Stazione Centrale

At around €12 per person, the Marconi Express gets expensive quickly. With two people it comes to €24, so a taxi may be the better choice. The small carriages feel cramped and uncomfortable, and we waited almost 45 minutes just to board. It was great when it first launched a few years ago, but now it’s really disappointing. They seem to have badly underestimated how many passengers would use it.

For buying tickets, the self-service machines were the quickest option for me. They offer Italian and English, and there are plenty around. The ticket office and information desk were crowded and disorganized, especially if you don’t know how the system works. You have to take a numbered ticket from the machine by the office door, then wait to be called. That won’t work if you’re in a hurry. Also check the important number printed on your ticket, shown in the photo below, because that tells you which train to take when destinations aren’t displayed individually. The Marconi Express was the worst part of arriving in and leaving Bologna for us. The capsules are tiny, so you end up packed in with bags and people bumping into you. Going around a bend felt like a roller coaster. It’s expensive, and there was no ticket office or staff member by the machines to help. There are only two ticket machines, which is ridiculous. If you’re traveling with two or more people, a taxi to Bologna center is cheaper and a better choice.

When we first arrived in Bologna, the airport shuttle worked and the ride was fairly quick. Even then, 12.80 felt wildly overpriced. I’d be willing to pay 2.30, but it feels like they’re squeezing tourists for as much as they can. The ride itself is about as comfortable as a phone booth on wheels. Today the train was replaced by a bus, but the price stayed the same and the trip became less frequent and much longer. It took 30 minutes, even though Google Maps showed 15 minutes by car, because the bus went every which way except toward the airport. This has made Bologna a place I don’t plan to return to. Before this awful waste of money opened, getting there was much smoother, and probably took about as long as the replacement bus, but cost far less.

I liked being able to tap contactless at the gates, which saved us from waiting to buy tickets. Since late 2020, the connection between Bologna City Center (“Centrale”) railway station and Bologna Marconi Airport (BLQ) has been upgraded with the Marconi Express monorail. The 5.095 kilometre (3.2 mi) route takes 7 minutes and 20 seconds, making it a handy way to reach one of Italy’s biggest rail hubs and explore Bologna. A few things to know: the carriages are small and can fill up, and the monorail moves fast. Hold onto the bars if you’re standing, since parts of the ride feel like a roller coaster. Unless you need to get off at “Lazzareto”, stay on until the end station in either direction. Tickets cost 8.70€ for a Flex Single (One Way), 16.00€ for a Flex Return, or 1.70€ for the “Lazzareto” Intermediate Station Ticket. I found it useful and pleasant overall.