Often overlooked in favour of its neighbour, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna is one not to be missed on a foodie's itinerary. Extending from the Apennine mountains to the Po river in the north, this verdant region is where a lot of Italy's most well-known produce comes from, including balsamic vinegar from Modena, Prosciutto, Parmesan cheese and, of course, Bolognese.
It's considered by many to be the heart of Italian food, but that's not all that's on offer here. The capital, Bologna, is filled with medieval architecture and the world's oldest university, but doesn't have the crowds that the likes of Florence and Rome attract. The train links here are fantastic and it's easy to explore the nearby towns of Parma, Modena and Ravenna which are equally as picturesque. Emilia-Romagna is also the home of the automobile and is where some of Italy's most famous car-makers are based, including Lamborghini, Maserati, Ducati and Ferrari.
Discover the real Emilia-Romagna while staying in one of our carefully selected hotels
Direct flights to Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) are available from London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Stansted, Edinburgh, Bristol and Manchester and take approximately 2 hours 15 minutes.
At the current time, British citizens do not require a visa to visit Italy.
Whilst tipping isn’t embedded into Italian culture it is always appreciated as an acknowledgement of good service. Nowadays people generally round up a bill in a bar or cafe and leave 5-10% extra on a restaurant bill. Taxi bills are usually also rounded up.
On guided tours/excursions it is customary to leave a token of appreciation for the driver and guide.
On small group escorted tours, it is customary to leave a token of appreciation the driver and guide at the end of the tour.
The official language of Italy is Italian. English is widely spoken too, so getting by is easy.
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