Traveling to Italy
Travel Note
Flying into Italy
The nearest airport to the wedding venue is Bologna (Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport - BLQ). It's a smaller airport and might be easier to fly into if you're coming from within Europe. If you're flying in from the States, it might be more cost-effective to fly to Milan and take the train into Modena - the closest city to where the wedding will be. Italy has a great train system that can get you anywhere in the country.
Travel Note
Wedding City
Our wedding will be in Fiorano Modenese, a small town just outside of the larger city Modena. We recommend all guests stay in Modena for the wedding night itself. On the wedding day, we plan to have shuttles to take guests to and from Modena and the venue (about a 20-minute drive). If you don't want to be too dependent on the shuttle, you can always arrange a private car or taxi ahead of time. There isn't Uber! (Modena Taxi Service: https://cotamo.it/en) Getting to Modena by train is fairly easy and is only about a 20-30 min train ride from the Bologna train station (Bologna Centrale). The train station in Modena is a 10 minute walk to the city center. Modena is a fairly small town to walk around and enjoy with amazing food and plenty of small family-run balsamic vinegar factories to tour!
Travel Note
Traveling in Italy Before/After the Wedding
Italy has a great train system. You can get pretty much anywhere in northern Italy within an hour or 2. See below for the distance it'll take to get to some places near Modena. Transportation Times/Options Milan to Bologna: Train: 1 hr 5 mins (non stop / run every 15 mins) Drive: 2 hours 32 mins Bologna to Modena Drive: 1 hour Train: 26 mins (2 stops / run every 12 mins) Bologna to Milan: Train: 1 hr 15 mins / runs every hour) Drive: 2 hours 32 mins Bologna to Florence: Train: 38 mins / runs every 20 mins) Drive: 1 hour 45 mins Florence to Milan: Train: 1 hour 55 mins Drive: 3 hour 50 mins
Train
How do I Buy Train Tickets?
Trainline is a website and app where you can buy ALL train tickets in Italy. It is easy to use and helps with planning to and from different cities. For longer distances, the high-speed trains are your best bet. You will reserve a seat on these trains beforehand. Local trains are less expensive and have general seating. All trains to Modena are local. Make sure you activate your ticket beforehand just in case they check tickets. You will be fined if you don't press the Check-In button. We made this mistake on our trip in April!
Travel Note
Where to Stay?
Below are some hotels that are within walking distance from the train station and close to the city center in Modena. There are also a TON of Air BnBs in the Modena city center. We plan to have shuttles available to pick up and drop off guests from the city center to the wedding venue, which is about a 20-minute drive.
Hotel
Phi Hotel Canalgrande
Distance from train station: 7 min drive 15 min walk
Hotel
Hotel Cervetta 5
Nice hotel in the city center near the cathedral & rehearsal dinner Distance from train station 17 Minute Walk
Hotel
Hotel Principe
Distance from train station 5 minute walk
Hotel
Best Western Premier Palace Milan
Distance from train station 7 min walk
Hotel
Vittorio Veneto 25
Distance from train station 21 min walk / 7 min drive
Hotel
$$$ Hotel Rua Frati 48 in San Francesco
Distance from train station 20 min walk / 9 min drive
Hotel
Executive Spa Hotel
This hotel is a 4 min drive away from the wedding venue and a ~20 min drive to the Welcome Dinner in the Modena city center. Would need to handle transportation to and from the Welcome Dinner.
Hotel
Opera 02 Cà Montanari
This hotel is beautiful and at a good price. It is located on a vineyard with a Michelin star restaurant. It is a bit far from the wedding venue and the city center where the Welcome dinner will be. May need to plan scheduling private transportation. Distance from venue: ~ 20 min by car Distance from Modena city center: ~30 min by car Distance from train station: ~40 min by car
Hotel
Hostel Modena San Filippo Neri
Hostel starting at €19/night. They also offer luggage storage for under €10 for the day, great if you're in between hotel / BNB reservation.