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This guide is going to give you every single detail you need to know about the Rimini to San Marino bus. I studied abroad in Florence, Italy for 4 months in college, but never made it to San Marino! I was focused on crossing iconic, bucket list cities off my list like Paris and Barcelona. But, when I was in Italy again this past spring and found out there’s an independent, land-locked, micro-country within Italy, I KNEW I had to visit! Plus, it was doable to visit San Marino in just one day. This blog post is going to cover everything you need to know to get to San Marino, including the Rimini to San Marino bus, and how to get to San Marino from Bologna. I have a separate guide covering what to do in San Marino!
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Where Is San Marino
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, San Marino is located WITHIN the Italian boot! It is an independent microstate country located within central Italy, between the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions. It’s the 5th smallest country in the world and the 3rd smallest in Europe. The smallest country in both the world AND Europe is Vatican City, which you can learn more about in my Rome travel guide.
Visiting San Marino has been on my bucket list for quite some time now and was a VERY special trip for me because it was my 50TH COUNTRY!!!!!!!! Can’t believe I did this by 25… next up: 100!
The country is dominated by Mount Titano, which has 3 peaks. From the capital, San Marino City, you can see beautiful views of the Adriatic coast. This peak and historic city center were both designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008.
The climate in San Marino is mild and temperate, just like coastal Italy, with maximum temperatures in the high 70s F (about 26 °C) in summer and the high teens F (about −7 °C) in winter.
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Fun Facts About San Marino
The official language spoken in San Marino is Italian, although the locals are known as Sammarinese. San Marino is NOT part of the EU, but has adopted the Euro as its official currency.
Pro-tip: San Marino is one of the few countries in the world without its own airport! To visit, you’ll want to first fly into one of Italy’s major cities — Florence, Bologna, Milan, Naples, or Rome. We’ll discuss the bus in detail below!
San Marino is one of the oldest republics in the world, as it traces its origin back to the 4th century when St. Marinus and other Christians settled there to escape persecution. San Marino proudly holds the title of the oldest republic in the world, founded in 301 AD.
By the 12th century, San Marino developed into a commune ruled by its own elected leaders. After the unification of the Kingdom of Italy, a treaty in 1862 confirmed San Marino’s independence, later revised in 1872. Today, the Sammarinese are incredibly proud of their independence, heritage, and culture. I loved it here so much and am SO glad it was my 50th country! So special!
Is Taking A Day Trip To San Marino Worth It?
Absolutely, it was! Depending on which city you’re coming from, it will take 2-3 hours EACH WAY to reach San Marino, but it is SO worth it. I also found the train travel to be quite relaxing. Plus, the one-hour bus ride into the microstate is the perfect way to see, well, the country! You can see all the highlights in one day, no problem.
How To Get To San Marino: An Overview
Now that you have a little background about the country of San Marino, let’s dive into how to get there. The only way to reach San Marino is by coach bus, tour bus, or car. The country is on a hilltop, so there is no train station here. The most common way to visit is by taking the bus from nearby Rimini into San Marino.
To arrive at San Marino, you’ll want to back track a little bit — you’ll need to take a bus from Rimini, so first, you need to figure out how to get to Rimini. One of the easiest ways to get to Rimini is by train from Bologna. To back track even further, you’ll have to take a train from your current city to Bologna. If Bologna is where you are staying… great! You can just walk or taxi over to Bolonga Centrale train station and ride the ~1 hour train straight to Rimini. If you are traveling from Florence to San Marino, for example, you’ll need to first take a ~40 minute train from Florence to Bologna, and then a second train from Bologna to Rimini and THEN the bus.
So to recap, to get to San Marino, you’ll most likely need to take 2 trains and a bus. Don’t worry though, the trains run very frequently in Italy and each leg should be about 45 minutes. I had a short wait time in the Bologna Centrale train station, so the whole journey to Rimini probably took about 2 hours.
Then, the bus from San Marino to Rimini takes around 1 hour (20 km traveling distance). So, I would account for 3 hours to travel to San Marino from Florence and ANOTHER 3 hours to return home. Yes, it’s a long day, but since the country is quite small, it’s doable!
Here are more specifics to help you plan.
Train From Florence To San Marino (Through Bologna)
Taking the train from Florence to San Marino is probably the most common way to visit San Marino. To begin your journey, head to Florence’s main train station, the Santa Maria Novella. Catch a high-speed, direct train to Bologna Centrale. This journey should take about 35 minutes. To book, I recommend pre-booking tickets through ItaliaRail or TrenItalia. Both websites are very easy to use!
Pro-tip: Don’t forget it takes about 3 hours to reach San Marino from Florence. I recommend booking an early morning train, like 7 am.
Train From Bologna To Rimini
Once you’re in Bologna Centrale, board a second train to Rimini. This ride is about 1 hour. You’ll need a second ticket for this leg, since it’s a different route. I had to go to a different part of the station for this one too, so allow for at least 30 minutes in between trains.
Have more time in Bologna? Enjoy this full-day culinary tour of Bologna’s famous food region. Visit local factories and family-run producers for a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of products enjoyed around the world, including Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Modena balsamic vinegar, prosciutto, and wine.
Pro-tip: The Italian trains are easy to locate if you reference the train NUMBER! Not the city. For example, Rimini is not the last city on the route, so you wouldn’t find it on a departures board. Instead, look up the train number to find your track, and you should see Rimini as one of your stops.
Bus From Rimini To San Marino
Once you’ve arrived at the Rimini Central Station, exit the station and walk right outside across the street. This is where you’ll need to buy a ticket for the bus. Look for the Burger King opposite of the train station, and look for a small kiosk right next to it. Yes, THIS is where you’ll need a ticket from.
Pro-tip: Have more time in Rimini? This area is known for its cuisine and markets! This private tour combines the best of both — tour a market and take a cooking class with a local!
You will need cash to purchase the bus ticket. It is 6 Euro one way or 12 Euro round trip. I recommend buying a round trip ticket! You can pick up a bus schedule here too.
Once you get your ticket, you’ll need to find the bus station, which is located about 200 meters from Burger King in front of the Napolean Hotel.
Pro-tip: This bus station isn’t well marked. There’s just a little sign on a pole on the sidewalk. Keep an eye on the bus schedule and just look for the crowd of people near the Napolean Hotel. You’ll see “San Marino” on the bus as it pulls up.
Keep a close eye on the bus schedule because they don’t come that frequently. The bus from Rimini to San Marino travels every ~1.5 hours. I had to wait for 30+ minutes in a nearby café.
Also, be sure to head to the bus stop a little before boarding time to get in line. Boarding / seating is a free for all, and some folks had to stand for the entire 1 hour journey because the seats filled up.
Arriving In San Marino
The Rimini-San Marino bus will make 2+ stops in San Marino. The first is at the bottom of the hill, which is a good option if you’d like to ride the cable car to the top.
Instead, I recommend staying on until the last stop in the city center. This is when most people will get off. This is also the same location for departure, so make note of where you are before you explore!
Pro-tip: Remember the journey back to Florence is also about 3 hours and you’ll have to backtrack. I returned to Florence at about 9 pm after my day trip to San Marino.
Once you’re in San Marino, check out this 3 hour private tour of the ENTIRE city! With a personal guide, stroll around the cobbled center to see Piazza della Libertà square, the Basilica of St. Marino, and other highlights as you uncover their history. Plus, climb to the First Tower for bird’s-eye mountain and Adriatic views.
That’s all for my guide on how to get to San Marino on the Rimini to San Marino bus. I hope this answers all your questions and encourages you to plan a day trip via the Rimini to San Marino bus! Next up, head over to my complete San Marino guide to learn more about the activities and sites in this unique country.
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