Luckily Bologna has a very compact city center, making commuting relatively painless.  If you live within the city walls you will find that most things can easily be reached on foot.

    Going by bicycle is probably the most popular way of getting around for students.  One can be purchased nearly anytime of day from your friendly drug dealer/bicycle thief on Via Zamboni.  The going price for a "recycled" bicycle is generally 10 euros, but if you're patient you can generally haggle them down. Just be sure to listen for "psst bici"  when you pass by.  Be forewarned however, that the lifespan of a bicycle is relatively short.  The general rule of thumb is to buy a lock and chain costing three times what you paid for the bicycle.  Even then it will most likely be stolen during the course of the year.

Many students also choose to travel  to by the city bus.  If you happen to live in the outlying areas travel will probably be your only option. Single tickets cost 1 euro at the time of writing. Month and year passes are also available form the ATC office near Piazza Maggiore.  Personally I thought this was a little steep, so during my stay in Bologna I never bought a ticket.   In theory you can be fined for riding without a ticket, but  it's not something I would really worry about.  The bus system closes down from 1-6 am so this could make getting home at night problematic.  

  When in Rome do as the Romans, the saying goes.  If you look around you'll see the streets of just about anywhere in Italy are swarming with motorscooters.  Fast, and cheap and easy to park, the motorino is the mode of transportation  of choice for many Italians.  A good second hand scooter can  be purchased for around 500 euros. Hands down traveling by scooter is the quickest way to get around any city.  If you ever order a pizza you'll notice that rain or shine it comes by a delivery guy on a scooter. If you're a purist like myself you'll choose a classic like the old Vespa Special.  It as an air of elegance  made famous in films like Roman Holiday.  Plus chicks dig it. 

No Vespa experience in Italy would be complete without some sort of harrowing encounter.  I had mine after the real axel detached from my Vespa while descending from San Luca. (note photo). 

  San Luca, a basilica perched on the hills above Bologna, gives a fantastic panorama of the city.  By all accounts the perfect place for a picnic with an amorosa.  Unfortunately local legend holds that it is bad luck to bring a girl to up to San Luca.   Of course I had heard the stories, but being already pretty sure of my chances I decided to go anyways. What I failed to realize that the legend didn’t explicitly say girl, as the Italian language is somewhat imprecise.  The saying was perhaps better translated as “love interest,” which would explain why in the end it worked out with the girl, and my Vespa was all fcuked up.    I was never one to believe in all that superstition mumbo jumbo, but going down a steep hill without a wheel firmly attached certainly made a believer out of me. 

Soon after this experience I decided, after changing my pants, that I needed to upgrade to something more reliable.   These days you can find me cruising around my Ducati, 100% Bolognese. Socmel che potenza!  

A word of warning: Italian driving tends to be very erratic at best. In the land of Ferrari everyone thinks he is Schumacher.   A helmet and a picture of you favorite saint are highly recommended when going anywhere. 

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