The fastest ride is not the whole transfer
The monorail’s short journey ends at the station, not at your hotel. Add the walk from arrivals, any queue and the route out of Centrale. For a daytime trip on a smaller budget, compare bus Q and its onward connection before buying a Marconi Express ticket.
Compare cost, time and the final stop
| Option | Adult fare | Time and destination |
|---|---|---|
| Marconi Express | €12.80 single; €23.30 return | About 7½ minutes on the monorail to Bologna Centrale, before waiting and walking. |
| Bus Q and a city bus | €2.30 urban ticket, valid 75 minutes | Usually about 20 minutes to Ospedale Maggiore in the current daytime timetable; add the city connection and both waits. |
| Taxi | Confirm the applicable fare and supplements | Road journey to your address; traffic and vehicle availability affect the total. |
Fares are from Marconi Express and TPER’s urban tariff, checked on . The bus timing refers to the line Q timetable effective from 15 September 2026; it is not a door-to-door estimate. The urban ticket permits changes within its validity, so allow for waiting at the interchange.
Take Marconi Express to Centrale
Follow the airport signs to Marconi Express on the departures level. The airport’s rail connection page explains the terminal access. At Centrale, the service arrives on the Via de’ Carracci side; use the station passages to reach your onward platform or the city-facing exit.
Check the operator’s travel instructions before using the gates. With contactless payment, use the same card or device at entry and exit. A phone and its physical bank card are not interchangeable for this purpose. If you have already bought a ticket, use that ticket rather than also paying at the reader.
The ordinary fare includes a period of travel on TPER’s urban network; the exact use depends on the ticket format. Read the linked fare conditions if your hotel needs another bus. During a disruption, Marconi Express can use a replacement bus: the monorail’s advertised journey time does not apply to that road journey.
Use bus Q for a lower-cost arrival
TPER introduced line Q in May 2025, replacing lines 940, 944 and 949. During the day it connects the airport with Ospedale Maggiore. From there, choose the connecting city service for Centrale or your accommodation using the current TPER route information.
Some early-morning and late-night Q journeys continue to or from Centrale. Read the full column for your departure: seeing “Stazione Centrale” in the route title does not mean every bus goes there. The timetable also distinguishes the airport stops “Aeroporto” and “Aeroporto MEX”. Check the named stop for your particular service.
This option works best when you have time for a change and manageable luggage. For a tight onward train, compare the complete connection, not just the saving on the first ticket. Keep your ticket or payment device available for inspection.
Leave enough time inside Bologna Centrale
Centrale has surface platforms and a separate underground high-speed area. Reaching the station is only the first part of a train connection. Match the train number on the departure board, then follow the signs to its platform.
The surface station, photographed on 28 April 2024. Use the current departure display for your platform. Photo: Thyrome · CC0 · Cropped for display 
The underground AV station, photographed on 28 August 2013. Platform assignments and signs can change. Photo: Incola · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cropped for display
Our Bologna Centrale guide explains the entrances and levels. If you are staying in town, continue with Bologna without a car before choosing a day trip. Save your hotel’s exact entrance as well as its street address.
Plan late arrivals and early flights separately
Marconi Express publishes an operating window of 05:40 to midnight and asks passengers to be on the platform by 23:40 for the last service. That is a boarding constraint, not a safe flight-arrival time. Passport control, baggage collection and the terminal walk come first.
Outside that window, check the dated Q timetable for a usable through service. It has gaps, so it is not an all-night guarantee. If no public service meets your airline’s required airport arrival time, arrange an authorised taxi and confirm the pickup address, luggage and total charging basis.
For the return journey, allow time to reach the Marconi platform on the Via de’ Carracci side. If you need step-free access or help boarding, check the operator’s arrangements before relying on a short station connection.
Before you leave the terminal
- Check the live service status and the next usable departure.
- Match the destination and stop to your hotel or onward train.
- Include waiting, station passages and the last walk in your timing.
- Save the ticket and the return plan before leaving Wi-Fi.
Travelling onward? Use our Italy train-ticket guide to compare a flexible connection with a cheaper fixed departure.
Airport and operator sources checked on . Recheck fares, operating notices and your dated departure before travelling. The photographs show the city station, with dates and credits in their captions.