A roof spans the platforms/tracks at Parma station

Bologna to Parma by train

How to take the rail journey from Bologna to Parma

Despite Parma being a relatively short distance from Bologna, there is a choice of train service options when taking a journey between these two cities.
If you can book ahead and the departure times suit, you may as well travel in the comparative comfort of the Frecce or IC trains, they're a few euros more expensive, but you will have assigned seats.
Though if you want to buy walk-up tickets at the station for a last-minute journey those express trains become a much more expensive option, so you can save money by taking the more frequent Regioanale trains.

Share

Routes

Option 1: taking the 'local' Regio trains

Travel Information

Final Destination: Milano or Piacenza

All trains also call at: Modena and Regio Emilia (town centre station)

1 - 2 x trains per hour

Tickets

Book early and save: No (on these trains)

Tickets will cost the same price if purchased at the station immediately before departure - on these trains.

The train service between Bologna and Parma is split between:

  1. slightly faster Frecce a and InterCity trains
  2. These Regionale Veloce trains
  3. slower Regionale trains.

These Regionale Veloce (RGV/RV) trains are only around 10 mins slower than the express trains, but if you are booking at the station on the day of travel, then they will be at least €5 cheaper.

Tickets will cost the same price if you take the Regionale trains, but those trains are around 20mins slower, so are best avoided.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
Trenitalia *

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.

On this journey

Journey Features

Not High Speed

Good to Know

If you want to make a spontaneous day trip by train from Bologna to Parma it's worth looking up the timings of the Regionale Veloce (RV) trains, before heading to the station.

They will be cheaper than taking the alternative express trains, but they're not much slower than those trains; plus they're faster and no more expensive than the Regionale (R) trains .

Option 2: taking the express trains

Travel Information

Final Destination: Milano

All trains also call at: Modena and Regio Emilia (town centre station)

9 x Frecce trains per day
6 x IC trains per day

Tickets

Book early and save: Yes (on these trains)

Online bookings open: around 4 months ahead of the travel date

The train service between Bologna and Parma is split between:

  1. These Frecce and InterCity express trains
  2. Regionale Veloce (RV) trains
  3. Regionale (R) trains.

If you can book in advance of your travel date, tickets for these faster express trains will cost only around €1.50 more than those alternative RV and R trains; and you will also have a complimentary seat reservation.

However, if you'll be booking at the station on the day you want to travel, a ticket for the Regionale Veloce/Regionale trains will be much cheaper; and the fastest Regionale Veloce (RGV) trains are only 8 - 10 mins slower.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
Trenitalia from €9.90

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 from €9.90

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.

On this journey

Journey Features

Not High Speed

Good to Know

On this route from Bologna to Parma the Intercity (IC) trains are as fast as the Frecce trains

There is no high speed line between these two cities, but these express trains are faster; and more comfortable than the alternative RV and R trains.

Take the stress out of your journey Everything planned to your specification, so sit back and relax… Try Concierge
hand-money

Please support ShowMeTheJourney

Help keep us advertising and paywall free!

Donate

This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.

We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.

Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.

So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.

See if there’s a unique journey guide for your trip, featuring info on the trains, tickets & stations.
Leaving From
Going To
ShowMeTheJourney

This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.