Minibus Rental Across Italy

Coach Hire in Bologna for Groups

Between 07:00 and 20:00, tourist coaches stay out of Bologna's historic centre unless they are going to a hotel. That rule comes from the coach operators' association, not from the city's own page, so the operator confirms it with the City before your trip.

Hotels inside the centre

A coach heading for a central hotel is authorised through the hotel, which gives the number plate to the City. Send the plate details to the hotel early; without them the coach meets the closed centre like anyone else.

Outside the centre, tourist coaches may use Bologna's bus lanes without telling the City. Under Bologna Città 30 most city streets have a 30 km/h limit, the main roads excepted; the operator confirms the current rules.

MAN 57-seat coach, exterior
MAN 57-seat coach, exterior

Setting the group down

At Porta San Mamolo a dedicated stop beside the neighbourhood market allows up to 20 minutes, enough for a full coach to unload calmly. For a stop closer to Piazza Maggiore, the coach can use Piazza Malpighi inside the zone for up to 5 minutes, with a daily ticket bought online beforehand.

The Malpighi route is compulsory: in by Piazza di Porta Sant'Isaia and Via Sant'Isaia, out by Via Marconi, Piazza dei Martiri and Via Don Minzoni to the viali. The driver will want it on the plan.

Airports for groups arriving in Bologna

  • Bologna Airport (BLQ) — about 11 km by road to Piazza Maggiore, in the centre of Bologna, about 25 min in light traffic; longer at peak times

Stadiums and arenas a coach can reach

  • Stadio Renato Dall'Ara — Home ground of Bologna FC 1909, south-west of the centre.

Coach day trips from Bologna

  • Imola — about 41 km, about 50 min
  • Modena — about 46 km, about 1 h
  • Maranello (Museo Ferrari) — about 47 km, about 1 h 5 min
  • Ferrara — about 50 km, about 1 h
  • Ravenna — about 77 km, about 1 h 20 min
  • Parma — about 99 km, about 1 h 30 min
  • Firenze — about 104 km, about 1 h 45 min
  • Rimini — about 118 km, about 1 h 45 min
  • San Marino — about 133 km, about 2 h 5 min
  • Verona — about 144 km, about 2 h 5 min
  • Venezia (Piazzale Roma) — about 154 km, about 2 h 15 min

Coach rules in Bologna that shape the day

  • Aeroporto di Bologna "Guglielmo Marconi" (BLQ) is about 11 km by road from Piazza Maggiore, about 25 min by coach in light traffic. The Marconi Express monorail links the airport with Bologna Centrale. Journeys take longer at peak times.
  • Historic centre: tourist coaches may not enter the centro storico from 07:00 to 20:00 every day, holidays included, unless they are going to a hotel; the hotels give the coach number plates to the City of Bologna so that the coach is authorised. This summary is from the coach-operator association ANAV (list of February 2025); the operator confirms the current rule with the City.
  • Set-down: coaches may set passengers down at the dedicated stop on Piazza di Porta San Mamolo (by the neighbourhood market) for up to 20 minutes. To use the stop inside the ZTL at Piazza Malpighi (up to 5 minutes, set-down and pick-up), coaches buy a daily ticket online beforehand and follow a compulsory route: in from Piazza di Porta Sant'Isaia and Via Sant'Isaia to Piazza Malpighi, out by Via Marconi, Piazza dei Martiri 1943-1945 and Via Don Minzoni to the ring road (viali).
  • Coach parking: at the Autostazione di Bologna (the bus station on Viale Masini / Piazza XX Settembre), which takes bookings for tourist coaches; booking at least 24 hours ahead gets the reduced rate, and unbooked coaches are accepted only if spaces are free on arrival.
  • Tourist coaches may use the bus lanes of Bologna outside the historic centre without notifying the City.
  • Since January 2024 Bologna has applied a 30 km/h speed limit on most city streets ("Bologna Città 30"); the main roads keep higher signed limits.
  • Bologna Centrale is the main railway station, a hub of the high-speed lines to Milano, Firenze, Roma and Venezia.
  • Under Article 142(3)(f) of the Codice della Strada (D.Lgs. 285/1992), buses and coaches with a maximum laden mass over 8 tonnes may drive at up to 100 km/h on motorways (autostrade) and up to 80 km/h on other roads outside built-up areas. Lower signed limits always apply.
  • Under Article 172(6) of the Codice della Strada, every occupant over three years old of a minibus or coach (vehicle categories M2 and M3) must wear the seat belt fitted to their seat while seated; passengers must be informed of this by signs or pictograms at each seat (Article 172(7)).
  • EU drivers' hours rules (Regulation (EC) No 561/2006) apply to coach drivers: at most 9 hours of driving a day (10 hours twice a week), a 45-minute break after 4.5 hours of driving and at least 11 hours of daily rest, recorded by the tachograph.
  • Most Italian motorways (autostrade) are tolled (pedaggio): the toll is paid at the toll stations or by electronic toll device, by vehicle class. Toll amounts are not given here.

Parking at the Autostazione

Tourist coaches can be booked into the Autostazione on Viale Masini. A booking made a full day or more in advance is charged at the lower rate; an unbooked coach is let in only if spaces are free on arrival.

Emilia and Romagna by coach

Modena is about 1 h away and the Ferrari museum at Maranello about 1 h 5 min, a natural pairing. Ferrara is about 1 h and Ravenna, for the mosaics, about 1 h 20 min. Parma is about 1 h 30 min. Florence and Verona are each about two hours, and the San Luca sanctuary is just above the city.

Questions organisers ask

How far is the airport?

The airport lies some 11 km from Piazza Maggiore, a coach ride of around 25 minutes. The Marconi Express monorail also links it with Bologna Centrale.

Can a coach serve BolognaFiere?

The fairground lies to the north-east, by the A14 and the tangenziale, so a coach reaches it without crossing the historic centre. The operator agrees the set-down point with the fair.

Is Bologna a good base for a school trip?

It is central, with high-speed trains and short drives to Modena, Ferrara and Ravenna. Choose a hotel that can register the coach, or one outside the centre.

Other group trips we arrange

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