buy your ticket stress-free. Especially, in case there are queues in front of the ticket kiosks and ticket machines.
- Before boarding the train, you need to validate your ticket for the journey. Basically, you need to place your ticket in the slot of one of the validating machines. You will find them affixed to the walls and pillars of the train station. The machine will make a whirring noise and print a code on your ticket. If you don’t do it, your ticket is not valid and fines are large.
Train Stations:
The main train station in Bologna is called Bologna Centrale. This is one of the five busiest and most important railway stations in Italy. Hundreds of high-speed and regional trains connect it to many cities and towns all across the country. 58 million passengers arrive at and depart from Bologna Centrale each year.
With locals travelling for work and dozens of thousands of tourists visiting Bologna daily, you will find the city’s main train station a hub buzzing with activity all throughout the day. To avoid stress, make sure that you allow plenty of time to buy tickets (if you haven’t bought them online or on-site in advance), find the respective platform, and board the train.
Once in Verona, you need to get off at Verona Porta Nuova. This is the city’s main railway station. It is about 20 mins on foot and about 10-12 mins by bus from Piazza Bra and Arena di Verona from where you can start exploring the local sights and the historic centre.
Buying Tickets Online:
To check train travel times and buy train tickets in advance, you can use one of these two websites:
- TrenItalia – for both high-speed trains and regional trains;
- ItaloTreno – for high-speed trains only.
Both are easy to navigate and have an English user interface. The only thing to remember is that on the TrenItalia website you need to use the Italian names of the train stations (as given above) when you are doing a search for tickets.
– Bologna to Verona by Car – you can easily travel from Bologna to Verona by car. The journey by toll roads can take anything from 1 h 25 mins to over two hours depending on the itinerary you follow and how heavy the traffic is. Using GPS navigation is indispensable as traffic jams sometimes occur and it can help you avoid them as much as possible. Be prepared for a more assertive type of driving and drivers that seem to be on the offensive all the time.
This very helpful website will give you an estimate of how much the tolls are going to cost from your point of departure in Bologna to your point of arrival in Verona.
There are many large multi-storey car parks in Verona where you can leave your car for the time you will be there. This very useful page published by Verona’s Council lists the main car parks in the city. It’s in Italian so you can use Google Translate to get the gist of it. Parcheggio Cittadella and Parking Arena are the two car parks that we would usually park at. Both are an easy walking distance away from Arena di Verona.
You may want to park closer to a particular landmark you are interested in. So, check other options online, too as there are many car parks all around the city to suit your budget and sightseeing plans.
Bear in mind that the historic centre of Verona is a limited traffic zone (known as ZTL or zona traffico limitato in Italian). Unless you have a special pass giving you access, avoid driving through a ZTL zone in Italy. Fines are really steep and they will mail them to your address abroad or charge the car rental company which will then assign you the respective sum with added administration costs.
What to see in Verona on a Day Trip from Bologna?
There are many things to see in Verona, Italy and you can certainly cover a lot of ground here in one day. The city has a rich Roman heritage, many medieval and Renaissance landmarks, beautiful churches, historic piazzas, and frescoed palaces in addition to many museums and art galleries. The local food is delicious and has centuries-old traditions, too.
Here is a shortlist to get you started planning your day trip from Bologna to Verona:
- Arena di Verona – an impressive Roman amphitheatre that pre-dates Rome’s Colosseum by several decades. In the past, it hosted gladiator fights and naval battles. Nowadays it is one of the finest concert venues in the world. This is where the famous Verona Opera Festival is held every summer.
- Juliet’s House – outfitted with the famous balcony (which, in fact, is a sarcophagus sawed in half). Click here for more details about Verona and its role in the story of Romeo and Juliet.
- Piazza delle Erbe – a beautiful square in the heart of Verona’s historic centre. It’s surrounded by stunning frescoed buildings from many different periods. The gorgeous Baroque facade of Palazzo Maffei presides over Piazza delle Erbe. The Madonna Verona Fountain – one of the symbols of the city of Verona – stands in the middle of the square.
- Piazza dei Signori – another beautiful square right next to Piazza delle Erbe. Imposing historic buildings flank it on all sides. The famous statue of Dante stands in the centre of the square. Many of Verona’s largest events are held at Piazza dei Signori. The annual Christmas market is especially popular.
- Scaliger Tombs – a group of Gothic funerary monuments honouring Verona’s medieval rulers – the fearsome Della Scala Family.
- Torre dei Lamberti – built in 1172, this is the tallest tower in Verona. It offers you inspiring views over the city’s red rooftops.
- Basilica of Sant’Anastasia – a splendid Gothic church with a large concentration of works of art and a beautifully frescoed vaulted ceiling.
- Castelvecchio – a mighty medieval castle on the shores of the River Adige. Nowadays it houses a marvellous art collection.
- Roman Theatre and Archaeological Museum – built in the first century BC, this is a very well preserved theatre that is still used for stage performances today. Visit the adjacent Archaeological Museum if you want to learn more about Verona’s Roman past.
- Giardino Giusti – a Renaissance garden first planted in the 15th century. From its top level, you can enjoy stunning views of Verona.
There are many more beautiful sights and unique locations to visit in Verona, Italy on a day trip from Bologna. To make sure that you can see it all in a day, have a look at this blog post:
It covers in detail the many wonderful sights and landmarks that make Verona a must-see destination in Italy. It also suggests three itineraries for the city’s historic centre. Coupled with many photos and lots of first-hand tried and tested tips, this blog post will help you turn your day in Verona into an unforgettable experience.
What Is Your Personal Experience of Travelling from Bologna to Verona?
I spent six years living in Vicenza – an elegant historic city in the Northern Italian region of Veneto (of which Verona is also a part). If I wanted to travel to Bologna for the day, I had to change trains at either Padua (another important city in Veneto) or Verona (my preferred option). I took every opportunity to travel from Vicenza to Verona and then onwards to Bologna on day trips to explore their art, history, culture, unique events, delicious food, and lovely city settings.
Travelling by train and by car around Veneto and Emilia-Romagna is incredibly easy and toll roads are not that expensive. A modern motorway leads directly from Bologna all the way to Verona. Dozens of trains connect the two cities all throughout the day.
The high-speed trains, in general, are very clean, new, and well-maintained. They feel very swish. While they can get quite busy in the mornings and in the late afternoons with business people commuting between Bologna and Verona, the journey is very comfortable.
Verona has so much to offer that a day here quickly flies away. Delving into the city’s history and art is very satisfying for you always end up discovering new things. Even if you are here just for a day, you can explore places of great historic, architectural, and artistic importance. Plus, the city as a whole is very beautiful and turning every corner reveals more beauty to truly fall in love with.
The local food is delicious and great coffee is served in every coffee shop. Don’t miss sampling Verona’s traditional pastries and cakes, too. I am particularly fond of the so-called Baci di Romeo and Baci di Giulietta (literally ‘Romeo’s Kisses’ and ‘Juliet’s Kisses). These little biscuits taste divine! Romeo’s version is made of almond paste and buttercream and Juliet’s is made of hazelnut paste and chocolate cream. A must-try!
I full-heartedly recommend taking a day trip from Bologna to Verona to anyone spending more than a few days in Bologna and wanting to have an authentic Italian experience.
A small disclaimer is due here: All the information contained in this blog post is up to date at the date of publishing it. This is not professional, exclusive advice. Just personal experiences and suggestions shared without any obligation to you and any expectations from you.
In Conclusion
Taking a day trip from Bologna to Verona is a great way to make your Italian holiday even more exciting.
These two Italian cities are a very manageable distance away from one another. They are connected by a modern motorway and multiple trains run between the two all throughout the day. Hence visiting Verona from Bologna is easy and straightforward.
Verona has so much to offer to the curious traveller. From history and art to romance and good food, the City of Love is the perfect destination for an Italian day trip.
The above blog post gives you detailed information on how to make a day trip from Bologna to Verona a reality. From details on how to get there by train and car to a shortlist of what to do and see in Verona, all the bases are covered.
I hope that the information provided will galvanise you to put Verona at the top of your travel wish list and that you will visit this exciting Italian city on a day trip from Bologna (or even stay longer) as soon as possible.
Enjoy your day trip to Verona, Italy!
More Helpful Verona Info for You
Verona: Things to Do in One Day, Verona Opera Festival, Day Trips from Verona
Verona Videos: Piazza Bra with Arena di Verona, Stage sets of Verona Opera Festival, Juliet’s House, The Juliet Club, Traditional Italian patisserie, Verona’s Skyline, Verona Seen from the Funicular, Verona Marathon
More Helpful Italy Info for You
Day Trips in Italy: Bologna to Venice, Milan to Verona, Venice to Verona, Milan to Venice, Florence to Venice, Verona to Venice, Venice to Padua
Best of Italy: Italian Piazzas, Italian Food, Italian Markets, Italian Coffee Culture
Northern Italy: 18 Best Cities to Visit
Lake Garda: Best Towns, Nearest Airports, Travel Options, Lake Garda with Kids
Lake Como: Things to See, Nesso
Veneto: Best Cities to Visit, Top 15 Places, 30 Adventures, 15 Most Colourful Places
Friuli Venezia Giulia: Venzone, Most Beautiful Villages
Emilia Romagna: Bologna, Ravenna, Comacchio, Most Beautiful Villages
Marche: 6 Reasons to Visit, Gradara, Frasassi Caves, Temple of Valadier
Padua: Things to Do in One Day, 101 Facts About Padua, 10 Reasons to Visit Padua, Day Trips from Padua
Vicenza: Things to Do, Day Trips from Vicenza
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