AONISC
I made a visit to San Marino and Rimini towards the end of June as part of our Northern Ireland Fans’ Embassy work, which is a service that the Amalgamation has been providing for fans for around eight years.
The Fans’ Embassy is entirely voluntary and we pay our way to away games like everyone else. We provide a point of contact for supporters who find themselves in need of assistance such as having lost their Passport or match tickets and try our best to help, whether that’s providing information or contacting the IFA, PSNI or British Consulate on your behalf.
Having provided this service on an ad hoc basis for many years, we received some funding to cover the cost of Site Visits to France ahead of the Euros, to gather information on the stadia, public transport and so on and we shared this as widely as possibly. You might remember the ‘Northern Ireland Fans’ Guide to France’ which we worked with the Foreign Office to put together.
We’ve been able to make Site Visits to San Marino/Rimini and Oslo to carry out the same sort of work and we always try to make the ‘supporter’s route’ when we’re travelling.
With that in mind, I flew into Bologna on a Monday afternoon from Dublin. The Passport Control was pretty straightforward. With automated scanners available for those aged over 18, I managed to get through in a few minutes. The wait on the baggage appearing on the belt was around twenty-five minutes after stepping into the terminal, although this of course may have been exceptional rather than the standard waiting time.
One other thing worth mentioning was that security didn’t take too long to clear on the homeward journey, although this was in the early evening and not at ‘peak’ time. There isn’t much in the way of food and drink in the terminal, there wasn’t any hot food available (not at that time at least).
With the bag collected, I then headed out the door to look for the means of getting to Bologna Centrale train station. There’s a taxi stand to the left of the exit and a sign indicates that the fare stands at Euro 17-18. There’s a shuttle bus service which is cheaper at Euro 4 and this journey takes around thirty minutes.
On your return journey, you exit the train station and head for the ‘Aerobus’ stop which is to the right and you can buy your ticket from the machine at the stop. Beware of beggars, who will offer to help you but who will put their hand out for money afterwards!
Trains to Rimini from Bologna Centrale run regularly (there are twenty-five different departure times on Thursday 31st August) and these vary in price from as little as a tenner to £21. The cheaper journey takes slightly longer at around ninety minutes, but if you’re willing to pay that little bit more you can get there in an hour or less.
The area where most supporters are likely to be staying and socialising (near the Bounty and Rose and Crown pubs) is about fifteen to twenty minutes’ walk from the train station.
I did visit the Rose and Crown for a bite to eat and a look at the prices. They have a decent enough offering, mainly a variation of fry-ups and burgers, toasted sandwiches and the like.
The ‘Special Lunch’ was pretty good with sausages, bacon, eggs, a pile of chips and bread and butter. You can eat along those lines for 8-10 Euro, although a steak was nearer to 20 Euro. They can accommodate around 300 people, although that will involve lots of people standing rather than sitting.
One of the tables has a pump, where you pay a fixed price for the keg and pour your own beers. A pint will cost you 5 Euro. There are of course lots of other establishments, this was the one I happened to visit as it’s right beside the departure point for the Shuttle Bus service.
A couple of other pointers. If you’re using the public buses, make sure you validate your ticket upon boarding. There’s usually a machine which allows you to do this, otherwise you’ll be landed with a fine of 66 Euro by the ticket inspectors, or 240 Euro if you can’t pay there and then.
Another thing to bear in mind is that the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), previously the E1 11, isn’t valid in San Marino so proper travel insurance is strongly advised.
San Marino itself (at the top of the mountain) has beautiful scenery, but aside from a number of shops selling clothing and souvenirs (and even assorted weaponry), the number of eating and drinking options is very limited. if you prefer the touristy and historical stuff or a quieter match day rather than the rowdier end of things, it’s worth a look. You can get a refreshment and food at Bar Gelateria, which is at the end of the block housing the Grand Hotel San Marino.
Matchday Information
As I’ve mentioned, there’s a shuttle bus service operating throughout the day with six services to the Historical Centre in San Marino from Rimini and a further three services later in the day which include a stop at the stadium.
The services depart from the bus stop at Piazza Alberto Marvelli, which is beside the Rose and Crown and a couple of minutes’ walk from the Bounty and other bars. The stadium services will operate at 4:45pm, 6pm and 7:15pm.
The fare is 15 Euro return (10 Euro one way) and you pay once you get onto the bus BUT we strongly advise everyone to register their interest through www.sanmarino.transfers.com to help the service provider with their planning.
The buses will drop off at the car park beside the stadium and depart from there again at 10:45pm. Make sure you keep your ticket for the return journey or you’ll have to pay again.
The journey time from Rimini is around thirty minutes. If you prefer to take a taxi, it’ll cost you about 50 Euro one way and it’s recommended that you arrange for the driver to come back for you as you might have difficulty in organising a taxi after the game.
For those who were unable to get a ticket during the initial sale, arrangements have been put in place to allow you to buy on the day. Keep an eye on our Facebook page (TheAmalgamation) and our Twitter (@AoNISC_Travel) for the confirmed details.
The sale of alcohol is prohibited within a 400-metre radius of the stadium, but the multi-sports building nearby will sell food and drink and there are a couple of hotels not too far away.
When you get to the stadium, there are five turnstiles and these are numbered. There’ll be two search cordons before you get to them. Once through the turnstiles, there are separate gates depending on which of the two areas (covered/uncovered) you’re in.
With the full allocation sold, it’s likely that stewards will want people to take an allocated seat instead of our usual practice of finding a spot to stand in.
I hope our first blog helps with some of the questions people will be asking ahead of the trip. Have a great time, stay safe and be a good ambassador for Northern Ireland.
If you do happen to need assistance, you can contact our Mobile Phone Network by calling or texting +447943 542 100 or you can also contact us via:
Facebook.com/TheAmalgamation
@AoNISC_Travel (Twitter)
aon...@yahoo.co.uk (Email)