How to get to budrio ocarina festival

The Budrio ocarina festival is an awesome event that attracts ocarina players and makers from around the world. The festival is in Budrio, a small town outside of Bologna. Getting there is pretty easy, but how isn't obvious as a first time visitor.

Step 1, airport to station

Assuming that you are flying from aboard, it is easiest to get to Budrio from Bologna airport. Budrio can be reached easily by train from Bologna central station.

Once at the airport, The aerobus gets you from to the central station quickly and easily. It circles between the airport and station constantly. There are obvious signs to it within the airport, and tickets can be bought from a vending machine at the bus stop.

There is also now a fast train from the airport to the station.

Step 2, central station to Budrio

Budrio is easy to get to as it is on one of the local train lines. The catch is that this train operates on a different ticketing system, and you cannot buy tickets using the Trenitalia vending machines in the main hall, or the main ticket office.

The correct tickets can be bought in two places, from a vending machine, and from a tobacconists stall.

To find the vending machines, notice that the station building is shaped like a 'U' with the main entrance and main hall directly in front of you.

The main entrance of Bologna station, decorated with columns

If you look left from the main entrance, you see these smaller entrances. The vending machines are located in here. While they are labelled for the aerobus, they also sell tickets for the Budrio train, and have an English mode.

You will not find a 'ticket to Budrio', as the local trains operate on a zone system. Budrio is in zone 3.

The entrance to the ticket machines that sell tickets to Budrio is located in the left wing of the station Ticket machines displaying 't-per' logo can be used to buy tickets for the Budrio train, and also tickets for the airport bus

tickets are also sold at the tobacconists stand on the first station platform. I had a print out of the phrase 'can I have a ticket to Budrio please', translated into italian.

Tickets for the Budrio train are sold by the tobacconists stall on the first platform

Regardless of which option you use, I recommend getting two tickets. They do not expire as far as I'm aware and are validated when used (see later). The station in Budrio does not sell them.

Getting to the platform

Trains to Budrio leave from 'piazzale est'. To get to it, go straight through the station main hall onto the first platform. Turn right and keep walking. It's quite a long way, but eventually you get to some small platforms.

The main hall of the station, walk straight through here onto the platform

A view along the platform at Bologna train station. The platform where trains to Budrio leave is barely visible in the distance

Keep walking, the path to the platform that goes to budrio is quite long

Once you get there, you can find the train easily by looking at the information screens above the tracks. The destination stations cycle in a carousel at the bottom, and you will see one that says Budrio, although you may need to wait a little while.

The signs above the platform show the destinations of the trains, look for one listing Budrio

Finally, before getting on the train you must validate your ticket using the machine on the platform. It looks like this:

The ticket validator located on the platform at Bologna train station. When you get the train to Budrio, you first must validate your ticket with this machine

The trains have audio announcements, and information screens so it is easy to know when you get to Budrio. Just note that the town has two stations. I'd check in advance which one is closest to where you are staying.