Europe > 🇸🇲San Marino
Should You Hire a Car in San Marino? This can be broken down into two similar questions - do you need a car in San Marino (in other words, will your holiday be ruined without one), and is it worth hiring a car in San Marino - i.e. is a car better value than using public transport? We'll weigh up both questions and give you a response generated by Chat GPT, together with our own curated opinion before finally giving a yes or no verdict at the end.
San Marino may be one of the smallest countries in the world, but it’s also one of the most striking. Perched high on Monte Titano, this ancient republic offers sweeping views, medieval towers, and winding cobbled streets that make it feel like a fairytale fortress above the clouds. But should you rent a car in San Marino?
In almost all cases, no — you don’t need a car in San Marino. The country is tiny, covering just 61 km², and its capital — also called San Marino — is largely pedestrianised. Once you’ve reached the historic centre, everything is best explored on foot or by the convenient cable car that links the lower town of Borgo Maggiore with the mountaintop.
If you’re driving in from Italy, the best option is to park at the base (Borgo Maggiore or near the cable car station) and take the easy ride up. Driving through the narrow old streets is difficult, parking is scarce, and traffic restrictions are strict.
🚘 Arriving by Car from Italy
San Marino has no airport or train station of its own, so the nearest entry point is Rimini, Italy — about 25 km away. Rimini is well-connected by rail to major Italian cities such as Bologna, Florence, and Rome. From there, you can:
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Drive or take a taxi (40–50 minutes), or
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Catch a direct bus from Rimini railway station to San Marino, which runs several times a day.
If you already have a rental car in Italy, you can easily include San Marino as a day trip. However, it’s rarely worth renting a car just for visiting San Marino.
🚡 Getting Around Without a Car
Once in San Marino, public transport and walking will take you everywhere you need to go. The Funivia di San Marino, a scenic cable car, runs every 15 minutes and offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
Inside the old town, the three towers — Guaita, Cesta, and Montale — are all linked by picturesque footpaths. Restaurants, museums, and viewpoints are all within comfortable walking distance.
🚂 The Former Rimini–San Marino Railway
Although San Marino doesn’t have a working railway today, it once did. The Rimini–San Marino railway was a spectacular narrow-gauge line that opened in 1932, linking the republic to the Italian coast. It wound its way up through steep hills, crossing bridges, viaducts, and 17 tunnels — an astonishing engineering feat for such a small country.
Sadly, the railway was destroyed during World War II and never rebuilt. Much of the infrastructure, however, still survives. One of the most impressive remnants is the Galleria Montale, a long, atmospheric tunnel carved into Monte Titano.
🚶 Exploring the Railway’s Remains
Today, several stretches of the old route have been repurposed as walking and cycling trails. The Galleria Montale itself can still be visited, and parts of the former trackbed near Borgo Maggiore and Domagnano are accessible to the public. Inside the tunnel, exhibition lighting sometimes highlights its historical features, offering a glimpse into a lost era of mountain rail travel.
If you enjoy walking, this is an ideal way to combine San Marino’s scenic views with a bit of industrial archaeology. It’s easy to imagine the trains of the 1930s puffing their way up through the hills — and even without rails, the route remains one of the most evocative in all of San Marino.
🏞️ Exploring the Surroundings
If you’re staying in Rimini or along the Adriatic coast, a half-day trip to San Marino is simple. You could combine it with drives to Urbino or Gradara, both charming Italian hill towns nearby. But again, you’d be driving in Italy, not within San Marino itself.
🧭 Summary — Should You Rent a Car in San Marino?
Why you should:
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If you already have a rental car for a wider Italian road trip.
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For flexibility to explore surrounding regions like Emilia-Romagna or Marche.
Why you shouldn’t:
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The entire country can be explored on foot.
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Parking is limited and old-town access is restricted.
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Buses from Rimini and the cable car make it effortless.
- No car rental options in San Marino itself.
🚫 Conclusion:
You don’t need to rent a car in San Marino. It’s best reached from Rimini by bus or by car if you’re already driving through Italy. Once you’re there, the mountaintop capital is a place to walk, wander, and soak up the views — not to worry about parking 🚶♀️🏰
