From September to mid July, Bologna is one of the best cities in Italy for game. Tourists, university students, sociable girls... Bologna have it all - and a lot of each.
Where to stay
In the city center, what it's called "le mura" (the wall). It's what you see as an irregular yellow hexagon in Google Maps. Even though you'll find some interesting places outside the center, most of the life is at a walking distance when you stay in center.
TIP: use Airbnb, hotels in Bologna can be pretty expensive.
Useful Stuff
If you aren't based in Europe, take a SIM: it will cost you less than 30€ and will give you internet connection and calls - so that you can follow up with the girls you meet.
Buses works very well, but if you stay in the center you won't need any - you can go from border to border in 20-25 minutes walking. There are even buses in the late night... but there are just a couple of lines (once per hour), so if you go out of the center, do your research or you may have bad surprises. Price is 1,2€ for tickets in a tobacco shop or newsstand and 1,5€ on the bus... both for a 70-minute ride (take as many bus as you want in that time). Or 3€ for 1 day, no limit.
What to See
The obvious ones: the Duomo (and Piazza Maggiore in front of it), the Two Towers (you can climb the stairs and go on top of the highest one), the Nettuno Fountain, the church of Santo Stefano.
Then, there are so many beautiful little streets, lots of museums and art galleries. In a couple of streets there is a window that faces a small hidden river: you take a look from there and it seems to be in Venice. The one in Via Piella is easy to find.
The is even an underground and you can go see what's under the city :-)
The Girls
There are tons of girls in Bologna... from many different backgrounds.
You'll find regular students, Erasmus students, workers, girls from south, center and north of Italy, tourists.
Know that Italians don't know English much, so either you learn some Italian :-) or approach non-Italian and Italian students (usually students know at least a little bit of English).
You also have to know that Italian girls have the bad reputation of being hard to game. Well, yes and no.
If you have good game and social skills (or are an attractive guy with decent skills), picking up girls will be easy. On the contrary, you'll have a very hard time.
The are many beautiful girls, but not many gorgeous ones. So the average level is good, but not many extremes.
Day Game Venues
Piazza Maggiore and the streets nearby - Via Rizzoli and Via Indipendenza above all. The best day for density and quality of women is Friday, but on Saturday and Sunday the road in the center is closed to cars, so people walk there too... and it's full... so it's more convenient for game.
Night Game Venues
Bologna is a very dynamic city and the best places changes from year to year... so keep this in mind when making your considerations.
Also, notice that in the center, most of the venues for nightlife are small, so usually you won't stay there for the whole night. Instead you'll probably find your self bouncing from place to place - no worries, most places are free and the paid ones are big enough to stay there for the whole night.
And let me tell you that other the following places, the center it's full of small bars, so women will be everywhere.
The best streets are Via Zamboni, Via del Pratello, Via degli Orefici, Via Clavature.
Millenium
Price: free + 15€ one time ARCI card (you can use this in all the ARCI clubs... unluckily not many in the city)
This is one of most consistent club in the city - it's the least affected by trends. It's one of the biggest club in Bologna.
The night to be there is only one: Thursday. There's a rock night and it's packed with students. Night starts to take off a little before 1am.
Qubò
Price: free or 15€ (depend on the night)
When it's open, it's a good club. Saturday and Friday it's opened and it costs 15€. During the week it usually it's opened one day (with free entry), but this changes every year, so you better check this out when you're there.
Hobby One
Price: 15€
The place isn't huge, but the quality make up for quantity. The girls here are more beautiful than in the other places. Opened Friday (which I don't really like a lot), Saturday and if they do the same party night as last year Thursday (which was the best). Go there a little before midnight (girls enter first, so till about 00:40 you'll have almost only women around you).
English Empire
Price: free
It's a pub, so there will be women almost anytime in the night and during the weekend after midnight it has a club-like vibe.
Lab16
Price: free
You can go for an aperitivo (ground level), which usually is full of women (especially during the week). Or you can go downstairs during the weekend for a club-like environment. Usually it's good. Go at about midnight.
Soda Pops
Price: free
This place is quite small but was great... now the new manager kind of ruined it... but it has still some good nights and some talents.
Tuesday, Friday and Saturday are usually the best days. But notice that they have a student-only night and an Erasmus-only night... maybe you can try to sneak in, but keep this in mind. Go a little before midnight.
Arteria
Price: free during the week - 5€ in the weekend
This place was one of the best... now it is not. Most of time you'll find it almost empty (just take a look before reaching the cashier: if you don't see lots of people, go back and leave), but sometimes it is good... so you better have take a look at it.
Lately, Wednesday has been a great day (and free entry). Go a little before 1am.
Cluricaune Pub
Price: free
It's a pub, so it won't have tons of women (anyway, there will be some). But it's free and it's near everything else, so it's worth stopping by between a venue and another.
Night Game Venues in the SUMMER
In the summer things change a lot. Actually, it's even before the summer.
From early May till mid July, you'll also find the following place (notice that a few of the previous ones close in the summer).
Be sure to checking the opening times before goind in the following places.
Parco del Cavaticcio
Price: free
On Friday, this is THE place to be. Tons of women (many of which beautiful), great logistic. Just awesome. Ah, it's a party in a park, which is fun :-)
On Saturday I got mixed feelings... sometimes I found it packed, other times it was almost empty.
Go at 10pm. It closes at 1am.
Villa Serena
Price: free
Great place, a villa in a park. Lots of women. It's outside the center, but it's totally worth going there (also I'm quite sure it's connected with the night bus).
Friday and Saturday.
Chalet dei Giardini Margherita
Price: free or 15€
A very good place: it's a building inside a park... on an artificial pond. Lots of women here.
Wednesday is free and good day.
It also opens in the weekend (and probably Thursday... but they change this from time to time).
Botanique
Price: free
A party in the park of a university. Usually it's good, but it depends on the specific day you go there. It opens... I don't know, I found it always opened :-) For sure the weekend. The parties starts from mid June.
Hope this helps!
And of course, if you have any question, just ask ;-)
Where to stay
In the city center, what it's called "le mura" (the wall). It's what you see as an irregular yellow hexagon in Google Maps. Even though you'll find some interesting places outside the center, most of the life is at a walking distance when you stay in center.
TIP: use Airbnb, hotels in Bologna can be pretty expensive.
Useful Stuff
If you aren't based in Europe, take a SIM: it will cost you less than 30€ and will give you internet connection and calls - so that you can follow up with the girls you meet.
Buses works very well, but if you stay in the center you won't need any - you can go from border to border in 20-25 minutes walking. There are even buses in the late night... but there are just a couple of lines (once per hour), so if you go out of the center, do your research or you may have bad surprises. Price is 1,2€ for tickets in a tobacco shop or newsstand and 1,5€ on the bus... both for a 70-minute ride (take as many bus as you want in that time). Or 3€ for 1 day, no limit.
What to See
The obvious ones: the Duomo (and Piazza Maggiore in front of it), the Two Towers (you can climb the stairs and go on top of the highest one), the Nettuno Fountain, the church of Santo Stefano.
Then, there are so many beautiful little streets, lots of museums and art galleries. In a couple of streets there is a window that faces a small hidden river: you take a look from there and it seems to be in Venice. The one in Via Piella is easy to find.
The is even an underground and you can go see what's under the city :-)
The Girls
There are tons of girls in Bologna... from many different backgrounds.
You'll find regular students, Erasmus students, workers, girls from south, center and north of Italy, tourists.
Know that Italians don't know English much, so either you learn some Italian :-) or approach non-Italian and Italian students (usually students know at least a little bit of English).
You also have to know that Italian girls have the bad reputation of being hard to game. Well, yes and no.
If you have good game and social skills (or are an attractive guy with decent skills), picking up girls will be easy. On the contrary, you'll have a very hard time.
The are many beautiful girls, but not many gorgeous ones. So the average level is good, but not many extremes.
Day Game Venues
Piazza Maggiore and the streets nearby - Via Rizzoli and Via Indipendenza above all. The best day for density and quality of women is Friday, but on Saturday and Sunday the road in the center is closed to cars, so people walk there too... and it's full... so it's more convenient for game.
Night Game Venues
Bologna is a very dynamic city and the best places changes from year to year... so keep this in mind when making your considerations.
Also, notice that in the center, most of the venues for nightlife are small, so usually you won't stay there for the whole night. Instead you'll probably find your self bouncing from place to place - no worries, most places are free and the paid ones are big enough to stay there for the whole night.
And let me tell you that other the following places, the center it's full of small bars, so women will be everywhere.
The best streets are Via Zamboni, Via del Pratello, Via degli Orefici, Via Clavature.
Millenium
Price: free + 15€ one time ARCI card (you can use this in all the ARCI clubs... unluckily not many in the city)
This is one of most consistent club in the city - it's the least affected by trends. It's one of the biggest club in Bologna.
The night to be there is only one: Thursday. There's a rock night and it's packed with students. Night starts to take off a little before 1am.
Qubò
Price: free or 15€ (depend on the night)
When it's open, it's a good club. Saturday and Friday it's opened and it costs 15€. During the week it usually it's opened one day (with free entry), but this changes every year, so you better check this out when you're there.
Hobby One
Price: 15€
The place isn't huge, but the quality make up for quantity. The girls here are more beautiful than in the other places. Opened Friday (which I don't really like a lot), Saturday and if they do the same party night as last year Thursday (which was the best). Go there a little before midnight (girls enter first, so till about 00:40 you'll have almost only women around you).
English Empire
Price: free
It's a pub, so there will be women almost anytime in the night and during the weekend after midnight it has a club-like vibe.
Lab16
Price: free
You can go for an aperitivo (ground level), which usually is full of women (especially during the week). Or you can go downstairs during the weekend for a club-like environment. Usually it's good. Go at about midnight.
Soda Pops
Price: free
This place is quite small but was great... now the new manager kind of ruined it... but it has still some good nights and some talents.
Tuesday, Friday and Saturday are usually the best days. But notice that they have a student-only night and an Erasmus-only night... maybe you can try to sneak in, but keep this in mind. Go a little before midnight.
Arteria
Price: free during the week - 5€ in the weekend
This place was one of the best... now it is not. Most of time you'll find it almost empty (just take a look before reaching the cashier: if you don't see lots of people, go back and leave), but sometimes it is good... so you better have take a look at it.
Lately, Wednesday has been a great day (and free entry). Go a little before 1am.
Cluricaune Pub
Price: free
It's a pub, so it won't have tons of women (anyway, there will be some). But it's free and it's near everything else, so it's worth stopping by between a venue and another.
Night Game Venues in the SUMMER
In the summer things change a lot. Actually, it's even before the summer.
From early May till mid July, you'll also find the following place (notice that a few of the previous ones close in the summer).
Be sure to checking the opening times before goind in the following places.
Parco del Cavaticcio
Price: free
On Friday, this is THE place to be. Tons of women (many of which beautiful), great logistic. Just awesome. Ah, it's a party in a park, which is fun :-)
On Saturday I got mixed feelings... sometimes I found it packed, other times it was almost empty.
Go at 10pm. It closes at 1am.
Villa Serena
Price: free
Great place, a villa in a park. Lots of women. It's outside the center, but it's totally worth going there (also I'm quite sure it's connected with the night bus).
Friday and Saturday.
Chalet dei Giardini Margherita
Price: free or 15€
A very good place: it's a building inside a park... on an artificial pond. Lots of women here.
Wednesday is free and good day.
It also opens in the weekend (and probably Thursday... but they change this from time to time).
Botanique
Price: free
A party in the park of a university. Usually it's good, but it depends on the specific day you go there. It opens... I don't know, I found it always opened :-) For sure the weekend. The parties starts from mid June.
Hope this helps!
And of course, if you have any question, just ask ;-)