A 30-minute train ride from Florence to the food capital of Italy? Sign. Me. Up! Bologna is the perfect day trip with toddlers. My family is food motivated which means our vacations aren’t planned typically around tourist attractions, but the best meals. Thankfully, a dear friend who I haven’t seen since pre-COVID and babies has been living in the city for almost a year and could share some of the best food and toddler-friendly spots.
Thankfully our AirBNB is only a 10-minute walk to the Santa Maria Novella train station. Combine that with only a 30-minute direct train to Bologna and we made it by second breakfast. Pro tip: if you’re traveling with kids, book as far in advance as possible. For families traveling on Trenitalia, you can get up to 40% off the adult’s tickets and kids under 15 travel for free under the Bimbi Gratis discount. But, these discounted tickets do run out early.
Bologna Foodie List with Toddlers
- Giardini Margherita – my first toddler travel tip will always be to burn off their energy and in Bologna, the Giardini Margherita was our first stop! This immense park had everything – cappuccino and brioche stop, toddler playground, older kid playground, and plenty of greenspace to play soccer. Perfect way to kick off the day.
- Cremeria Cavour – I’ve considered myself a bit of a gelato connoisseur since my first trip to Italy. This is hands down the BEST gelato I’ve had. Every single flavor we got was bold, creamy, and alongside the classic flavors, they had some fun new ones for us to try. If I had time before the train back, I would have gone back for round two. It also passed Beckett’s high chocolate gelato bar. He’s taking after his mom in his gelato obsession.
- Mercado di Mezzo – this is an adorable little food market with unbelievable pasta. I’m still dreaming of the mortadella stuffed tortellini in a cream sauce. SO GOOD. While it is a bit claustrophobic downstairs, upstairs is empty and had plenty of room for six of us to relax at a couple of tables. Grab a bottle of wine from the wine bar or local beer, there’s plenty of options.
- Biblioteca Salaborsa – after lunch, it was naptime for Beckett and the free Biblioteca Salaborsa off the central piazza was the perfect spot. The adults grabbed a doppio caffe while little man snoozed in his stroller. Beautiful nap spot and right in the middle of everything once he woke up.
- Signorvino – what’s better than people watching, playing a little soccer with Beckett in Piazza Maggiore, and splitting a bottle of wine? When traveling with toddlers, not much. Diverse wine list, fabulous location. I can see why it’s so popular.
- Piazza Aldrovandi and I Panini di Miro – final spot before we ran (literally) for the train – an adorable street market. Vendors of all kinds are setup in small green stalls. Not only did it have the best cheap produce I’ve seen in Italy. It also had the best charcuterie board so far. Filled with porchetta, salumi, soppressata, mortadella, cheese, and focaccia, be prepared to share! Grab a panino or two with cheap, but yummy wine and beer, and it’s the perfect quick dinner before getting back on the train.
If the Tuscan hill towns and wineries weren’t so enticing, I might need to make another trip to the food capital of Italy. Bologna was the perfect day trip with toddlers. Maybe next time I’ll soak in more of the history along with a fabulous menu.
One Comment