Europe > Italy > Forlì (FRL)
The Car or no Car advice for Forlì can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Forlì ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Forlì ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Forlì?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
Forlì without a car 🚶♀️🚆
Forlì itself is compact, orderly, and easy to navigate on foot. The historic centre, with Piazza Aurelio Saffi at its heart, is flat and walkable, and most major sights are clustered close together. Cafés, museums, and everyday services are all within easy reach without a car.
Forlì is also well connected by rail. Trains run frequently along the Bologna–Rimini line, making it simple to reach Bologna, Faenza, Cesena, and Rimini without driving 🚆. If your trip focuses on city life, culture, and day trips by train, you can comfortably stay car-free.
Getting to Forlì ✈️🚆
For a while, Forlì was known as a low-cost alternative to Bologna, with budget airlines using its small airport to serve the wider region. That has largely changed. Today, most low-cost carriers now fly directly into Bologna, leaving only a handful of limited and seasonal services operating at Forlì’s airport itself. For most travellers, Bologna has effectively become the main air gateway once again.
This shift isn’t a problem if you’re travelling in the reverse direction, with Forlì as your final destination. Bologna Airport now has the Marconi monorail, which provides a fast, direct connection to Bologna Centrale in around eight minutes 🚝. From Bologna Centrale, there are frequent and rapid regional and intercity trains to Forlì, with journey times typically well under an hour. The transfer is straightforward, reliable, and removes much of the need to consider flying into Forlì specifically.
In practical terms, this makes Bologna Airport the easiest and most flexible arrival point for Forlì — especially if you’re planning to travel without a car.
When a car becomes useful 🚗
A car becomes much more attractive if you want to explore beyond the rail corridor. The surrounding Romagna countryside, the Apennine foothills, small hill towns, wineries, and rural trattorias are far harder to reach without a car. Public transport in these areas exists but is infrequent and time-consuming.
A car also makes sense if you plan to combine Forlì with coastal areas south of Rimini, inland nature spots, or multiple rural stops in a short time. In these cases, driving gives you flexibility that trains and buses simply can’t match 🌄🍷.
Driving and parking in Forlì 🅿️
Driving in Forlì is generally calm compared to larger Italian cities. Roads are straightforward, traffic is manageable, and parking is easier and cheaper than in Bologna or Florence. ZTL (limited traffic zones) do exist in the historic centre, but they are clearly marked and relatively easy to avoid with basic planning.
Conclusion – Should you rent a car in Forlì?
Should you rent a car in Forlì?
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No, if you’re staying mainly in the city and travelling along the Bologna–Rimini rail line
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Yes, if you want to explore the Romagna countryside, hills, and smaller towns at your own pace 🚗
Forlì works perfectly well without a car — but adding one unlocks a much richer, more rural side of the region.
🚗 ✅ ❌ Summary Table
This summary score brings how much you really need a car, whether it’s worth it, driver options, local driving rules, and an overall recommendation.Italy