International travellers to Italy should be particularly aware and careful about visa requirements, and should plan their travel well in advance. Visa processing time may vary. It is recommended that conference partecipants apply at least 6-8 weeks before the arrival date. Information on entrance visas for Italy is available at the Foreign Minister’s website. If you need an invitation letter, please send an email to ...
The Bologna Airport "Guglielmo Marconi" is linked by national and international airlines. A bus shuttle (BLQ) connects (every 11' from 7 am to 9 pm) the airport to the city centre/the central railway station. If you take the BLQ shuttle and your hotel is in the city centre, you can get off at the central railway station (Stazione Centrale, end of the line) in about 20 minutes. The BLQ ticket costs 6 € and can be purchased directly on board. The distance from the railway station to the city centre is about 1 km, and to the venue is about 2 km (see map). If arriving on Sunday, the route from the railway station to the city centre is currently not served very efficiently by public transportation, but you could take a taxi from there for a few Euros. If arriving on Monday or later, from the central station you can take bus A and get off at the city centre in about 5-10 minutes (the validity of the BLQ ticket lasts 75 minutes, so you do not need to purchase a new ticket). Alternatively, a taxi from the airport to the city centre costs about 20 €.
You can also select airports connected to Bologna by high-speed trains: Milano Linate, Milano Malpensa, Florence-Peretola, and Rome-Fiumicino. The approximate times needed to reach Bologna from these airports (each estimation includes the time for high-speed train and for the transfer from the airport to the train stations, assuming an average of 15 minutes of waiting time between connections) are about 2 hours and 15 minutes from both the Milano's airports, about 1 hour and 45 minutes from Florence-Peretola airport and about 2 hours and 50 minutes from Rome-Fiumicino airport. See the next paragraph for information about traveling by train and visit the interested airport website for information about connections between the airport and the closest train station.
Bologna is the main Italian railway junction and therefore all of the most important national and international lines pass through it. FrecciaRossa, FrecciaArgento and Italo (high speed) trains connect it to all the major Italian cities. The distance from the railway station to the city centre is about 1 km, and to the venue is about 2 km (see map). If arriving on Sunday, the route from the railway station to the city centre is currently not served very efficiently by public transportation, but you could take a taxi from there for a few Euros. If arriving on Monday or later, from the central station you can take bus A and get off at the city centre in about 5-10 minutes. The ticket can be purchased at kiosks (1.30 €) or on the bus itself (1.50 €, exact coin fare needed for the red ticket dispenser on board). If purchased at kiosks, the ticket has to be validated on the bus.
The main motorway connection is the A1 (E35), which links Bologna directly to Milan, Florence, and Rome and to three other main routes. If you come from Turin, Genoa or Brescia you can take the A21 and then you will reach the A1 at Piacenza; from Genoa and La Spezia, take the A15 and then go into A1 at Parma; from Brenner Pass, Verona, Mantova, by the A22 and then A1 at Modena. From Trieste, Tarvisio-Villach, Venice, and Padua the A13 motorway arrives in Bologna directly, as the A14 from Ancona, Rimini and Ravenna. Once in Bologna, you exit the motorway entering into the city bypass (follow the signs "Tangenziale"). The bypass exit n. 7 (Centro - via Stalingrado) leads you to a large road (via Stalingrado) pointing to the city centre. Bear in mind that access into the city centre is restricted and electronically controlled. Ask your hotel for information, as they can provide a free access permit for your car. Note that parking in the city centre is not for free. Ask your hotel for parking fares as well.
Buses are run by TPER. The ticket can be purchased at kiosks (1.30 €) or on the bus itself (1.50 €), exact coin fare needed for the red ticket dispenser on board). If purchased at kiosks, the ticket has to be validated on the bus. For a taxi, call +39-051-372727 (COTABO), +39-051-534141 (CAT), +39-051-519090 (COSEPURI) or +39-051-6349444 (SACA).