Bologna
Private Day Trip from Milan
Piazza Maggiore, more than 60 km of UNESCO porticoes and the food that made Emilia famous, a little over two hours from Milan. Door-to-door by private Mercedes, 10 hours, fixed price from €1,110 per car.
Book this day trip
Bologna Food & Culture · private and tailor-made
Book this day trip
See the price for your car now, then send the request: we confirm the driver and send a secure payment link. The itinerary is yours to change: tell us your stops in the notes.
- CarsMercedes E-Class up to 2 guests, V-Class up to 6
- Pick-upYour hotel in Milan, or Malpensa, Linate, Bergamo (+€60)
- PaymentNothing now: we confirm, then send a secure link
Bologna from Milan: porticoes, towers and tortellini
Bologna has the oldest university in the Western world, a medieval centre of red brick and towers, and more than 62 km of porticoes, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021. It is also the capital of Emilian cooking: tagliatelle al ragù, tortellini in brodo, mortadella. The city is about 215 km from Milan on the A1, around two and a quarter hours each way, one of the longer day trips from Milan, so we plan it as a 10-hour day.
The A1 follows the old Via Emilia past Piacenza, Parma and Modena, so the day can include a stop for Parmigiano Reggiano or traditional balsamic vinegar on the way. In the centre your driver drops you at the edge of the limited-traffic zone and collects you where you finish. The price is per vehicle, not per person: from €1,110 with an E-Class for two, from €1,245 with a V-Class for up to six.
Bologna Day at a Glance
Bologna Day Trip Itinerary
A 10-hour day with about five and a half hours in Bologna, built around a long lunch.
Tailor-made, always. This itinerary is our suggestion only: every MilanobyCar day trip is tailor-made. Change the stops, the order and the timing as you like, or tell us your own plan in the booking notes.
Your driver, your local insider. Our chauffeurs are not licensed tour guides and do not guide you inside museums or sites, but they know these places well from years on the road: ask them for the best viewpoints, where to eat, where to stroll and how to avoid the busiest spots. If you would like a licensed guide, we can book one for you.
Pick-up at your hotel in Milan
Your driver meets you in the lobby. The A1 heads south-east across the Po and along the Via Emilia, past Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena.
Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain
Start in the main square, with the unfinished façade of San Petronio, Palazzo d’Accursio and Giambologna’s Neptune Fountain. The Archiginnasio, the old seat of the university with its wooden anatomical theatre, is a few steps away.
The Quadrilatero and the Two Towers
The medieval market streets behind the square are lined with delis, pasta shops and fishmongers. Nearby stand the Asinelli and Garisenda towers: the area at their base has been fenced off since late 2023 while the leaning Garisenda is made safe, and the climb up the Asinelli is suspended during the works.
Tagliatelle al ragù and tortellini
This is the moment Bologna is famous for: fresh egg pasta, a plate of mortadella and local cheeses, and a glass of Lambrusco or Pignoletto. Your driver can suggest places and book a table.
Santo Stefano and the porticoes
The Basilica of Santo Stefano, known as the Seven Churches, is a quiet cluster of linked Romanesque churches and cloisters. Walk back under the porticoes of Strada Maggiore, or ask the driver to take you up to the Sanctuary of San Luca, reached by a covered portico that climbs the hill.
Back to your hotel in Milan
Leave Bologna around 15:45 for the drive back on the A1, with door-to-door drop-off at your hotel, Linate or Malpensa.
Bologna Day Trip Prices — 10-Hour Private Car
Prices are per vehicle for the whole 10-hour day with distance included, whatever the number of passengers. Saturdays and Sundays +20%, major holidays +50%, airport pick-up +€60. Extra hours €75 with the E-Class, €85 with the V-Class, bookable in the form below.
- •Door-to-door from your Milan hotel
- •English-speaking chauffeur
- •10 hours · distance included
- •Door-to-door from your Milan hotel
- •English-speaking chauffeur
- •10 hours · distance included
- •Executive luxury sedan
- •English-speaking chauffeur
Included in the price
- ✓Private Mercedes and English-speaking chauffeur for the whole day
- ✓Door-to-door pick-up and return in Milan
- ✓Fuel, motorway tolls and parking for the car
- ✓Bottled water on board
- ✓Child seats on request, free of charge
- ✓Driver waiting while you visit
Not included — paid separately
- ✕Museum and tower tickets
- ✕Food tours and tastings
- ✕Parmigiano Reggiano or balsamic vinegar visits on the way
- ✕Meals and drinks
- ✕Licensed local guide (bookable on request)
Milan to Bologna: The Route
About 215 km south-east on the A1 Autostrada del Sole, along the Via Emilia past Piacenza, Parma and Modena: 2 hours 15 to 30 minutes each way.
Bologna Day Trip from Milan — FAQ
Bologna by private car or by train?
High-speed trains link Milan and Bologna in about an hour, which is quicker than the car. The private car is worth it when you want to stop in Parma or Modena for cheese or balsamic vinegar, when you travel as a family or group, or when you prefer to go door-to-door without stations and taxis.
What makes Bologna worth the trip?
Bologna is a working city, not a museum: students fill the porticoes, the market streets are busy from early morning, and the restaurants cook for locals. Come hungry, plan for a long lunch, and leave room in the afternoon for the quieter corners such as Santo Stefano.
How much is a Bologna day trip?
MilanobyCar charges a fixed price per car: from €1,110 for two passengers in a Mercedes E-Class and from €1,245 for up to six in a V-Class, for 10 hours with distance included, including driver, fuel, tolls and parking. With distance included, a stop in Parma or Modena on the way costs only the extra time, if any. The exact price for your date appears in the booking form.
Book Your Bologna Day Trip — Private Mercedes from Milan
10 hours, English-speaking driver, door-to-door. Add a Parmigiano or balsamic stop on the Via Emilia.
or call +39 335 821 0912