Is Bologna worth a day trip?

Yes, as a short day: 6.5 hours in Bologna, £517 for the whole day, 7 min into town each way. Enough for the centre and one paid sight; pick one, not three.

How long do you actually get in Bologna?

About 6.5 hours in Bologna. Landing to take-off is 8.9 hours; the trip into town and back, passport checks and the time at the airport come off that.

How do you get from Bologna airport into town?

Marconi Express monorail 7 min, €12.80. A day ticket on local transport is Contactless cap €9/day.

What does a day in Bologna cost, not counting the flight?

About £63 a person for the day: local transport, lunch, dinner and a drink. Paid attractions are listed separately because most people do one or none, and an average that includes them is a number nobody actually pays.

Is the flight price on this page the one I will pay?

The fare shown is the cheapest recently seen on this route, not a live quote for these exact flights. Check the airline or the booking link for the price you will actually pay.

How early do I need to be back at the airport?

Leave the city by 17:48. That allows 7 min to get back to the airport and 100 min there, including 10 min for passport checks on the way out, before the 19:35 flight home.

Will passport checks eat my day?

We allow 30 min on landing for the EU Entry/Exit System (fingerprints and a photo on your first trip) and 10 min extra on the way out. That is already taken off the 6.5 hours shown. These are estimates; queues run longer on busy days.

Day trip to Bologna.
From London Heathrow, back by 20:50.

Italy·Thu 22 Oct · 6.5 hours in the city

£517

the whole day

6.5 hours

in the city

20:50

back in London Heathrow

£282 on Thu 15 Apr, 45% less

Time in the city

6.5 hours

after transfersAfter transfers and airport time

Airport distance

8km

to the centreFrom Bologna centre (BLQ)

Daylight

10.7 hours

07:37 to 18:22Sunrise 07:37, sunset 18:22

FlightAirport, immigration and transportIn the city

07:30
Leave London Heathrow
British Airways, direct
11:17
In the city
Lands 10:40, 30min immigration, 7min from the airport
17:48
Leave the city
7min back, 100min at the airport incl. immigration
20:50
Back in London Heathrow
Flies 19:35

Leave London HeathrowBritish Airways, direct07:30
Land in Bologna2h 10min10:40
In the city30min immigration, 7min from the airport11:17
Leave the city7min back, 100min at the airport incl. immigration17:48
Fly home2h 10min19:35
Back in London Heathrow20:50

Last bus or train to the airport: midnight.

How we'd do it

Open up the maps to see full detail.

11:3845 min there

8 min walk

12:3130 min there

13 min walk

13:1460 min there

4 min walk

14:1860 min there

15:18Free timeuntil 17:29

about 19 min walk

17:48Last one 00:00

Marconi Express monorail · 7 min

AirportFlight 19:35

Weather while you are there

10:0015°

11:0015°

12:0015°

13:0015°

14:0015°

15:0015°

16:0015°

17:0015°

18:0015°

19:0015°

20:0015°

Things to do in BolognaShow

Ducati Museum: Entry TicketTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Archiginnasio of Bologna: Audio Guide + Typical Food TastingTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Palazzo Fava: Banksy Archive 01 - The School of Bristol 1983-2005 ExhibitionTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Bologna: Guided Walking Tour + Archiginnasio & Clock Tower EntryTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link

All things to do in Bologna · Tiqets, affiliate link

With kids in BolognaShow

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Day Trip Flight Details

How we'd do it

Open up the maps to see full detail.

11:3845 min there

8 min walk

12:3130 min there

13 min walk

13:1460 min there

4 min walk

14:1860 min there

15:18Free timeuntil 17:29

about 19 min walk

17:48Last one 00:00

Marconi Express monorail · 7 min

AirportFlight 19:35

What a day in Bologna costs

Flights and on-the-ground spend, per person.

£517/ all in, per person

Marconi to city centre and back£22

Local transport£8

Lunch£11

Dinner£22

Beer calculator× 0£0

Entry fees, on top (optional)

Torre dell'Orologio£9 (€10)

Museo di Palazzo Poggi£9 (€10)

Opening days vary, so check before you go.

Walk the porticoes of Bologna, Climb the Portico di San Luca, Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna, Santo StefanoFree

On the ground£63

Return flight from£454

Google Flights price. Checked 35 hours ago.

Getting to Heathrowfrom free

All in, per person£517

Estimated cost. Fares last checked 14 Oct, 19:20. Prices and availability change and are set by the airline or agent when you book.

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Getting to the airportShow

Getting to Heathrow

Per person. Not in the total above. Prices checked 25 Sept 2026.

Free

Free drop-offFree
Park & Ride car parks: first 29 minutes free, then a free shuttle bus to the terminal (7-20 min depending on terminal). Source

Train

From London (Heathrow Express, Paddington)£10 each way15-20 min
Advance single; On the day £26. First train 04:34, last train 23:57 Source
From London (Elizabeth line)Price not published
On the day £13.90. First train 05:21, last train 00:12 Source

Coach

National Express from London£10.50 each way
Cheapest advertised single. Source

Taxi

From London£60-£100 one way~18 miles
Estimate, not a quote.

Parking at the airport

Paid drop-offfrom £7
Terminal Drop-Off Charge: £7 per entry, no time allowance (any dwell counts as one visit), ANPR-enforced 24/7/365, no cash accepted. Source
Terminal Parking (was Short Stay)£98
12-24hr tariff. Source
Park & Ride (was Long Stay)£46.80
Same-day rate. Source
Priority Park & Ride (was Business)£47.90
Same-day rate. Source

More parking

Meet & GreetNo same-day price
From £138.60 (per day). Source
Valet ParkingNo same-day price
Source
Pod Parking (T5 only)No same-day price
From £59.60 (from price). Source

Parking nearby

No same-day price published. See multi-day prices

Purple Parking Park & Ride PLUS (T2/T3/T5)£9.24
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 8-18 min. Source
Maple Parking Express Park & Ride (T2&3/T5)£12.31
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 4-10 min. Source
MBW Meet & Greet (T3/T5)£15.86
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 2 min. Source

Costs people forgetShow

Costs people forget

Not in the total above. Worth a minute before you go.

Phone data. EE, Vodafone and Three charge about £2.75 a day to use your allowance in Europe. O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff include it free.
Card fees. Many cards add a foreign-exchange fee to every payment abroad. Check yours before you go, or take one that doesn't charge it.

Ask about Bologna

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Comments on BolognaShow

Comments

No one has been yet, as far as we know. If you have, tell the next person what made the day.

Day trip to Bologna.From London Heathrow, back by 20:50.

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Day Trip Flight Details

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Day trip to Bologna.
From London Heathrow, back by 20:50.