Private Tuscany Wine Tours from Bologna Made Easy

So, you’ve chosen to stay in Bologna rather than Florence, but you’ve heard so much about the iconic Tuscan countryside, and the region’s great wines such as Chianti, Brunello and Super Tuscans. At this point, you may be wondering if private Tuscany wine tours from Bologna are possible. Well, here’s the good news, they certainly are and it’s fairly easy too.

One of Chianti’s most beautiful areas -the Golden Valley of Panzano

As you’re looking up this page, I’m presuming you will not be driving, but instead, you’re looking for a service of some kind. Here are the two options with pros and cons.

Take the train from Bologna then hire a driver from Florence

This is by far the most cost effective way to go about things, in particular when there are two to four participants. It’s also a very quick way to get to Florence, as the train journey is just 38 minutes.

At the time of writing this article, there’s a convenient high-speed train (Frecciarossa) from Bologna leaving at 08:27am, arriving in Florence at 09.04am.

Next you could look up one of my private Tuscany wine tours and hire me…of course!

You could then book the return for 17:55 or 18:20.

 You can look up the TrenItalia Rail Site Here.

How to do the search.

1. Select departure station: Bologna Centrale
2. Seelct arrival station: Firenze S.M. Novella
3. Set departure date and time (08:00)
4. Set return date and time (17:45)
5. Set number of passengers
6. IMPORTANT: in the Solutions checkbox (right hand side of screen) choose Le Frecce
7. Select continue
8. Select the 08.27 train
9  Select your preferred pricing option
10. Select GO TO RETURN JOURNEY
11. Select your return train for 17:55 or 18:20
12. Click on CONTINUE to fill in payment details

Italy’s High Speed Frecciarossa Train Just 38 minutes from Bologna to Florence

A word on Italy’s Frecciarossa Trains

The Italian rail company Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa, is not only the fastest train in Europe” with a top speed of 223 miles per hour, but also one of the best high-speed trains in the world. With energy-efficient engines, and quiet, vibration-free carriages, it’s the perfect way to travel in comfort. Last but not least they are usually on time too, with delays happening but infrequently.

Hiring a driver in Bologna

This is quite convenient as you can be picked up and dropped directly from your accommodation in the city. It will take about two hours from the center of Bologna to get to the heart of the Tuscan wine region of Chianti. I’d suggest asking your driver to start the tour somewhere around the tiny hilltop town of  Panzano. This is where you’ll find so much of the iconic scenery for which Tuscany is famous, and the Golden Valley, where some of Chianti’s best wineries are located. If you need more information on what to do, and where to stay in Panzano, click here.

However, the cons of hiring a private driver from Bologna are the cost and the long time you will spend on the road. The distance between Bologna and the heart of Tuscany’s Chianti wine district is about 95 miles. Considering the return journey, that’s 190 miles, to which one must add the mileage on location. It’s also going to be at least a ten hour day, so it’s not going to be cheap.

Another important aspect to consider is to make sure you are being offered a guided tour, and not just someone who will drive you there and back. It will be worth paying extra for someone that knows the best photo stops and wineries.

Bologna or Florence?

If this is your first time to Italy, then it’s not even a question. It’s Florence all the way. However, Florence is crowded most of the year, especially between March and October. It’s a little quieter in the winter months. So, if you’ve already seen Florence, Bologna is well worth a two three-day stay.

Bologna is much less visited than Florence, which means accommodation is more affordable. It’s also a small city, so you can stay in the city center without spending a fortune on taxis.

There are four principal shopping streets in Bologna, each leading off the central Piazza Maggiore. Via dell’Archiginnasio is where you’ll find the big designer stores, but if you’re looking for something less fancy, check out the flea market at Piazza dell’ Otto Agosto every weekend. If it’s some of that rich regional produce you’re after, the Quadrilatero abounds with fresh fish, fruit and vegetables, hanging hams and the best grainy Parmigiano you’ll find anywhere.

If it’s great food you’re looking for, then Bologna is definitely the place to be. Known as La Grassa (The Fat One) it’s Italy’s culinary epicenter, and it’s famous for dishes like Tagliatelle al ragu Bolognese, Lasagne, Tortellini in Brodo, and street food such as Piadine

The entire region (Emilia) is famous for cured meats like mortadella, grainy cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano and balsamic vinegar. . It’s easy to find great restaurants in Bologna.

Apart from the suggested wine tour of Tuscany, other day trips you could do are to Modena (Balsamic Vinegar & Ferrari Museum), Parma (Prosciutto & Parmigiano Cheese), Ferrara, Mantova and Ravenna. All are reachable by local trains.