Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ)

Overview

The small regional airport serving the Italian city of Bologna is named after its most famous son: engineer, Nobel Laureate and inventor of the radio Guglielmo Marconi. Located just 3.75 miles (6km) from the city, Bologna G Marconi Airport (BLQ) is seeing steadily rising traffic, as Bologna becomes an increasingly popular business and tourism destination. As Bologna is perfectly situated between heavyweight tourist destinations like Milan, Genoa, Pisa, Florence, San Marino, Venice, and Verona, it offers a great opportunity to escape the queues of the larger hubs. The small size of the airport makes for a hassle-free experience; a perfect introduction or a blissful end to a holiday spent soaking up the sights and attractions of northern Italy. Bologna Airport offers great connections to other Italian cities and to several key European destinations, and budget travellers should note that several low-cost carriers offer cheap flights to and from Bologna.

Location

The airport is located four miles (6km) northeast of Bologna's city centre.

Getting to the city

There is a special airport bus which takes you into the centre of Bologna. It leaves every 15 minutes during the day from outside the arrivals hall. The first bus is at 5.30am and the last one is at 1.15am. The bus is called Aerobus or BLQ and is easily identified as it is grey and light blue in colour as opposed to the orange urban buses.

The BLQ's farthest point in its route takes one to Bologna Central Railway Station, four miles (6km) from the airport. It is a major transport hub, with connections to places all over Italy. The journey from the airport to the railway station takes about 25-30 minutes, depending on the traffic.

Time

GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March and the Saturday before the last Sunday in October).

Contacts

Information desk: +39 051 647 9617 or +39 051 9680/3.

Car rental

There are plenty of car hire agencies at the airport, including Hertz, Avis, Budget and Thrifty.

Airport Taxis

There are fixed-fare taxis outside the terminal; however, they are in high demand during peak times, so it may be a good idea to book in advance.

Facilities

Airport facilities include bank and currency exchange services, ATMs, left luggage facilities, a business lounge, travel agents, an information desk, and many shops and restaurants.

Parking

The airport provides both short-term parking and long-term parking. For short-term parking, the Express Car Park is adjacent to the terminal building, and charges about €3.50 per hour, or €30 per day.

Website

www.bologna-airport.it

Internet

Free wifi is available via your mobile phone.

Business Lounges

The Marconi Business Lounge offers business services like wi-fi and broadband internet, photocopying and audiovisual machines, satellite TV and a cafeteria. The lounge is open daily, from 5am to 9.30pm, and charges an entry fee of €23.60.

Bologna Airport Taxis: the taxi fares above are intended as a guideline only.