Where to stay in Bologna
Three different reasons for three different areas: student noise near the university, quiet by the station, or everything within reach of the square.
- Hostel
- €22–40, a dorm bed
- Hotel 3*
- €45–80 per person, a double room
- Near the square
- The towers
Anyone here for the towers and the Quadrilatero picks the streets around Piazza Maggiore, where everything is within walking distance. Anyone after the evening life picks the quarter around the university and Via Zamboni. Anyone continuing on by train, to Florence or Modena, saves time with an address near the main station.
Around Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero: to walk to everything
An address inside the porticoes between the square and the towers keeps the Archiginnasio, the Quadrilatero and both towers a short walk away, with no ride needed within the day. The lanes are narrow and the busiest with visitors, which also makes this the priciest choice for a night's stay.
Near the university and Via Zamboni: for the city's life
The quarter north-east of the towers, around Via Zamboni and Via delle Belle Arti, keeps the faculty buildings and most of the city's cafés and evening life. The square is a ten-minute walk away, and nights here rarely quiet down before midnight.
Near the main station: for the train onward
Anyone continuing by train, to Florence in 37 min or to Modena and Parma the other way, saves time with an address near Bologna Centrale. From there it's still a short walk or a single ride, €2.30, to the Quadrilatero.
What a night costs
There's a hostel, a dorm bed at €22–40. A three-star hotel runs €45–80 per person for a double room, with the tourist tax added separately, €3–5 (by room rate).
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Which area is best for a short stay?
Around Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero, since it keeps the towers and the Archiginnasio within walking distance, with no ride needed.
Where to stay if continuing on by train?
Near the main station, close to the train for Florence or Modena.
Is there anything cheaper than a three-star hotel?
Yes, a hostel, €22–40 for a dorm bed.
Ready for Bologna?
Where to next
What Bologna costs
→Bologna is cheap to look at — the porticoes, the square and the Quadrilatero cost nothing, and the biggest…
Ravenna · 69 km
→Eight early Christian and Byzantine monuments with mosaics of gold and glass, spread across a city that was once the capital of the Western Roman Empire and the Ostrogothic Kingdom.
How well does Bologna suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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