With mandatory fingerprinting set to come into play, the long wait lines, and the usual July travel chaos, European airports are the last place you want to be this upcoming summer.
Lucky for you, it’s not like you necessarily need to fly places, going around the Old Continent, necessarily on that country-hopping adventure.
After Paris–Berlin, Brussels–Milan, and, more recently, Malmö in Sweden to Oslo in Norway, a new train is launching from Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city and leading destination, to one of the most beautiful coastal cities in Italy.
Known for its scenic lungomare, sandy beaches straddling the Adriatic, and Ancient Roman heritage, Rimini will be a breezy 7h30 train ride away from the heart of Switzerland.
Italy’s Oldest Coastal Retreat
The coastal pearl of Italy’s northeastern region of Emilia-Romagna, Rimini is Italy’s top beachside retreat most Americans have not yet heard about.
While we, as foreigners, typically flock to Amalfi, Liguria, or Sicily, Italians themselves are known for favoring the more local, laid-back, significantly cheaper Rimini.
Most importantly, Rimini has a huge sandy beach lining calm, shallow waters, essentially built for vacationing. Think 200+ beach establishments, 1,000+ hotels, and a string of family-friendly beach clubs right on the shoreline.
It’s one of Italy’s original beach resorts, with a long-standing tradition of hosting families from as early as 1843, when the first seaside bathing establishment, Stabilimento dei Bagni, opened its doors.
Basically for Italians, it has that ‘my nonna used to go there too’ atmosphere.
Rimini Is Hella Cheap
Rimini is also one of the most affordable coastal destinations in Italy. Everything from the boarding houses, vacation rentals, beach clubs, and the trattorie on the waterfront are very democratically priced:
A good ballpark for an overnight in a 3-bedroom apartment in Rimini is €120, roughly $138, while a basic hotel room within a few steps of the main beach will set you back €80, or around $92.
When it comes to sitting down in a terrace overlooking a piazza and ordering a pasta dish and that cheeky Aperol Spritz, expect to pay €15–€20 ($17–$23).
Looking for the perfect private beach club, or how the Italians call it, a lido? That would be Lido San Giuliano, on the quieter end of Rimini, across the canal from the main touristy strip.
Local hangout vibe, great ratings, gorgeous, clear water, and you’re paying as little as €20 | $23 for an umbrella and 2 sunbeds.
All things considered, let’s say that you’d need to budget €300 | $345 for a 3-day stint in Rimini.
Ancient Culture, Anyone?
Beaching aside, Rimini is not to be underestimated as far as culture goes. This is still Italy after all.
Marking the start of the Ancient Roman Road called Via Flaminia, Arch of Augustus sits on the edge of Rimini’s vibrant Historic Center. Built in the year 27 BC, it’s considered the oldest surviving Roman arch, and most of the beachgoers miss it.
Completed around 21 AD, under Emperor Tiberius, Ponte di Tiberio is yet another ancient wonder, and a landmark bridge used to this day by both cars and pedestrians.
Rimini doesn’t really have a monumental cathedral like Florence or Milan does, but the quietly charming Malatesta Temple, dating back to the Middle Ages, is a Renaissance masterpiece designed by Leon Battista Alberti.
When wandering the winding streets of the Old Town, don’t miss Castel Sismondo, a 15th-century fortress hosting the occasional medieval reenactment and other cultural events in summer, and Piazza Cavour, the main square, ringed by historic buildings and cafés.
Hop On The Eurocity From Central Europe To The Italian Adriatic
Daily from May 30 through October 5, Eurocity 153 will leave Zurich Hauptbahnhof at mid-morning (10:33 a.m.), picking up passengers in a bunch of intermediate Swiss stops, ahead of crossing the southern border:
Stops in Switzerland
Zug
Arth-Goldau
Bellinzona
Lugano
Chiasso
Stops in Italy
Piacenza
Parma
Reggio Emilia
Modena
Bologna Centrale
Faenza
Forlì
Cesena
The train will call at its Rimini Station terminus at 6:23 p.m.
On the way back, the Eurocity 152 will leave Rimini at 9:52 a.m., traveling up the peninsula the same way, and arriving in Zurich at 5:27 p.m.
7h30 in total, which sounds like a lot, especially for daytime traveling, but once you stack it against the alternative, which is flying, it easily pays off, especially with one-way tickets costing a reasonable €115 | $132.
How many hours do you actually waste commuting to and from airports, arriving to your departure hub 2-3 hours in advance, and working out how to get from the Arrivals Hall to the city center? Suddenly, that short 2-hour European flight doesn’t look so quick anymore.
Plus, there are no current flights scheduled between Zurich Airport (ZHR) and Rimini (RMI), even though it’s one of Italy’s trendiest coastal getaways—it’s not like you have a choice, anyway.
