25 Public Transportation

Bologna has an excellent bus system. A single ticket (corsa semplice) costs € 2 (if purchased on board the bus) or € 1,50 (if purchased in a tabaccheria before boarding the bus). The City Pass (one ticket worth 10 rides) costs € 14. There are three apps from which you can buy a ticket: Roger, Moovit and Muver. Most buses are also equipped with a contactless ticket machine that accepts payment by ATM card.

The ticket, valid for 75 minutes on any number of buses, must be machine-stamped as you enter the bus; if a controllore catches you without a ticket (or a stamped ticket), fines range from €60 to €200. Tickets can be purchased on board (from the red machines) or from tabaccherie.

Buses are crowded during peak hours: early morning, lunch hour, and evenings. Expect to stand at these times. Senior citizens and people with disabilities should always be given seats. When you need to get through the crowd to get off at your stop, ask “permesso,” “scusi,” or “scusatemi”. Stops are called by pressing red buttons located on grab bars.

TPER, the bus transportation service in Bologna, offers a discounted monthly pass to under 27 year olds. Instructions on obtain the pass are reviewed during the orientation meeting on transportation and getting around Bologna.

For more information about bus routes and timetables visit the TPER website: https://www.tper.it