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Bologna station (Bologna Centrale) is at piazza Medaglie d'Oro (T 051-630211) to the north of the city. Several car hire companies (Avis, Hertz, Maggiore) have offices here and other facilities include banks, bars, restaurants, newspaper stalls and a pharmacy. The heart of the city is a 15 minute walk up via dell'Indipendenza. Alternatively take bus 10, 25 or 30 (purchase a ticket from tabacchi (tobacconists) designated by a white 'T' in a black box outside the shops). For timetable information and bookings contact TrenItalia on T 199-166177 (from within Italy) or visit http://www.trenitalia.com Bologna is a major junction on Italy's railway network, making it very accessible to other Italian cities and European destinations further afield. Italy's own Eurostar currently links Bologna to Milan (2 hours), Florence (1 hour), Rome (3 hours) and Naples (5 hours) while the Eurocity connects passengers with more than 40 other European destinations including Paris, Basel and Brussels. The Italian state railway, recently rebranded TrenItalia, is more efficient than mythology would have it. It is also one of the most economical in Europe, fares in both directions being charged by the kilometre. Once bought, a ticket is not valid until stamped before boarding in one of the yellow machines on the platform. There are five types of train, divided according to speed and the frequency with which they stop. Diretto, Inter-regionale and Espresso all stop frequently and only require a standard ticket whereas supplements are usually required on the faster Intercity and Eurostar services.
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