![\"Main](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-1435875574_2f74aa.jpg\")
\n\t\tHistorians say this quiet Italian city is 2,200 years old (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tHistorians say this quiet Italian city is 2,200 years old (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n
Italy<\/a> conjures visions of Roman holidays \u00e0<\/strong> la Audrey Hepburn, and romantic adventures in the cobbled streets of Florence<\/a>, Milan<\/a>, and Naples<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s safe to say that the world loves channelling La Dolce Vita. In 2025, it welcomed some 104 million international visitors, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior.<\/p>\n But with several Italian cities<\/a> taking action against overtourism, including Florence\u2019s ban on Airbnb-style self-check-in keyboxes<\/a> and Seceda\u2019s \u20ac5 turnstile charges<\/a>, a growing number of travellers are veering off the beaten track.<\/p>\n It will be welcome news, then, that a little-known city in the Emilia-Romagna region has had a direct UK flight reinstated for the first time in 18 years.<\/p>\n Between June and October, Ryanair <\/a>is reviving its route from London Stansted<\/a> to Forl\u00ec<\/strong>, a quiet city of ancient churches and elegant piazzas that dates back 2,200 years. <\/p>\n The route originally operated<\/a> between 2001 and 2008, but was pulled when the airline started serving Bologna<\/a>.<\/p>\n Flights will run twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, providing plenty of time to fit in an Aperol Spritz or two.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tWin a city break for two in romantic Rome with our newsletter\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t Unlimited pasta, world-class shopping, thousands of years of history on every street corner… who wouldn’t want to be in Rome? <\/p>\n We\u2019ve teamed up with\u00a0Wowcher\u00a0<\/a>to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a city break for two in Rome, including return flights from your chosen UK airport (Bristol<\/a>, Edinburgh, Manchester, London\u00a0Gatwick<\/a>\u00a0or London\u00a0Stansted<\/a>) and a stay in a four-star hotel walking distance of iconic spots such as the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain.<\/p>\n Armed with travel tips from our exclusive new newsletter The Getaway Expert<\/a>, this is your chance to explore the Eternal City like a real Roman. Good luck!<\/p>\n \nEnter now<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0Open to UK (excluding Northern Ireland) residents aged 18 or over. Closes 11:59pm on 29 March 2029. Full T&Cs apply<\/a>.<\/p>\n And it won\u2019t break the bank. Flights departing on June 6 and returning on June 13, for example, are currently \u00a346 return.<\/p>\n The route\u2019s revival is set to make travel easier for locals. As it stands, the only year-round option from London is to Bologna, which is 36 minutes away on the IC train, not including a ride on the Marconi Express from Bologna Centrale station. It\u2019s pricey, too, at \u20ac12.80 (\u00a311.05) for a seven-minute trip.<\/p>\n In the summer, flights also run from London to Rimini,<\/a> which is around 50 minutes away by car from Forl\u00ec.<\/p>\n Ryanair has confirmed<\/a> that the comeback has been made possible by the removal of the municipal tax at several Italian airports, including Forl\u00ec, which sees a fee (ranging from \u20ac6.50\/\u00a35.61 to \u20ac9\/\u00a37.77) wrapped into the cost of the plane ticket.<\/p>\n \t\t Alongside Forl\u00ec, eight other airports, including Parma, have also scrapped the tax. Ryanair says the changes bring its Italian slate to 20 routes. <\/p>\n It means the airline will serve an extra 660,000 passengers each year and increase traffic by more than 50%.<\/p>\n Top things to do in Forl\u00ec and Emilia-Romagna<\/p>\n Looking for a reason to visit? Food should be top of your list.<\/p>\n The Emilia-Romagna region is famous for simple dishes made with local ingredients, thanks to its location close to both mountains and sea.<\/p>\n Some of the most popular things to eat here include mortadella (a type of ham that\u2019s been mimicked as \u2018baloney\u2019 elsewhere in the world), Parmesan, and piadina, a type of flatbread best enjoyed with something like squacquerone, a form of soft cheese that\u2019s not hard enough to have a rind, but not mushy enough to be considered cottage cheese.<\/p>\n \t\t Wine<\/a>\u00a0lovers should indulge in a glass of Sangiovese, a red that\u2019s so embedded in the culture of the region that, in Romagnol (the regional dialect), it\u2019s simply called \u2018e be,\u2019 which translates to \u2018the drink.\u2019<\/p>\n You\u2019ll find a delectable tagliatelle al rag\u00f9 (that\u2019s right, it\u2019s not called spaghetti bolognese) at Trattoria \u2018petito, or a more rustic meal at La Piadineria. <\/p>\n Culture-wise, the Museo Civico San Domenico is also worth a look, as this year, it\u2019s running an exhibition on Baroque art.<\/p>\n For history, the Rocca di Ravaldino, a Medieval fortress dating back to the fourteenth century, which, alongside being an important historical site, hosts a cultural festival in the summer. Expect music and cinema.<\/p>\n \t\t In nearby Cesena<\/a>, those with a sweet tooth will be delighted by Babbi Caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n Founded in 1952, it\u2019s a local legend renowned for chocolate spreads, wafers, and ice cream (which is served up all year round, not just during the summer).<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve filled your belly, Cesena has a rich history to absorb. It was referenced as early as Dante in 1321, who described the city centre as being \u2018between the plain and the hills.\u2019<\/p>\n It\u2019s also home to the oldest public library in the world: the Malatestian Library, which holds such a fundamental place in Cesena\u2019s constitution that it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Rome](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-1405220982_205f59.jpg\")
\n\t\tWin a dreamy trip to Rome for you and a friend (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Schiavonia](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-1392545663.jpg\")
\n\t\tThere are flights from London for \u00a346 return (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-1352225984.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe route is set to improve connections to the region (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n![\"Piazza](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-533992938.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe Emilia Romagna region is known for simple but delicious food (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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