Bologna Bike Sharing: Hiring, Riding and Returns

By The Travel Fieldbook October 4, 2026 October 7, 2026

RideMovi bicycles outside Bologna Centrale, on Piazza delle Medaglie d’Oro. (Moliva · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited)

A RideMovi bicycle can help you reach BolognaFiere or make a journey beyond Bologna’s compact historic centre. For a visit built around squares, churches and museum stops, you may spend more time parking than riding. Use shared bikes for individual journeys, and end each hire properly before leaving the bicycle. The app handles registration, unlocking and returns, but its parking restrictions matter as much as finding a bike.

City bikes and when to use them

Operator: RideMovi
Bicycles: Conventional and pedal-assist e-bikes
Availability: 24 hours a day
Payment: Credit card, Google Pay or Apple Pay

Walking is the default for compact central sightseeing. From Bologna Centrale to Piazza Maggiore, the walk is about 1.6 km and takes about 23 minutes. You can pause along the way without finding somewhere to return a bicycle.

RideMovi’s shared bicycles suit journeys beyond the centre, particularly when you have a specific destination rather than repeated sightseeing stops. An e-bike adds pedal assistance, while a conventional bicycle relies on your own effort. With luggage, or if you lack confidence cycling in traffic, Bologna buses and tickets offer another way to make local journeys.

RideMovi bicycles, including electric bikes, parked in Piazza Re Enzo in Bologna. — RideMovi bicycles in Piazza Re Enzo, Bologna.
*Moliva · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited*

Cycling from the station to BolognaFiere

Starting again from Bologna Centrale, you can cycle north-east towards BolognaFiere’s exhibition district rather than south into the historic centre. The station is within RideMovi’s operating area, so you can start a hire nearby.

The ride from Bologna Centrale on Piazza delle Medaglie d’Oro to BolognaFiere’s western entrance on Piazza della Costituzione is about 2.2 km and takes about 9 minutes. Allow extra time to find and unlock a bicycle, then park and complete the return. Use the entrance as your cycling destination, and choose permitted bicycle parking in the app before heading into the exhibition grounds.

Bike-sharing charges and products

Product or charge	Price
Single ride	—
Pass	—
Promotional pack	—
E-bike unlock	€1

The RideMovi app displays the selected bicycle’s ride price and available product offers before hire. Single-ride prices depend on duration. The unlock fee is not the total e-bike ride price.

E-bike charging runs from unlocking to locking, with each period treated as one trip. Stopping for a coffee while keeping the bicycle unlocked therefore extends the charged period. End the hire when you no longer need the bike rather than leaving it running during a visit.

Hiring and returning a bike

Tourists can use RideMovi: register in the app with your mobile number, enter the verification code and add a payment method. Users must be at least 16, and for anyone under 18, a parent or legal guardian must complete registration and accept responsibility.

Find a bicycle on the app map; inspect tyres, brakes and saddle before scanning its QR code to unlock.
Return within the operating area, outside no-parking zones, following the app’s local instructions.
Use public bicycle parking or a designated area; lock the bike, end the ride in the app and upload a clear parking photo if requested.

Don’t

Ride a bicycle with visible damage or faulty brakes.
Leave the bike on private property or obstruct pedestrians or traffic.
Walk away before completing the return.

For an unusable bicycle, tap the headphones/customer-support icon in the app, choose “Report a vehicle”, then scan its QR code. Choose another bicycle rather than attempting to ride with a fault.

Cycle lanes, porticoes and pedestrian areas

Bicycles and standard pedal-assist e-bikes may generally enter Bologna’s central pedestrian areas. Share space prudently with people on foot and obey posted restrictions. Slow down around crowds and dismount when you cannot pass safely.

Under Bologna’s porticoes, wheel the bicycle by hand, as riding is not permitted. These covered walkways are separate from the street, so do not treat them as cycle lanes.

Use cycle lanes where provided and leave enough room at junctions to see turning traffic. No helmet is legally required for conventional bicycles or standard pedal-assist e-bikes, but wearing one is sensible safety advice. For an evening ride, make sure the lights work before unlocking and wear something visible.

Bologna’s porticoes lining a city street. — A stretch of Bologna’s porticoes, the covered walkways that run along many of the city’s streets.
*Nivesfra67 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited*

Staffed bicycle hire

For an outing with several stops, staffed hire lets you keep the same bicycle. Cicli Neri offers visitor rentals at ExDynamo near Bologna Centrale, instead of separate shared-bike hires. Typical shop day hire is roughly €15–€40, with conventional bicycles at the lower end and e-bikes higher.

Collect your bicycle during the rental pickup hours, which differ from the venue’s opening hours. Plan the return with the hire staff before setting off.

Rental pickup day	Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday	08:00–20:00
Wednesday	14:00–20:00
Saturday	09:00–13:00
Sunday	Closed

Name: ExDynamo
Location: Via Indipendenza 71/z, near Bologna Centrale Maps
Hours: Mon–Wed 08:00–00:00; Thu 08:00–01:00; Fri 08:00–02:00; Show 2 more
Sat 09:00–02:00Sun 09:00–00:00
Essential fact: A staffed bicycle-rental and parking facility on Via Indipendenza, near Bologna Centrale.

Google Street View, 2024-10.

Sources & fact-checking

Checks against the sources below cover: fares and charges, services, and opening hours.