San Marino

Italian is the official language and what you'll hear in shops, on signs, and in daily life. Staff at the main towers, museums, and hotels in the historic center generally speak enough English to help visitors; it's less common once you're outside the capital.

San Marino is not an EU member, so a European mobile plan's roam-like-at-home allowance may not automatically cover it the way it covers Italy — check with your provider before relying on it for data. Mobile coverage itself is good throughout the historic center and surrounding towns, on the same networks used in neighboring Italy.

Tap water is safe to drink everywhere in the country. Pharmacies are easy to find in the historic center and in Borgo Maggiore and can help with minor ailments without a doctor's visit. San Marino has no unusual health risks and no required vaccinations for travelers. Because the country sits outside the EU, an EU health insurance card may not be accepted here, so check that your travel insurance covers care in San Marino specifically before you go.

San Marino has no border checks with Italy, so in practice visitors cross freely as part of a trip to the surrounding region. It is not a Schengen member itself, but because it has no independent border control, entry works in line with Italy's Schengen rules: most nationalities that can enter the Schengen Area visa-free for up to 90 days can visit San Marino the same way, and travelers who hold a Schengen visa for Italy do not need a separate one for San Marino.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

Dress modestly for the Basilica di San Marino and other churches — cover shoulders and knees. The Captains Regent's changing of the guard at Palazzo Pubblico draws a crowd; keep a respectful distance and stay quiet during the ceremony itself. San Marino has no real bargaining culture, so prices in shops and restaurants are fixed.

Public holidays can close shops, banks, and some restaurants, especially the Feast of San Marino and the Republic on 3 September, the country's national day, when the historic center fills with parades and reenactments in medieval costume.

Many small shops and some restaurants close for a couple of hours in the early afternoon, and Sunday hours are more limited — check ahead if you plan to shop or eat outside the main tourist streets.

• On foot: The historic center is compact and mostly pedestrian, but steep and stepped in places — comfortable shoes make the walk between the towers and the main square much easier.
• By cable car: The San Marino Cable Car links Borgo Maggiore, at the foot of the mountain, with the historic center in about two minutes, saving a stiff uphill walk.
• By bus: Local buses connect the capital with Borgo Maggiore and the country's other towns, and a direct line runs to Rimini in Italy; buy tickets on board or from ticket machines.

San Marino's food is close to that of the surrounding Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions of Italy, built around fresh pasta, cured meats, and local cheeses. A typical day starts with coffee and a pastry, a light lunch, and a longer meal in the evening, often several courses eaten slowly at the table.

Local specialties include piadina, a thin flatbread filled with cheese, cold cuts, or vegetables, and torta tre monti, a layered wafer cake shaped like San Marino's three towers and coated in chocolate. Formaggio di fossa, a cheese aged in underground pits, and cured meats such as prosciutto and salami are common on antipasto plates.

San Marino also makes its own wine on the slopes below the capital, mainly from the Sangiovese grape. Meals are usually eaten at small family-run trattorie rather than chains, and a slow, unhurried lunch or dinner is the norm.

San Marino's tourist life centers on two towns.

San Marino is the walled historic capital on top of Monte Titano, home to the three medieval towers, the Basilica di San Marino, and the government seat at Palazzo Pubblico. This is where almost all visitors spend their time, walking the old streets and viewpoints inside the walls.

Borgo Maggiore sits at the foot of the mountain and is the country's main market town, linked to the capital by the San Marino Cable Car. It has a lively Thursday market and makes a good base if hotels in the historic center are full.