Your stay — B&B Penelope
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The Property — B&B Penelope
B&B Penelope is a small, family-run guesthouse in Ferrara’s historic centre, a short walk from the Castello Estense. The vibe is relaxed and personal—think exposed wooden beams, terracotta floors, and a courtyard where you eat breakfast under a vine. It suits travellers who prefer a homely base with local tips over hotel polish. Standing in the lobby, you smell coffee and hear the owner chatting to guests in Italian.
Chronicles of Ferrara
Ferrara was a medieval river port but became a Renaissance showpiece under the Este dynasty, who commissioned the massive, moated Castello Estense and the grid-like Addizione Erculea extension in the 1490s. It was a centre of art and printing, home to painters like Cosmè Tura and poets like Ariosto. The city declined after the Estes lost power in 1598, but its intact brick walls and 14th‑century cathedral remain. Today Ferrara is a relaxed university town (Uni of Ferrara), known for its bike‑friendly streets, slow pace, and a UNESCO‑listed Renaissance core. The contemporary vibe is scholarly and quiet, with a good food scene centred on cappellacci pasta and salama da sugo.
Best Time to Visit
Full Ferrara guide →Best months
September and October: warm but not hot, fewer tourists, grape harvest adds local buzz. May also good for spring flowers and pleasant cycling.
Peak / festival surge
June is peak, driven by the Palio di Ferrara (last Sunday of May) and the Ferrara Buskers Festival (late August). July is also hot and busy. Hotel prices rise by 20‑40% and advance booking essential.
Budget shoulder season
April and October are best shoulder months: mild weather, lower rates, rooms available without booking weeks ahead. November also cheap but can be damp and grey.
Weather & packing
Ferrara sits on the Po plain, so summer days can reach 35°C with stuffy humidity, then drop to 18°C in the evening. Pack a light sweater or scarf for nighttime piazza walks, and always bring a reusable water bottle—public fountains are everywhere and safe to drink.
Live City Briefing — Ferrara
- Construction works near the Castello Estense’s southern entrance may cause minor detours until late 2026; use the north side entry from Piazza Savonarola.
- The 2026 Ferrara Sotto le Stelle festival (free outdoor concerts and events) runs June to August; check the schedule as some streets close to traffic on weekend evenings.
- Bike rental kiosks around the railway station and Piazza Trento Trieste now offer e‑bikes for a small extra charge, useful for covering the city’s flat, extensive cycle paths.
Your Perfect Room
✨ AI-generated · Jun 2026Before you check in to B&B Penelope, here's what to know about choosing the right room.
Best rooms to request
Request a room on an upper floor at the back of the building. These tend to be quieter with less street noise, and often have a clearer view over neighbouring rooftops.
Rooms to avoid
Avoid rooms directly beside the lift or staircase, and those above the breakfast room or reception. Also skip ground-floor rooms near the entrance – they can be noisy and lack privacy.
Best views
For the best view, ask for a room at the back or side, away from the main road. In a 3-star like this, you likely won't get a landmark view, but a quiet outlook over a courtyard or side street is worth requesting.
Quietest floors
Upper floors (typically third and above, if the hotel has them) are quieter because you're further from street-level bustle and common areas.
🔊 Noise notes
Street-facing rooms can be loud in central Ferrara – especially on weekends. Check if windows are double-glazed. Also, thin walls in older buildings mean you might hear neighbours; a room with a solid door to the corridor helps.
Insider tips
1. Book directly with the hotel, not via an OTA, and ask if they have a 'quiet room' available – you might get a free upgrade or a better location without paying more. 2. Request a room on the highest floor possible when you book – it's easy to change later if not possible, but harder to move up once you've arrived.
- Call the hotel directly 24–48 hours before arrival and ask for a specific room type
- Add a note in your booking comments field
- Ask at check-in — front desk staff can often accommodate if a room is available
Hotel Facilities — B&B Penelope
Free WiFi for all guests; speeds around 30 Mbps down, requires a simple password from reception.
No lift; the B&B occupies the first and second floors of a historic building with stairs only.
No physical newspapers; a tablet in the breakfast room offers free access to Corriere della Sera's digital edition. The building has original 15th-century terracotta floors and a frescoed ceiling in the breakfast room.
Check-in from 14:00 to 20:00; early bag-drop available from 11:00. Late check-out until 12:30 for €25, subject to availability.
Free luggage storage on request, in a locked room behind reception.
No step-free access; entrance up three steps and no lift. Not suitable for wheelchairs or those with mobility issues.
No on-site parking. Nearest public car park is Parcheggio Piazza Ariostea, 300m away, costing €1.50 per hour or €12 per 24h. No EV charging on-site.
Fees, Taxes & Deposits
City / tourist tax: €2.50 per person per night, for up to 5 consecutive nights, exempt for under-14s.
Deposit & card hold: Requires full prepayment via credit card at booking; a €50 incidental hold on your card at check-in.
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →Euro, EUR
Exchange at banks or post offices for best rates; avoid airport and tourist office bureaux which charge high commissions.
Major credit and debit cards widely accepted in shops, restaurants, and hotels; contactless and mobile pay (Apple Pay, Google Pay) common, but carry some cash for small purchases or market stalls.
Not expected or required; rounding up the bill or leaving small change is appreciated but never mandatory. For taxis, rounding to nearest euro is fine; hotel staff don't expect tips.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Espresso at a bar counter: around €1.00–1.20.
Pizza al taglio (by the slice) or a panino from a bakery: €4–6.
A pasta dish or pizza in a trattoria: €8–12 for a main course.
The market area near Piazza Trento e Trieste has several cheap takeaway stalls; look for vendors selling piadina (flatbread filled with cheese and ham) for about €4–5.
Conad and Coop are the main budget supermarket chains in Ferrara.
Via Cortevecchia and Via Mazzini have mid-range Italian chain stores like OVS and Upim for affordable clothing; avoid high-end boutiques on the main square.
The cheapest way around town is walking (Ferrara's centre is compact). For longer trips, buy a single bus ticket at €1.50 from tabacchi; no day pass available. From Bologna airport, take the direct shuttle bus to Ferrara for €10–12 one way.
Eat at bakeries or rosticcerie for cheap takeaway; avoid restaurants with English menus or tourist 'set menus' on the main piazza. Buy a lunchtime 'menu del giorno' (daily special) in a trattoria for €10–12. Visit on foot to avoid bus fares entirely.
Good to know — Ferrara
Type C/F/L · 230V
safe
$1 ≈ €0.88 · EUR
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Ferrara, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at B&B Penelope
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Find train tickets →Ferrara train station (Stazione FS) → Hotel Calipso (stop: 'Viale Cavour')
💡 You can walk in 5 minutes — the bus is only useful if you have heavy luggage. Tickets (€1.30) are sold at the station tabacchi or TPER app; validate onboard.
Ferrara train station → Grand Hotel Le Nazioni
💡 Get off at Viale Cavour stop, not the city centre. Validate your ticket onboard—there are no conductors.
Bologna Airport, bus stop at arrivals → Ferrara train station (near Hotel Calipso)
💡 FlixBus runs a direct route (FLIXBUS line 036) — buy online via app or website for best price. Arrives at Ferrara bus station, a 10-min walk west of the hotel.
Bologna Airport → Hotel Calipso, Ferrara
💡 Buy a single ticket for the Marconi Express (€8.50) and a separate Trenitalia ticket to Ferrara (€5.50). The train station is a 5-min walk from the hotel — exit on the Viale Cavour side.
Bologna Airport (BLQ) → Ferrara train station
💡 This is the budget airport transfer. Walk past the taxis to platform 1B. Arrive 10 minutes early—the driver leaves on time. From the station, take TPER bus Line 2 or a taxi (€12) to the hotel.
Bologna Centrale → Ferrara train station
💡 Buy your ticket at the self-service machine or Trenitalia app. Avoid the faster Frecciarossa trains unless you have a confirmed seat—they cost triple.
Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport → Hotel Calipso, Ferrara
💡 Book airport taxis at the official desk inside arrivals to avoid unlicensed drivers. The hotel is a 5-minute walk from the train station, so a taxi can drop you at the entrance on Viale Cavour.
Bologna Airport (BLQ) → Grand Hotel Le Nazioni, Ferrara
💡 Book via the official Ferrara Taxi app or call +39 0532 900900 to avoid surge pricing. Confirm the fixed fare to the hotel before departure.
About Ferrara
Wikipedia ↗
Ferrara (; Italian: [ferˈraːra] ; Emilian: Fràra [ˈfraːra]) is a city and comune (municipality) in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, capital of the province of Ferrara. As of 2016, it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated 44 kilometres (27 miles) northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch c...
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooms at B&B Penelope?
Request a room on an upper floor at the back of the building. These tend to be quieter with less street noise, and often have a clearer view over neighbouring rooftops.
Which rooms should I avoid at B&B Penelope?
Avoid rooms directly beside the lift or staircase, and those above the breakfast room or reception. Also skip ground-floor rooms near the entrance – they can be noisy and lack privacy.
Is B&B Penelope noisy?
Street-facing rooms can be loud in central Ferrara – especially on weekends. Check if windows are double-glazed. Also, thin walls in older buildings mean you might hear neighbours; a room with a solid door to the corridor helps.
Which rooms have the best views at B&B Penelope?
For the best view, ask for a room at the back or side, away from the main road. In a 3-star like this, you likely won't get a landmark view, but a quiet outlook over a courtyard or side street is worth requesting.
What are insider tips for staying at B&B Penelope?
1. Book directly with the hotel, not via an OTA, and ask if they have a 'quiet room' available – you might get a free upgrade or a better location without paying more. 2. Request a room on the highest floor possible when you book – it's easy to change later if not possible, but harder to move up once you've arrived.
What time is check-in at B&B Penelope?
Check-in at B&B Penelope is from null. Check-out is by null.
Does B&B Penelope have Wi-Fi?
Free WiFi for all guests; speeds around 30 Mbps down, requires a simple password from reception.
Is there a city or tourist tax at B&B Penelope?
€2.50 per person per night, for up to 5 consecutive nights, exempt for under-14s.
Where can I eat cheaply near B&B Penelope?
Pizza al taglio (by the slice) or a panino from a bakery: €4–6.
What is the cheapest way to get around from B&B Penelope?
The cheapest way around town is walking (Ferrara's centre is compact). For longer trips, buy a single bus ticket at €1.50 from tabacchi; no day pass available. From Bologna airport, take the direct shuttle bus to Ferrara for €10–12 one way.
When is the best time to visit Ferrara?
September and October: warm but not hot, fewer tourists, grape harvest adds local buzz. May also good for spring flowers and pleasant cycling.
Top Attractions in Ferrara
💡 Come on Saturday morning for the food market – cheap local produce and good street food snacks.
💡 Check the side door near the market square—it’s often open when the main door is locked. The museum has a Caravaggio and is worth the €3.
💡 The bell tower climb is worth the small fee for views, but skip the museum unless you're keen on religious art.
💡 The free ground-floor room has rotating local history displays – check their schedule online for free lecture days.
💡 Best in late afternoon when the light filters through the trees; bring your own snacks as there's no café.
💡 Bring a blanket and buy takeaway focaccia from the bakery on Corso Porta Mare, then sit near the lake for a cheap lunch.
💡 Visit at sunset for good photos from the bridge over the moat; avoid the long afternoon queues.
💡 Go early in the morning to photograph the facade without crowds. The free ground-floor space often hosts small contemporary art displays.