Our Italian Road Trip! San Marino, Florence and More
Sean and I have taken an Italian road trip every year for four years. This year we decided to take the road trip to San Marino, Florence, Pisa and Clinique Terra. Each town and village was like walking into a postcard. If you are planning to visit Italy, take a scroll through some of our highlights, tips and moments. As we experienced the magic of a summer in Italy.
Our Route
Bologna
Day one on the road was spent sat on the motorway as we sped towards the Italian border. We left in the early morning, riding along the motorway for over three hours until we reached one of our favorite Swiss towns, Lugarno. We visit here regularly and I highly recommend a stop over if you are in the area, the lake’s waters are sparkling blue and the city streets quaint. We stopped here to grab lunch and have a break from the sun, we sat on a small bench overlooking the lake eating falafel wraps refueling ready for the long road ahead to Bologna.
We crossed over the border into Italy as familiar signs passed us by. The sat nav said 300 kms until our hotel so I settled into my pillion seat and watched the Italian countryside pass me by.
I woke up promptly at 6am, eager to start exploring Bologna, armed with sunscreen and my camera we headed out in search of coffee. We strolled through the Bologna Porticos, watching the shop keepers open up for the day. I spotted a Café and we ordered espressos, the morning air was warm, the coffee was hot and the air smelt of fresh pastry. We continued to dander down to Piazza Maggiore admiring the Fountain of Neptune.
Sean directed as we went in search of the two towers - Torri degli Asinelli and Torri Garisenda iconic symbols of the city. The classic red brick and leaning angle made for interesting architectural feature, one that is quintessentially Italian.
Overall I would have liked more time in this under the radar Italian city but the road was calling and onto San Marino we rode.
Crossing into San Marino
San Marino
San Marino is the 3rd smallest country in Europe and has been on our list for a while now. The whole country feels like a movie set with picture perfect views at every corner. A long and twisty road climbs up the mountain up to the city. The country is small so it didn’t take us long to explore its highlights. Rocca Guaita, Palazzo Pubblico and Piazza della Liberta all with their glistening limestone facades impressed us both.
We strolled along the streets past the duty free shops with their strange array of tourist souvenirs. Stopping regularly to admire the views across to the Adriatic.
I didn’t have many expectations of San Marino when we arrived in this small land locked nation but we found the City and the surrounding areas to be clean, peaceful and ever so beautiful. We rode out of San Marino, in search of the Tuscany Hills.
Favorite Spot ‑ Palazzo Pubblico
Don’t Miss - The Three Towers of San Marino
Tuscany
Florence
When I think back to Florence I think of the sunset. The first time I laid eyes on Florence was as the last rays of sun bounced off the houses and created a magical glowy light. As we rode the motorbike up to the city, wind in my hair and last of the days heat on my skin. Tears filled my eyes I was overwhelmed and touched by the beauty.
We strolled the city to experience it, aimlessly enjoying the spontaneity of stopping at every café that took our fancy. The evening air was cool and a welcomed relief from the relentless Italian sun!
Duomo Square was a few streets over from our hotel and wow, I was blown away. The colorful Gothic façade and those quintessentially red rooftops that dominate the skyline. Giotto’s Bell Tower is near by and a must see when visiting Duomo Square. We continued on people watching at Piazza Sante Croce before visiting the landmark, Ponte Vecchio Bridge. The Arno River runs through the middle of Florence, we walked along the banks and enjoyed the views.
Oh Florence you were a dream!
Hotel ‑ Hotel Calimala, enjoy a rooftop breakfast and a hotel room of dreams in this central hotel.
Best Vegan Place ‑ ll Vegano a 10 minute walk from the main square a small vegan restaurant sits. Making traditional Italian food in the most wonderfully plant based way.
Best View Point ‑ Rinascente, a department store with a café on the roof top. Get here early and order two espressos. Watch the morning light bounce off the Santa Maria Del Fiore.
To Do ‑ Take a midnight walk. The street lights act like candle sticks and everything glows. (Grab gelato too!!)
Pisa
Expectations are a funny thing. My expectations of Pisa were very high.
It’s an iconic location, that I had dreamed about since seeing it on the BBC with my father as a child. Often when we reach these highly photographed and photoshopped locations I’m sorely disappointed but Pisa was an exception.
Sean came over the intercom and said “are you ready?!” Ready for what I thought, there’s was no way the tower is here. Before I got chance to reply Sean pulled around the corner and there she was leaning in all her glory. The white bricks sparkling just as I had imagined. We parked the motorbike and quickly changed clothes, the heat was intense making our motorbike leathers almost unbearable.
I facetimed my father, showed him I finally made it and we walked around these iconic architectural buildings.
I don’t need to write here about how you must visit Pisa, it is a tourist destination and along with that comes many drawbacks, ques, pick pockets and people selling selfies sticks but I will say it’s a must visit destination for a reason.
Best Vegan Place ‑ Vegan Come Koala. A wonderful place ran by a wonderful owner. Perfect for a Piadinas.
To Do ‑ Take endless amounts of silly photos! When you’re 90 you will remember the moment you posed in front of the leaning tower of Pisa.
Cinque Terre
We started our steep descent to Vernazza, the road was narrow and each hairpin sharper than the last. You can not drive directly into most of the Cinque Terre villages so you must first park up at a designated parking facility and then wait for a bus to drive you the rest of the way. Even these buses will not take you directly into the centre as the streets are so narrow you will have to walk and most likely climb a lot of stairs to reach your hotel, so remember this when packing for your Cinque Terre excursion.
We made Vernazza our home for 3 days, we stayed in an apartment overlooking the sea with a small kitchen. One of the great things about staying Vernazza is every hotel or apartment is only a few minutes walk from the sea. Even after visiting all five villages, Vernazza is still our favorite and one we would return to.
The best way to see all 5 villages is by train or by foot (you will need at least 6 hours if decide to hike to each village). From Monterosso beach vibes to the romance of Manarola, each village has its own aesthetic.
With the faint smell of sea in the air. Cobbled streets that carve into the rugged coast line, we made our way in and around all the villages. Riomaggiore for Breakfast, Manarola for lunch and Vernazza for dinner. Take your time, soak up the color and beauty. Weathered yet timeless buildings shimmer with heat‑haze. There’s a kind of beauty about this part of Italy that is unmatched.
The evening drew on and the sky turned a thousand shades of orange, it was that moment we decided to jump into the sea, the lukewarm water wrapped around us as we watched the sun set into the sea.
Hungry, sandy and salty we decided that neither of us wanted an evening in a restaurant, something simpler was in order. We walked hand in hand to the local shop and picked up all the ingredients for a pasta dinner. It was nearly midnight by the time we had washed off the salt and the pasta was ready. Instead of eating in our room we snuck out pasta in hand and headed to the beach. We paddled in the water eating spaghetti under the moonlight as the locals looked on in amusement.
Best Vegan Place ‑ Britta Take Away In Riomaggiore
Best View Point ‑ Walk 15 minutes from Vernazza on the Hiking trail toward Monterosso
Best Table View ‑ Nessun Dorma in Manarola
To Do ‑ Get lost in the alleys and eat pasta in the sea at midnight.
Often I wonder about how a place would have looked decades ago, Cinque Terre gives you a glimpse into Italian history with the sense that it’s never changed, it’s remained true to itself and its people. Cinque Terre does not try to be perfect there are cracks, chips and crumbling parts all around but that’s what gives it its charm. Perfectly imperfect just like us all.
Whether you can spare a few days or a few weeks Italy is always a great road trip destination.
See you next summer Italy!
Love