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How to take a journey by train from Bologna to Milano
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Bologna to Milano / Milan / Mailand by train
Most of the trains from Bologna to Milano race down Italy's fastest high speed line, which has been constructed between the two cities.
Though some trains still take the older 'classic' route through Parma and Piacenza, but because they are slower, they are also typically cheaper.
Connections are available in Milano Centrale station for locations with no direct trains from Bologna including towns in northern Italy such as Arona and Stresa; and for Swiss destinations including Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne and Luzern.
Routes you can take to go from Bologna to Milano / Milan / Mailand
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Option 1: taking the high speed Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
from 1hr 2min (Frecce trains)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 - 3 x trains per hour
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
Other Ticket Providers
Italia Rail Guide
Italiarail lives up to its name by selling tickets for rail journeys within Italy and the core feature of its service is that it is primarily designed to be used by international visitors to Italy.
So the English translations of place names are used when looking up journeys and the terms and conditions for using each type of ticket are clearly explained.
It also clearly points out the additional costs of upgrading to other classes and types of tickets while spelling out the additional benefits of doing so.
Though Italiarail will charge a booking fee, typically of around €3.
The Early Bird service
Italiarail has launched an 'early bird' pre-booking service for journeys by Frecce trains.
Tickets can be booked up to a year ahead of travel at a flat-rate price per route, before the tickets have been released for sale by Trenitalia.
If when they are placed on sale, the price is cheaper than what you have already paid to Italiarail, it will automatically refund the price difference.
Conversely, if the price is more expensive, you won't be charged the price difference.
You can also have the peace of mind of securing your seat(s) on the Frecce train(s) when you are first planning a trip.
If before the tickets are placed on sale, you decide to change your plans, you can request a refund; but once the tickets are released for sale, you will then be bound by the terms and conditions of the ticket(s) you have booked.
Trenitalia Guide
Trenitlalia is the national rail operator in Italy and in addition to its cheaper types of ticket; it also typically offers other discounts available to non-Italians, which include:
- Group Offers, provides for a discount of up to 50% when 3-5 Adults travel together.
- Family Offer for when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 11 and under.
- The Children Free Offer is available for journeys by Frecce trains, when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 15 and under.
Those aged 15 and under travel for free, but the Adults will need to purchase full price 'Base' tickets.
Save A Train Guide
Travel Information
Final Destination: Milano or Torino
The high speed, AV train service, between Bologna and Milano is split between these Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia; and alternative Italo trains operated by NTV
Most of these Frecce trains are non-stop from Bologna Centrale to Milano Centrale.
Also be aware that some Frecce trains arrive at other stations in Milano and not Milano Centrale, so take care when looking up this journey.
Taking these trains to Milano Rogoredo can be a good option if your train journey will be concluding in Milan city centre.
The trains will call at Milano Rogoredo around 15 mins before they arrive at Milano Centrale.
Milano Rogoredo station is on Line M3 of the Milano Metro (the the same line also links Milano Centrale station to the heart of the city).
If you'll be heading to Duomo station, which lives up to its name with a location by Milano cathedral, the end-to-end journey will likely be quicker if you make the connection into the Metro at Milano Rogoredo.
Milano Rogoredo is also connected to the city centre by frequent local commuter trains, which make calls at several stations including: Repubblica and Porta Venezia.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
All of these Frecce trains to Milano depart from the AV binari (tracks/platforms) 16-19 at Bologna Centrale.
If you will taking a taxi to Bologna Centrale tell the driver you will be heading to the AV stazione.
The thrill of this journey is solely derived from the speed of the trains, as they make use of Italy's fastest railway, laid across a flat landscape of farm land.
Tickets
Save by booking in advance: Yes, for more details on how to obtain the cheapest prices for Frecce trains see the guide to Italian rail tickets.
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date; though the booking period will be typically be shorter when looking up journeys for travel after the second Sunday in December.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
The high speed train service between Bologna and Milano Centrale is provided by:
- These Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia. and
- Italo trains operated by NTV
Some Frecce and Italo trains arrive at other stations in Milano and not Milano Centrale.
If you will be travelling to Milano Centrale then use this specific station when looking up tickets and prices.
Tickets for the Trenitalia Frecce trains are placed on sale around 4 months in advance, but the Italo train tickets are made available around 5 months ahead.
Trenitalia does not sell tickets for the Italo trains; and Italo does not sell tickets for the Trenitalia trains.
If you're booking no more than 4 months ahead and have no particular preference for the train that you will be taking, the price and departure times of the Frecce and Italo trains can be directly compared on Trainline or Omio; though look out for the fact that both of these services will charge a booking fee.
Complimentary seat reservations are included when booking tickets for either of these train services.
Travelling from Bologna to Milano with a rail pass:
If you're happy to pay the €10 rail pass reservation fee to travel by 'Frecce' trains, then target these faster Frecciarossa and Frecciarossa 1000 trains; and take care to avoid the slower Frecce trains which don't take the high speed line.
Though, the rail pass reservation fee, can be avoided if you take the Intercity train.
Route Information
Option 2: taking the high speed Italo trains
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
typically 1hr 12min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
up to 13 x trains per day
Purchase Tickets
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Other Ticket Providers
Italo Guide
Italo trains compete with the Frecce services, provided by the national rail operator, Trenitalia, on the high speed routes which link major cities in Italy.
The Italo booking site only sells tickets for journeys by its trains.
Happy rail Guide
Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.
HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.
Travel Information
Final Destination: Milano or Torino
These Italo trains, operated by NTV, compete with the Frecce trains, operated by Trenitalia, on the high speed line between these cities.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
All of these Italo trains to Milano depart from the AV binari (tracks/platforms 16-19) at Bologna Centrale.
If you will taking a taxi to Bologna Centrale tell the driver you will be heading to the AV stazione.
These trains also travel at more than 280 km/h on the high speed line to Milano
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open:: around 3 months ahead of the travel date
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
The high speed AV train service between and Bologna and Milano Centrale* station is provided by these Italo trains and Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia.
Some Frecce and Italo trains arrive at other stations in Milano and not Milano Centrale.
If you will be travelling to Milano Centrale then use this specific station when looking up tickets and prices.
Tickets for the Trenitalia trains are placed on sale around 6 months in advance, but the Italo train tickets are typically made available around 3 to 4 months ahead.
Trenitalia does not sell tickets for the Italo trains; and Italo does not sell tickets for the Trenitalia trains.
If you're booking no more than 4 months ahead and have no particular preference for the train that you will be taking, the price and departure times of the Frecce and Italo trains can be directly compared on Trainline or Omio; though look out for the fact that both of these services will charge a booking fee.
Complimentary seat reservations are included when booking tickets for either of these train services.
Rail passes are not valid on these Italo trains.
Route Information
Option 3: taking the slower Frecce trains
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
2hr 3min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
6 x trains per day
Purchase Tickets
Trenitalia Guide
Trenitlalia is the national rail operator in Italy and in addition to its cheaper types of ticket; it also typically offers other discounts available to non-Italians, which include:
- Group Offers, provides for a discount of up to 50% when 3-5 Adults travel together.
- Family Offer for when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 11 and under.
- The Children Free Offer is available for journeys by Frecce trains, when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 15 and under.
Those aged 15 and under travel for free, but the Adults will need to purchase full price 'Base' tickets.
Italia Rail Guide
Italiarail lives up to its name by selling tickets for rail journeys within Italy and the core feature of its service is that it is primarily designed to be used by international visitors to Italy.
So the English translations of place names are used when looking up journeys and the terms and conditions for using each type of ticket are clearly explained.
It also clearly points out the additional costs of upgrading to other classes and types of tickets while spelling out the additional benefits of doing so.
Though Italiarail will charge a booking fee, typically of around €3.
The Early Bird service
Italiarail has launched an 'early bird' pre-booking service for journeys by Frecce trains.
Tickets can be booked up to a year ahead of travel at a flat-rate price per route, before the tickets have been released for sale by Trenitalia.
If when they are placed on sale, the price is cheaper than what you have already paid to Italiarail, it will automatically refund the price difference.
Conversely, if the price is more expensive, you won't be charged the price difference.
You can also have the peace of mind of securing your seat(s) on the Frecce train(s) when you are first planning a trip.
If before the tickets are placed on sale, you decide to change your plans, you can request a refund; but once the tickets are released for sale, you will then be bound by the terms and conditions of the ticket(s) you have booked.
Save A Train Guide
Travel Information
Final Destination: Milano
These trains also call at: Piacenza
Unlike the other Frecce services these trains don't travel on the high speed line from Bologna to Milano, but because they're slower, you can usually save money by targeting them; and as tickets for the 'alternative' Intercity trains from Bologna to Milano can't apparently be booked online, they're usually the cheapest express train option on this route.
However, avoid these trains if you will be travelling from Bologna to Milan with a rail pass.
If you're happy to pay the €10 rail pass reservation fees, you'll have a much faster journey, at the same price, if you take those faster Frecce trains instead.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
These Frecce trains via Parma don't depart from the AV station at Bologna Centrale, so they're best accessed by using the station's main entrance
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
These trains are around an hour slower than the high speed trains, but if travelling at the cheapest possible price is your primary criteria, then these trains can be worth considering.
The most heavily discounted tickets inevitably sell out faster on the high speed trains, so these Freccibianca trains can be more than €10 cheaper.
If you're booking no more than 4 months ahead you can most easily compare the price of these Frecciabianca trains with both the other Frecce trains and the Italo trains on Trainline or Omio; though look out for the fact that both of these services will charge a booking fee.
Route Information
Option 4: taking the InterCity trains
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
2hr 29min - 2hr 40min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
5 or 6 x trains per day
Purchase Tickets
Italia Rail Guide
Italiarail lives up to its name by selling tickets for rail journeys within Italy and the core feature of its service is that it is primarily designed to be used by international visitors to Italy.
So the English translations of place names are used when looking up journeys and the terms and conditions for using each type of ticket are clearly explained.
It also clearly points out the additional costs of upgrading to other classes and types of tickets while spelling out the additional benefits of doing so.
Though Italiarail will charge a booking fee, typically of around €3.
The Early Bird service
Italiarail has launched an 'early bird' pre-booking service for journeys by Frecce trains.
Tickets can be booked up to a year ahead of travel at a flat-rate price per route, before the tickets have been released for sale by Trenitalia.
If when they are placed on sale, the price is cheaper than what you have already paid to Italiarail, it will automatically refund the price difference.
Conversely, if the price is more expensive, you won't be charged the price difference.
You can also have the peace of mind of securing your seat(s) on the Frecce train(s) when you are first planning a trip.
If before the tickets are placed on sale, you decide to change your plans, you can request a refund; but once the tickets are released for sale, you will then be bound by the terms and conditions of the ticket(s) you have booked.
Trenitalia Guide
Trenitlalia is the national rail operator in Italy and in addition to its cheaper types of ticket; it also typically offers other discounts available to non-Italians, which include:
- Group Offers, provides for a discount of up to 50% when 3-5 Adults travel together.
- Family Offer for when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 11 and under.
- The Children Free Offer is available for journeys by Frecce trains, when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 15 and under.
Those aged 15 and under travel for free, but the Adults will need to purchase full price 'Base' tickets.
Travel Information
Final Destination: Milano
These trains also call at: Piacenza
These InterCity (IC) trains are more than 1hr 20 mins slower than the high speed trains.
That's because in common with the slower Frecce trains from Bologna to Milano, they don't take the high speed line between the two cities.
However, if you will be travelling in Italy with a Eurail or InterRail pass, you can save up to €10 by targeting these IC trains.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Tickets
Target these IC trains if you want to save €10 on rail pass reservation fees.
Though if you'll travelling outside the peak summer period and will want the peace of mind of being able to remain in the same seat for the entire journey, paying the €3 reservation fee, which is optional for much of the year, is virtually essential.
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