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From UK and Europe Both Go and Ryanair have fares starting at around £80 return if you book early enough, to Bologna and Forlì airports respectively. A small discount is offered for bookings made online. There are frequent scheduled flights on British Airways and Alitalia to Bologna from London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports, usually costing upwards of £150 return (although British Airways has introduced newer, competitive fares starting at £99 return). Bologna is also connected by direct flights to many European cities including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Lyon, Lisbon, Madrid, Nice, Paris, Prague, Vienna and Zurich. From North America There are no direct flights to Bologna from the US or Canada. It is, however, relatively cheap to fly via London or another European hub, such as Frankfurt or Zurich. Other options are the routings via Milan or Rome. The cheaper end of the scale costs from $500-600 upwards off-season, rising to over $1000 in the popular summer months. From Australia and New Zealand There are no direct flights to Bologna (or anywhere else in Italy) from either Australia or New Zealand. You will have to change at least twice. You can fly to Milan and Rome via another European or Asian (eg Singapore, Kuala Lumpur) city, from where you will have to connnect again for Bologna. Airlines that fly to European cities from Australia and New Zealand include: Alitalia, British Airways, Lufthansa, Malaysian Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. The cost low season is likely to be at least A$1,700, rising to A$2,500 during high season. Getting to and from the airports Bologna's Marconi International Airport (T 051-6479615 (0630-2330), F 051-6479719, http://www. bologna-airport.it) is 6 km northwest of the city centre. There are two passenger terminals. All arrivals come in to terminal A. European and domestic departures leave from Terminal A while inter- continental departures leave from terminal B. Recently upgraded, the airport has facilities for changing money, a bank, restaurant, newsagent, snack bars and various shops selling gifts, books and souvenirs. There is a large and helpful tourist information desk in the centre of the arrivals hall, stacked with leaflets and serviced by English-speaking staff. All the major car hire companies also have offices here. Business facilities have recently been installed. The best way to the centre is by taxi from the rank outside the terminal A. A taxi to the centre normally costs around €12-15, depending on traffic. Alternatively, the Bologna Aerobus (T 051-290290) also connects the airport to the city centre. It runs every 15 minutes from 0520 to midnight and takes about 20 minutes. Tickets cost €4.50 and are sold on board. Forlì is a small and rudimentary airport that has not yet caught up with its status as a budget airline destination and gateway to Bologna, or with the associated increase in international traffic (T 0543-474990, F 0543-474909, http://www.forli-airport.it). There is a direct bus service from Forlì airport to Bologna's bus station (on piazza XX Settembre next to the train station) which is timetabled to coincide with incoming flights from London, leaving 30 minutes after each flight's arrival and waiting in case of delay. It takes around 1 hour 15 minutes and costs €10 per person – buy tickets on board. There is no direct train connection between Forlì airport and Bologna so you have to go into Forlì itself. A municipal bus (€0.80) departs from the airport every 20 minutes and takes around 15 minutes to reach the train station from where connections to Bologna can be found. Provincial trains leave for Bologna every half hour or so, take about 40 minutes and cost around €3 each way. For the return, the direct buses from Bologna to Forlì airport depart once a day at 1230, Mon-Fri, 1520 on Sat and 1315 on Sun, again to coincide with necessary check-in times for departing international flights.
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