I'd like some honest feedback from those who have visited San Marino. We will be in Florence for several days during our 2-week trip to Italy and thought we would include a day trip to San Marino. I've read some about it, so I know it's complicated and time-consuming to get there, but is it worth it? We will be taking some other day trips into different parts of Tuscany. We just thought it would be something unique to do, but that's just based on what we've read and that's where I'd like to get some honest first-hand feedback. Thanks in advance for any help!

No

I didn't think so. Lovely views, but takes so much effort and time to get there that I would spend the time elsewhere. And that was even though I was also visiting Ravenna and Urbino over that way.

I live near San Marino, but I've only been there once. I don't think it's worth the trip. In the same general area, San Leo and Pennabilli are, in my opinion, more interesting and attractive, but it's still a long drive. San Leo is especially scenic. The entire countryside around Pennabilli is beautiful.

I realize that this is a couple of years late but I came across this thread when thinking about a past visit to San Marino. I do not entirely agree with the above posts. I was on a two week road trip in Italy with then 18,yo son and we decided to overnight in San Marino since it was not much out of the way. It is not a place that I would consider a "destination" but if one is in the area then why not? When we first arrived I admit that the presence of tour buses was off putting but the tourists soon departed leaving us pretty much alone in a charming old town of stone buildings and winding alleys. We like that sort of thing. We found a nice place for dinner and then wandered browsing in some shops. The next day we climbed to the ramparts and the views are terrific, easily worth the effort and altogether found our detour to be a pleasant experience that we were glad to have.

It's worth a day or a half day if you're already in the area, especially out of season, but it isn't worth a long drive from Tuscany especially. Here's some more info:
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspo...arino.html?m=1

so many other lovely places in the area

Nearby San Leo, for example, which I prefer to San Marino.

https://images.app.goo.gl/dn7ork6UGjngs3p77

Or Pennabilli, which is just a little further from the coast. It's a very special town, originally two towns, Penna and Billi, which are on two adjacent peaks. Pennabilli has a special relationship with Tibet, because a monk from Pennabilli introduced the printing press to Tibet and created the first dictionary of the language. The Dalai Lama has visited Pennabilli twice, and there are Tibetan bells in a park. There is also a Garden of Forgotten Fruits, and a Museum of Calculation, which has instruments from the earliest days of civilization to the computer. There are also sculpture installations and local handicrafts. All in all, I would say there's more to do there than in San Marino. I haven't been there since pre-Covid times, and I hope Pennabilli hasn't suffered too much from lockdown neglect.

https://www.visititaly.eu/places-and-tours/pennabilli-italy-things-to-see-and-festival

In some shops in this area you can find products from the Antica Stamperia Carpegna. These are textiles printed with antique molds using a traditional technique more than 300 years old. The dye is made of rust and permanently colours the fabric a rust red that won't fade, even with bleach. The patterns are traditional, mostly printed on the borders of the fabric.

We happened by chance on their workshop in Carpegna, about 15 minutes drive from Pennabilli. I bought a few things, which I can verify are indeed colorfast, even when bleached. Later we discovered napkins from this workshop being used in a restaurant in San Leo. They don't seem to have an English language web page.

https://www.anticastamperiacarpegna.it/

The national park of Sasso Simone e Simoncello is a vast park in the border area of Le Marche, Tuscany, and Emilia Romagna, with a very unusual landscape featuring rocky mesas. Pennabilli and Carpegna are on the border of this park.
https://www.travelemiliaromagna.it/en/exploring-sasso-simone-simoncello-park/

I’m visiting Umbria in early June. Then I’d go to Bologna, to visit Emilia-Romagna. In between I have 3 nights so I was thinking of staying in Urbino or around that area.

From there it’s like an hour drive to San Marino.

Does the calculus change since it’s much closer by than Florence or are there more worthy places for the one day trip out of Urbino?

Alternatively, instead of Urbino, I’d route west from Assisi, through Tuscany, to reach Bologna. So maybe stay in Siena or Florence, which would be pricey and hassle with a car, or a smaller town in between, maybe Cortona, San Gmignano, Arezzo — smaller towns I’ve visited but not stayed in.

Urbino is nice, and worth seeing if you've already visited the alternatives in Tuscany! San Marino makes quite a nice day or half day trip. Gradara could be another option from Urbino. Small medieval centres - a bit touristy and 'conserved' but pleasant places to visit. From Urbino we visited Fermignano and Gola del Furlo, but those are places to see because you are in the area, not worth going specially.
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspo...del-furlo.html
San Marino has the added advantage, since you are renting a car, of taxfree fuel.
On the way (well, in the general direction) of Urbino there's Gubbio and a little more off route Grotte di Frasassi.
Or a third option 'on the way' to Bologna could be Ravenna -Comacchio - Ferrara - abbazia di Pomposa

Thanks, I definitely have Gubbio on the list.

I've seen recommendations to stop over in San Marino or other towns but I probably wouldn't leave luggage in my car. So I'd have to visit from wherever I would base.

Been to many of the well known Tuscan hill towns -- Volterra, Cortona, Pienza, Montepulciano, Montalcino, San Gmignano.

Have stayed in Florence, Siena and Pienza.

Pre-pandemic, I stayed in Urbino for several nights after a trip to Senigallia. I'm not a notetaker, but I know I took trips to Urbania, to Gola del Furlo for a hike and swim in the river, and to other little towns and swimming spots (it was quite hot when I was there). I didn't really plan anything, but everything was easy and pleasant. Never made it to San Marino, just got too lazy.

Actually it sounds like you were quite active if you were hiking and swimming.

I would only be sightseeing.

Loved visiting Urbino. Lovely architecture, young student population, culturally and historically significant and far fewer fellow tourists IME.

The Gola del Furlo Is worth a visit even if you're not hiking or swimming. In fact I've done neither there, although I've been there many times. (I live nearby.) It's a beautiful river gorge along the ancient Via Flaminia. There's a tunnel in a cliff that was carved over 2000 years ago.

See my post above, where I also suggest other things to see in the area.

I also mentioned above that I prefer San Leo to San Marino. It has a castle on top of a cliff in a very scenic setting. The view of the castle from below is stupendous.