From Bologna to Salerno - Rimini (1/9)

Hello! It's now been a few weeks since I returned from an incredible trip through some of Italy's cities. The journey began in Bologna and ended in the Gulf of Salerno. The total cost of the trip was no more than €550, we spent 12 days there. The total includes, of course: flights, transfers, accommodation, entry tickets and meals.

It was a trip we had been preparing for a long time; we found the accommodation on a popular website where homes are advertised, so we've shared houses with very different people and the experience was very good in all of our destinations. The best thing was having the opportunity to get to know lots of places, and the worst was doing it all in unbearable heat on some occasions.

Are you ready to travel with me through all the places that we've visited? Let's go!

Arrival in Bologna

At midday on the 30th June, we landed in Bologna. This city has many places of interest, but we had other plans. Arriving at the airport, we caught a bus that leaves you in 20 minutes - half an hour. This bus was the Aerobus and the ticket costs €6. This is very easy to purchase, given that the airport has ticket machines to get it and, in addition, there's a very kind girl ready to help all the tourists and, if that wasn't enough, she spoke a little Spanish.

Once we'd arrived at the Central Station, we checked the timetables of the different trains and we looked for the platform which we needed to go to catch our train. There were big boards on which all the timetables and destinations appeared. We would be taking a train to Rimini, on the Italian coast. The price of the ticket was €10 and you don't have to buy it from the machines in the station; the tickets are also available online. The company with which we travelled was called Trenitalia, which has many connections and, as well as functioning very well, it's quite cheap. Another option is to travel with Italo but the prices offered by this company exceeded our budget.

Speaking of the train ticket, I'll tell you that it's obligatory to validate it and this should be done using one of the machines found on the platform itself. All you need to do is punch the ticket on the side with the bar code, where the date and time of validation will appear. Afterwards, during the journey, it's possible that you'll come across an inspector who'll ask to see your tickets.

Rimini

Once we'd arrived at Rimini, we set off to find where we'd be staying. We were lucky that our accommodation was only a 5 minute walk from the train station and no more than 10-15 minutes by foot to the historic city centre. The one thing that gave me qualms about where we were staying was that, at least at night, the area didn't feel totally safe.

In the historic centre of Rimini, you can't miss the Piazza Tre Martiri. Around this area one can find ancient monuments, such as the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, the Arch of Augustus which is the oldest Roman arch, or the Tiberius Bridge. In addition, Rimini's imposing cathedral really stood out: the Tempio Malatestiano, its construction was commissioned by Leon Battista Alberti mid-15th Century. One of the streets that we liked the most was the Corso D´Augusto, where there were all the kinds of shops you could imagine.

Piazza Tre Martiri

The Arch of Augustus

The Tempio Malatestiano

However, perhaps the most beautiful part of the city was found on the coast. You can get to the beach from the station walking for some 20-25 minutes; we took some pleasant night walks towards there. Also, during our stay, we were surprised by a festival that was taking place in the city. In the harbour there weren't just bars and restaurants, but also attractions, such as a Ferris wheel, and different little stalls selling food and artisan products; there was a wonderful atmosphere. As a matter of fact, one of the nights there was even a concert on the beach, that was packed with people of all ages. At the end of the concert, the music continued well into the early hours of the morning, and we had an amazing time.

Rimini's docks at dusk, with a lit up Ferris wheel in the background

Very close to the harbour and its dazzling lighthouse, one finds the beautiful Four Horses Fountain (Fontana dei Quattro Cavalli), that's located in the Federico Fellini park, surrounded by several hotels. In this area you can find so many restaurants, which are always crowded. There are also many ice-cream shops, of which I will highlight Gelateria Rizzati Ferrara, in which a small ice-cream (of three scoops! ) costs as little as €2. 20.

Four Horses Fountain

We didn't spend as much time in Rimini as we would've liked and, in addition, we dedicated a whole day to visiting the wonderful State of San Marino, so there were so many places left to visit. I encourage you to visit this area of the Italian coast, and share with me all the spots that, for lack of time, I have not been able to see.

Are you coming to San Marino with us?

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Photo gallery