Getting There -- The international Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi (tel. 051-6479615) is 6km (3 3/4 miles) north of the town center and served by such domestic carriers as Alitalia and Meridiana; all the main European airlines have connections through this airport. An Aerobus (marked AEROBUS) runs daily every 20 minutes from the airport to the air terminal at Bologna's rail station. A one-way ticket costs 5€ ($6.50/£3.35).
Bologna's Stazione Centrale rail station is at Piazza Medaglie d'Oro 2 (tel. 892021). Trains arrive hourly from Rome (trip time: 3 1/2 hr.). A one-way fare costs 42€ ($55/£28). From Milan, trip time is 1 1/2 hours, costing 25€ ($33/£17) one-way. Bus nos. A, 25, and 30 run between the station and the historic core of Bologna, Piazza Maggiore.
If you have a car and are coming from Florence, continue north along A1 until reaching the outskirts of Bologna, where signs direct you to the city center. From Milan, take A1 southeast along the Apennines. From Venice or Ferrara, follow A13 southwest. From Rimini, Ravenna, and the towns along the Adriatic, cut west on A14.
Visitor Information -- The tourist office is at Piazza Maggiore 1, open daily 9:30am to 7:30pm. There are two other offices, one at the railway station, Piazza Medaglie d'Oro 2, and the other one at the airport. Hours at the rail station are Monday to Saturday 9am to 7pm, Sunday 9am to 3pm, and at the airport daily 8am to 8pm. The central number to call for all tourist information is tel. 051-239660.
Getting Around -- Bologna is easy to cover on foot; most of the major sights are in and around Piazza Maggiore. However, if you don't want to walk, city buses leave for most points from Piazza Nettuno or Piazza Maggiore. Free maps are available at the storefront office of the ATC (Azienda Trasporti Comunali) at Piazza XX Settembre (tel. 051-290290). You can buy tickets at one of many booths and tobacconists in Bologna. The ATC Customer Service Office is at Via IV Novembre 16A, open Monday to Saturday from 7:30am to 8pm, Sunday from 8:30am to 1:30pm. Tickets cost 1€ ($1.30/65p) and last 60 minutes. A citypass -- a booklet of 10 tickets, each valid for 1 hour -- costs 8.50€ ($11/£5.70). There is also a 1-day ticket, valid for 24 hours, that costs 3€ ($3.90/£2). Once on board, you must have your ticket validated or you'll be fined up to 150€ ($195/£101).
Taxis are on radio call at tel. 051-372727 or 051-534141.
