Are you wondering what the best way to get from Bologna to Venice is?
If you’re currently spending some well deserved time off in Bologna and want to see more of this beautiful country by heading to Venice, then keep reading this guide.
In case you didn’t already know, Venice is also called the city of water or La Serenissima, which is a way to remind everyone visiting of its glorious past as one of the wealthiest cities in the Mediterranean Sea for a whopping 11 centuries.
With its romantic canals crossed by gondolas, the countless bridges and the spectacular views of St. Mark’s Square and Rialto Bridge at any hour of the day, you can’t help but fall in love with the beauty of Venice.
Bologna to Venice
In this detailed transport guide I’ll explain exactly how you can get to Venice from Bologna for a day trip, or, if you want to see more of the lagoon, a longer stay.
So without further ado, let’s get straight into it by finding out if it is really worth visiting Venice from Bologna and how you can make your way to this Lagoon city.
Is Venice worth visiting?
Venice is the capital of the Veneto region and one of the most visited cities in Italy, it’s also worth knowing that it’s one of the only cities built on the water in the world.
Because of its unique urban layout, Venice is full of beauty spots that can be discovered simply by walking around it.
Stroll around the less frequented narrow streets called ‘calli’ of the city, take your time to take a picture of roaming gondolas from a bridge and stop by small family owned shops to interact with the few remaining Venetians.
Then, and only then, it’ll be clear in your mind why Venice is so worth visiting.
Of course, Venice is also worth a day trip from Bologna for its main attractions such as St. Mark’s Square, Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Basilica and the iconic Rialto Bridge, that you should absolutely cover if you’re a first time visitor.
Whether you’re going to spend one day or more, you can also easily fit in a boat tour to Murano, Burano and Torcello or other picturesque islands of the Venetian lagoon. If you’re not sure where Venice is located in relation to Bologna, see below.
How far is Venice from Bologna?
Venice is 154 kilometres away from Bologna and it takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes to get there by car. View the map below to see the position of both cities:
Travelling from Bologna to Venice is straightforward no matter whether you decide to rent a car and drive or get regional or high-speed trains from Bologna Centrale train station to Venice Santa Lucia.
Consider that there are over 40 trains connecting Bologna to Venice every single day, giving you a great choice of morning, afternoon and evening trains.
You can also travel by Flixbus or Itabus bus and save money, even though this option is less comfortable than the car and train.
Where to stay in Venice?
If you’re considering travelling from Bologna to Venice for more than one day to give you enough time to enjoy Venice to its fullest, here’s a list of accommodations located in the most strategic and lively areas of the city.
- Hotel L’Orologio – this 4 star hotel is based in the San Polo neighbourhood, and it’s just 5 minutes walk from Rialto Bridge. The elegant rooms feature a parquet floor, exposed wooden beams and a stylish bathroom. There’s a vast choice of superior and deluxe double rooms with canal view, suites and apartments.
- Hotel agli Alboretti – the 3 star hotel is not far from the Gallerie dell’Accademia museum. You can enjoy lovely views of Venice from the terrace on the 4th floor and have breakfast in the morning in the garden.
- Ca’ dei Fuseri – this hostel is in the city’s most touristic district: San Marco. If you’re looking for a budget accommodation in the heart of Venice, look no further! You can get to St. Mark’s Square in minutes. It overlooks San Luca square and you can choose between single and double rooms.
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How to get from Bologna to Venice
Now that you have a better idea of how far Venice is from Bologna and why it’s worth a day trip, let’s take a look at each option you have to get to the Lagoon city.
You will find that each section breaks down in more detail exactly how to get to Venice by train, by car, by bus and by private transfer with a guided tour included.
Train from Bologna to Venice
Getting a train from Bologna to Venice is one of the best travel options you have. Trains are quite reliable, fast and cheap.
There are trains leaving every hour from Bologna Centrale, the main train station in Bologna, to Venice. There are 2 train stations in Venice, one based on the mainland called Venezia Mestre and the other one, called Venezia Santa Lucia, which is the closest one to Venice historic centre.
Make sure to get off at the right station as you approach Venice by train. The first train leaves Bologna at 6.10am and the last one to get back from Venice is the Intercity train that leaves the station at 10.26pm.
You have 3 different types of trains you can travel with to get to Venice:
- Frecciarossa or Italo high-speed train: the high-speed trains are fast, direct and comfortable trains that skip many stations in between two cities. These trains are generally more expensive than regional trains. To get from Bologna to Venice by high-speed train it takes 1 hour and 33 minutes and there’s a train every hour with both train companies Trenitalia and Italo. You can choose 4 levels of service, and you can find offers (like the Economy or Super Economy) all year long. Ticket price increases as you get closer to the departure date, so make sure to book it in advance.
- Regionale Veloce train (fast regional train): these types of trains are not as fast as the high-speed trains as they stop more times. They’re still quite fast compared to the regional ones and the ticket price doesn’t change and it’s cheaper than the high-speed trains. It takes 2 hours and 10 minutes to get to Venice and there’s a train every hour.
- Intercity train: there are 2 Intercity trains leaving Bologna Centrale station, one in the afternoon and the other one in the evening. These trains stop in Venice Mestre and it takes 1 hour and 36 minutes to get there. If you want to reach Venice city centre, you can hop on a train going to Venice Santa Lucia from Mestre station.
Driving from Bologna to Venice
Have you decided to rent a car to drive from Bologna to Venice? If you want complete freedom to stop along the way to visit more places in between Emilia Romagna and Veneto regions, then driving is definitely the best way to go.
You can get to Venice at your own pace and leave it whenever you want, without depending on any timetables. From Bologna you’ll have to get to the A13 motorway and follow the signs Padova/Milano/Venezia. After 15 kilometres, take the exit onto A4/E70 towards Venezia.
Once you get around Mestre, take the road called Tangenziale di Mestre and follow the sign to the airport and drive for 10 kilometres.
Then follow the sign Interporto/Venezia/Ravenna/Mestre/Marghera/Zona Industriale and at the Rotonda Romea, take the 3rd exit onto the Via della Libertà slip road to Mestre/Porto/Trieste/Belluno/Tarvisio/Venezia and follow the signs to the Zona Industriale.
From there, continue by crossing the Ponte della Libertà that takes you to Venice city centre. Bear in mind that there are not many car parks in Venice. You can book your space at the Rimessa Comunale or on Tronchetto island in advance.
Just so you know, in Italy you pay to access motorways. If you want to get an idea of how much the toll could cost you when travelling from Bologna to Venice by car, be sure to visit the Autostrade.it website for the costs.
Bus from Bologna to Venice
The cheapest way to get to Venice from Bologna is by bus. This travel option might not be the most comfortable one but it will allow you to save money.
It takes between 2 hours and 55 minutes to 2 hours and 10 minutes to get from Bologna to Venice by bus. The two bus companies providing this service are Flixbus and Itabus.
There are 4 direct Flixbus buses and 3 direct Itabus buses leaving the Central Bus Station of Bologna (P.za XX Settembre, 6, 40121 Bologna) every day. The cost of a one way bus ride from Bologna to Venice (Tronchetto) ranges between 3,50 and 9 euros depending on the time of the day that you leave.
The buses stop first in Mestre train station and then proceed to Venice Tronchetto, so make sure you’re getting off at the right stop. Once you get to Tronchetto island, you can either walk, hop on the People Mover to Piazzale Roma or get a water bus. You can consult the vaporetto map here for more information.
Private transfer from Bologna to Venice
If you don’t want to deal with public transportation or rent a car to drive from Bologna to Venice, then this one day tour from Bologna to Venice (with private transfer) is what you need.
The guided tour and private transfer are ideal if you have just 24 hours available to visit Venice as you would cover the main attractions and you don’t need to plan anything beforehand. An air-conditioned private minivan can pick you up at your hotel in Bologna and take you directly to Venice.
Once in Venice, you’ll start a 2 hour guided tour through the streets and squares of the most beautiful city in the world! You’ll walk around St. Mark’s Square, visit ‘the golden church’ that is St. Mark’s Basilica and cross the iconic Rialto Bridge.
You’ll also stroll around Rialto market and along the Grand Canal. Enjoy some free time to go shopping or take absolute full advantage of your time and ride a gondola in Venice before going back to Bologna at around 5pm. Ticket to the St. Mark’s Basilica, private vehicle and guided tour are included in the price.
Getting from Bologna to Venice
Now you should have a clear idea of how to get to Venice from Bologna.
Whether Venice is for a day trip or a stop of your Italian itinerary, travelling from one city to the other is absolutely easy and worth your time as explained above.
To recap, you can simply use the comfortable high-speed trains and travel with Trenitalia or Italo or rent a car for total freedom. If you happen to be travelling on a tight budget, then the bus is the best solution.
Money is not a concern of yours and you don’t have time to plan this day trip? Then the private transfer and guided tour of Venice are what you’re looking for!
Are you loving the Emilia-Romagna region and not 100% convinced about Venice? Then read my guide with more reasons why Venice is worth visiting for inspiration.
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