Rent a Car in Bologna

Bologna's centro storico — the Two Towers, Piazza Maggiore, the porticoed streets of the university quarter — is compact, largely pedestrianised and best covered on foot; a car adds nothing there and only runs into restricted-zone cameras and scarce parking. The real reason to hire a car in Bologna is everything within easy reach outside the walls: Modena, with its Ferrari heritage and balsamic vinegar producers, is about 40 km north-west, and the Renaissance city of Ferrara is roughly 50 km north-east, both well outside a comfortable day trip on regional trains alone.

Bologna is also the natural base for a wider loop through Emilia-Romagna. Parma, home to Parmigiano Reggiano dairies and prosciutto producers open for visits, sits about 100 km north-west via the A1 motorway. Florence is a straightforward 105 km south over the Apennines, and the Adriatic coast around Rimini and Cesenatico is roughly 110 km east via the A14 — a realistic day trip for a beach stop or a base for the Riviera Romagnola. None of these connect efficiently enough on public transport to justify skipping a hire car if you're covering more than one in a trip.