How to book a taxi in Bologna

Updated: July 8, 2026 · Province of BO

To book a taxi in Bologna, call the radio taxi at 051 372727 or use the itTaxi app. Taxis don't stop on the street: you book them or catch one at a taxi rank.

In Bologna, taxis are mainly booked by phone: the city's two radio taxi services are Co.Ta.Bo. (051 372727) and CAT (051 4590), both operating 24 hours a day, or you can pick one up at official taxi ranks such as the one at the central station. Alternatively, you can book through the itTaxi app, adopted specifically by the CAT consortium, and appTaxi, or with Uber, which in the city offers Uber Black rides and, since 2025, also Uber Taxi under an agreement with CAT.

Call the radio taxi

051 372727 Co.Ta.Bo. – Cooperativa Tassisti Bolognesi

051 4590 CAT – Consorzio Autonomo Taxisti

Apps to call a taxi in Bologna

Uber — In Bologna, Uber does not offer classic UberX: Uber Black (premium NCC cars with driver, since 2020) is active, and, since 28 January 2025, also Uber Taxi, which routes requests to the authorized taxis of the CAT/itTaxi consortium.	Available
itTaxi — This is the booking app officially adopted by the CAT consortium for Bologna's taxis, usable to call a car directly from your smartphone.	Available
appTaxi — Lets you call a taxi in Bologna from the map and pay directly in the app with a credit card or Satispay.	Available
FreeNow — Lets you book Bologna's authorized taxis from the app, with integrated payment and real-time ride tracking.	Available
Wetaxi — In Bologna, Wetaxi only offers shared bikes and scooters: direct taxi requests through the app do not appear to be available in the city.	Not available

Taxi from the airport

Aeroporto di Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ) · ~6 km from the center

Taxi fare: Starting from the airport, a taxi ride has a minimum starting fare of 12.80 €, which covers the first 6 km travelled at a speed above 20 km/h; beyond this threshold the fare continues normally on the meter (tariffs set by the Comune di Bologna in effect since 1 January 2025). So it is not a fixed "door to door" fare, but a guaranteed minimum amount.

Guglielmo Marconi airport (BLQ) is about 6 km from Bologna's historic centre; the taxis authorized to serve the airport are Co.Ta.Bo. and CAT. As an alternative to taxis, the Marconi Express People Mover is available, connecting the airport and the central station in about 7-8 minutes.

Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL)

Bologna's historic centre is largely a ZTL (limited traffic zone), active every day (including holidays) from 7:00 to 20:00 and monitored electronically. Taxis and NCC cars (licensed chauffeur-driven vehicles) are among the vehicles authorized to enter the historic centre's ZTL and the city's other camera-controlled areas (the "T" area of via Rizzoli/via Ugo Bassi, the University zone, the Azzo Gardino zone, the taxi lane at piazza Medaglie d'Oro, and the special San Francesco-Pratello ZTL), but not the pedestrian area of via dell'Archiginnasio.

Practical tips

The city's two radio taxi services, Co.Ta.Bo. (051 372727) and CAT (051 4590), answer 24 hours a day: it's best to book by phone or app rather than hoping to flag down a free car on the street, especially away from official ranks such as the one at the central station.
The Comune di Bologna has repeatedly fined unlicensed drivers who approach foreign tourists in the arrivals area of Marconi airport offering unauthorized paid rides: it's best to use only white licensed cars with their permit displayed, or the official Co.Ta.Bo./CAT ranks.
The meter applies a holiday surcharge (+2.20 €, from 6 to 22) and a night surcharge between 22:00 and 6:00 (+3.15 €), plus 0.60 € for each suitcase loaded: useful to know when estimating the cost of a ride in advance.
For the Stazione Centrale-Fiera route (and vice versa) there is a fixed shared fare of 4.60 € per person, with a minimum of 3 people: convenient during BolognaFiere events.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a taxi from Bologna airport to the city centre cost?

A ride from Marconi airport has a minimum starting fare of 12.80 €, which includes the first 6 km; beyond this distance the cost continues on the meter according to the urban tariffs in effect since January 2025, with possible holiday or night surcharges.

Can you book a taxi in Bologna with an app?

Yes: the itTaxi app (officially adopted by the CAT consortium) and appTaxi both work, as does FreeNow. With Uber you can book Uber Black (premium NCC) and, since 2025, also Uber Taxi, which routes requests to CAT taxis; the classic UberX does not exist in Italy.

Can taxis enter the ZTL in Bologna's historic centre?

Yes: taxis and NCC vehicles are among those authorized to access the historic centre's ZTL and the city's other camera-controlled areas (the "T" area, the University zone, Azzo Gardino, the taxi lane at piazza Medaglie d'Oro), with the exception of the pedestrian area of via dell'Archiginnasio.

Sources: cotabo.it · taxibologna.it · taxibologna.it · taxibologna.it · taxibologna.it · bologna-airport.it · comune.bologna.it · comune.bologna.it · comune.bologna.it · comune.bologna.it · uber.com · ansa.it · free-now.com · apptaxi.it · bolognawelcome.com · bolognawelcome.com

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