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Home to historic cities over thousands of years old, an ever-growing list off UNESCO World Heritage SitesWith the most of every country and beautiful coastlines, Italy is the trendiest place in Europe this summer, especially with new transatlantic flights taking off.
The biggest disadvantages American visitors face?
Well, the crowds can get a bit overwhelming, especially during the summer period, and rising prices in cities like Rome, Florence and the now restrictive Venice have kept budget travelers out.
There aren’t too many hidden gems or affordable places left to discover in Italy, a country where no stone has been left unturned by tourists, but if you still fancy a cultural sunny outingAnd one that won’t break the bankthen you have to overlook it Rimini a chance:
Is this the cheapest coastal city in Italy?
This bustling seaside resort on Italy’s Adriatic Sea has for years been a hugely popular destination for middle- and low-income Italian families, who flock there between June and September, while their fellow Europeans and Americans burn through their savings in Amalfi.
Our Italian readers will probably want to get our heads around this, but we’ll let you in on their little secret…
The Adriatic side is much, a lot of cheaper than the opposite coastline, on the west side of the Italian boot, and we’ll tell you why:
Although Italy’s Adriatic Sea is by no means a gray zone on the map – it sees millions of tourists every year, far more than other truly off-road locations such as Albania – the local tourism industry still caters mainly to domestic holidaymakers.
Rimini does packed with tourists every summer, but they are Italians in the vast majority, with Germans, Poles and the odd British visitor among them, but the guest profile is completely at odds with the affluent, wealthy American island hopping at Salerno.
Rimini is what we like to call Amalfi on a budget: it has beach clubs, shallow water, beautiful architecture and delicious cuisine, but if you’re the luxury type, you’ll have to try a little harder to break the bank here to make.
You see, for a mid-sized Mediterranean port dotted with beachfront hotels with a vibrant social scene Italy of all places, Rimini is a bargain of a deal, and you don’t have to take our word for it; you can see it with your own eyes:
Hotels for less than $40 a night
A single sea-view room at Hotel Giorg, a three-star property within walking distance of the honey-colored sands of Miramare, costs just $58 to book in July.
Elsewhere in the city center, a night’s stay at Hotel La Gradisca costs an acceptable $61, and if you’re willing to sacrifice some comfort for the sake of savings, the modest Hotel Parigi charges guests only $35 per night.
These are just 3 of several budget-friendly hotels spread across Rimini, but the list is truly endless: well, to be more precise, there are just those 190 entries on Booking.com less than $100.
If you’re wondering how many accommodation providers in Amalfi offer basic rooms for less than a hundred dollars: it’s zero. Niente.
Still don’t believe us? You can check it yourself– Don’t forget to pick your jaw off the floor when you see rates for some of the ‘cheapest’ hotels in the city.
Overall, one one week stay in a three-star hotel in Rimini shall average $428.
Cheap, Incredible Food
Moreover, food is incredibly cheap: there are countless of them restaurant in the Centro Storico, the beachfront Miramare, or the marina, where a simple lunch menu, including main course and drink, costs $14, or the equivalent in euros.
Rimini also stands out for its delicious dishes traditional cuisinewith variations on pasta that you won’t find anywhere else, such as pasta all’uovoor ‘egg pasta’, often used in local tagliatelle and ravioli recipes, and our personal favorite, the piadina romagnola.
Prepared in just a handful of towns in Italy’s historic Romagna region, of which Rimini is a part, this thin flatbread is traditionally made with olive oil, white flour, salt and water, served with various fillings, although the most popular would be freshly caught Adriatic fish.
Then of course you have all your usual pizzas, bakery favorites like cannoli and cream-filled croissants, usually cheaper than you’ll find them in tourist hotspots like Rome or Venice; In short, you definitely won’t go hungry here, even if your budget is $50 per day.
An overlooked cultural gem of Italy
Like the good Italian city that it is, Rimini just radiates Old world charm.
Yes, it’s primarily a beach destination, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a historic port founded over 2,300 years ago. You only need to take a short walk through the old town to see Roman ruins, historic temples and the classically paved maze lined with pastel-colored buildings.
Among the main attractions in Rimini are the Arco di Augusto, a vaulted entrance and triumphal arch from Roman times, the Malatestiano Temple, the most remarkable. last retouched in the 15th centurythe colorful San Giuliano district and the medieval Sismondo castle.
Did we mention that Rimini is famous for its long sandy beach, which stretches for 16 kilometers along the clear blue Adriatic Sea?
Yes, not only is it much more affordable than the west side of Italy, but also… the coast here is not rough at allSo pebble haters can rejoice: they can run straight to that inviting, warm water without watching their step!
How to get to Rimini?
Rimini operates flights from select destinations in Europe and North Africa, but for our American off-path explorers, you’re unlikely to arrive at tiny Fellini Airport unless it’s Tirana in Albania, or Cagliari in Sicily you’re flying from.
Fortunately, Rimini is connected several major Italian destinations by rail: from Milan it takes just over 2h30 to reach Rimini, with advance tickets being as cheap as $13 on Trenitaliawhile from Bologna it is less than an hour and a negligible tenner.
Even though it’s further up the Adriatic, the non-stop train leaving from Venice still takes just 2h45 to complete the journey (tickets from $36 booked early), and from Rome it’s 4 hours, except there’s no nun -stop trains are.
If you travel from the capital, you will have to change trains in Bologna; tickets for the entire trip cost $69.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
