Where to park in Bologna?

All solutions in one guide

Knowing where to park in Bologna and what the best solutions are for leaving your car in the capital of Emilia-Romagna is essential if you're driving to this important Italian urban area.

Home to the oldest university in the Western world, Bologna is a city rich in cultural events and is known for the porticoes and towers that characterize its historic center. An important road and railway hub in an area with a strong industrial and commercial focus, it has a large exhibition center and is particularly famous for its gastronomy.

As in all major urban centers, whether you're a resident, commuter, or visitor, finding parking in Bologna can be complex, and you must always be aware of how local mobility, the parking system, and parking regulations work.

The historic center is a ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone) almost 24 hours a day and is an area strictly controlled for transit and parking, where heavy fines are imposed on those who break the rules. To drive to Bologna by car, therefore, it is necessary to understand the parking system and parking regulations.

Want to pay for parking in a simple and fast way? You can do it with the Telepass Strisce Blu service.

Go to Strisce Blu

Parking in Bologna: main parking solutions

In Bologna there are different types of parking areas. The first distinction is between on-street and structured parking.

On-street parking is managed by TPER (Emilia-Romagna Passenger Transport) on behalf of the Municipality. Paid spaces are marked by blue lines.

Structured parking or gated parking can be underground or surface-level, supervised or unsupervised, public or private. The rate is generally hourly, with discounts for daily tickets and weekly or monthly subscriptions, and they are open all day.

Therefore, Bologna’s public parking system is divided into:

interchange parking lots: located along major traffic and public transport routes, designed to discourage private vehicle use and promote intermodality. Bike-sharing services are also available here;
attestation parking lots: recommended for long-term parking, located near offices, hospitals, services, and exhibition centers.

If you are a tourist staying in a hotel or bed & breakfast, make sure your accommodation offers reserved spaces for guests or has agreements with nearby parking facilities offering special rates.

Paid parking on blue lines in Bologna

If you are in Bologna for just one day or a few hours, paid parking on blue lines may be the most suitable option. Remember that parking costs and rules can vary depending on the area, day, and time, so always check the nearest vertical sign where you park your car.

It is advisable to check that, especially if you are far from the center, your parking area is close to a public transport stop.

Blue lines in Bologna are organized into four zones and are active from Monday to Saturday at different times, while on Sundays and holidays parking is free:

Cerchia del Mille (8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.): €2.40 per hour with a minimum meter payment of €0.40 (10 minutes);
Historic Center (8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.): €1.80 per hour with a minimum meter payment of €0.30 (10 minutes);
Semicentral ring (zones A1, B, C, D, E, F, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.): €1.50 per hour with a minimum meter payment of €0.25 (10 minutes); daily rate: €7.50;
Semi-peripheral and peripheral ring (zones A2, I, L, M, N, P, Q, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.): €1.20 per hour with a minimum meter payment of €0.20 (10 minutes); daily rate: €6.00.

Keep in mind that in the semicentral and semi-peripheral areas there are fast-turnover zones, marked by specific signage, where payment starts at 9:00 a.m.

If you drive an electric vehicle, you are entitled to free parking in all paid areas and unrestricted circulation in limited traffic zones and during air quality restriction days.

Structured parking in Bologna: where they are

If you need long-term parking in Bologna, structured or gated parking facilities will meet your needs. These parking lots are located both near the center and close to major infrastructures and key city locations.

They usually have variable hourly rates, are open 24 hours (or nearly so), and offer daily parking discounts and weekly or monthly subscriptions.

Many are affiliated with the Telepass Parking service, included in all plans. Parking in a partnered facility lets you speed up entry and exit procedures since your device works just like on the highway: look for columns with the logo and take the reserved lane. Slow down near the barrier and proceed after hearing your device signal. You can check parking times and expenses from the Telepass app, with charges billed every three months.

These are the Telepass-affiliated parking lots in Bologna:

Guglielmo Marconi Airport;
Fiera Nord Michelino;
Fiera Sud Piazza Costituzione;
Piazza VIII Agosto;
Santa Maria Novella;
Riva Reno;
Sant'Orsola;
Bologna Station.

How to park in Bologna city center

In addition to on-street blue line spaces, parking in Bologna’s city center is possible thanks to three parking facilities located north of the monumental area, all within a short distance of the train station.

The largest is the Piazza VIII Agosto Parking, near Via Indipendenza and Parco della Montagnola. It is a multi-story car park with 981 spaces, convenient for reaching the city center in just a few minutes. Open all day, rates range from €3.20 for the first hour to €24.00 for daily parking.

To the west is another multi-story car park: Riva Reno Parking, with 543 spaces. Open 24 hours, rates range from €2.90 for the first hour to €20.00 for the daily rate.

A few meters east lies Piazzale Baldi Parking, open-air, paid from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. under a fast-turnover formula (subscriptions and resident permits not valid) with a rate of €2.40 per hour. Note: on Fridays, Saturdays, and during special market days, parking is prohibited here from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Along the ring roads leading easily to Bologna’s city center, there are at least three more parking areas. To the south, Ex Staveco, an open-air lot with 180 spaces on Viale Panzacchi (daytime rate €2.00/hour, nighttime €1.00/hour, daily €12.00). To the east, two hospital parking areas: Policlinico (Via Zaccherini Alvisi) and Sant'Orsola Malpighi (Via Albertoni), with varying hours and rates.

How to park near Bologna Central Station

If you need to leave your car near Bologna Central Station, there are several options, both structured and open-air.

Bologna Centrale Parking offers 488 spaces, accessible from Via Giacomo Matteotti and Via Sebastiano Serlio. The facility is divided into three areas: P1 (5:30 a.m.–midnight) at €2.50/hour (daily €25.00); P2 Kiss & Ride (5:30 a.m.–11:00 p.m.) at €3.00/hour; P3 (5:30 a.m.–11:00 p.m.) at €2.00/hour.

A few meters away, on Via Aristotile Fioravanti, is the New Station Parking with 800 spaces and daytime rates (5:30 a.m.–midnight) of €2.00 for the first and second hour, €1.70 for each additional hour, and a nighttime rate (midnight–5:30 a.m.) of €1.40/hour. All-day parking costs €13.00, and the full nighttime period €5.00.

Further west are Marco Polo Parking (99 spaces) on Via Mario Fantin, open-air, €1.20/hour from Monday to Saturday between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and free on Sundays and holidays, and Tanari Parking on the street of the same name, free for those who park and take public transport or a bicycle, otherwise priced at €0.60/hour, €5.00 daily, and €30.00 monthly.

How to park at Bologna Fiera

The Bologna Exhibition Center is one of the most important in Italy and Europe, hosting numerous major events and trade fairs. It is located northeast of the center and can be reached directly from the Bologna Fiera exit of the A14 highway.

The main parking facility serving the complex is Fiera Nord Michelino, a multi-story car park with a capacity of 5,700 cars. It is open 24 hours during fair days only, with a daily rate of €18.00 and €1.50/hour for the first three hours.

Also at the fairgrounds, but on the opposite side, is Fiera Sud Piazza della Costituzione Parking on Via Stalingrado, with 369 spaces, open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., excluding non-fair holidays.

Other parking facilities serving Bologna Fiera include Manifattura Tabacchi Parking (253 spaces) and Parco Nord (750 spaces) in the Dozza area, open only on fair days.

Parking at Bologna Marconi Airport: airport parking options

The official parking areas at Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport offer a total of 5,100 spaces and are Telepass-enabled, with dedicated entry lanes, reserved spots marked by the logo, and automatic app payment after exiting. Booking through the partnership also guarantees a spot even when the parking is full: simply use the intercom at the entrance column and provide your booking code to the operator.

At Marconi Airport, you can choose between short-term and long-term parking. For short-term parking, there are two options:

P Express (recommended for up to 3 hours): rates from €2.00 for 15 minutes to €16.00 for 3 hours and €40.00 for 24 hours;
Kiss & Fly (recommended for drop-offs): first 10 minutes free (up to 3 times per day), then €4.00 for 30 minutes and €40.00 for a full day (the €40.00 rate also applies from the fourth daily entry).

There is also a Wait Zone, an area for those arriving early to pick up passengers. Once the flight lands, you can move to the Kiss & Fly area. The Wait Zone offers 60 free minutes, with the driver remaining in the car. After 60 minutes, the rate is €10.00/hour.

The official parking areas at Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport offer a total of 5,100 spaces and are Telepass-enabled, with dedicated entry lanes, reserved spaces, and automatic app payment after exit. Booking guarantees a spot even when full: just use the intercom at the entrance and provide your booking code to the operator.

The long-term parking areas at Bologna Airport are:

P1 Terminal (60% covered, in front of the terminal): €5.00 for 1 hour, €10.00 for 2 hours, €17.00 per day and for each additional day;
P2 Business (covered, in front of the terminal): €5.00 for 1 hour, €10.00 for 2 hours, €17.00 per day and for each additional day;
P3 Comfort (30% covered, 200 meters from the terminal): €12.00 per day from the 1st to the 4th day, €10.00/day from the 5th to the 10th day, then €8.00/day afterward;
P4 Long Stay (open-air, 1.5 km from the terminal, 5 minutes by free shuttle every 20 minutes): from €30.00 for 1 day to €62.00 for 9 days (from the 10th day onward €4.00/day).

Nearby, there are also private facilities such as King Park Bologna (from €19.00/day), ParkinGO Bologna (from €24.00/day), and Aeroport Car (from €39.00 for 2 days).