The San Marino funivia, from Borgo Maggiore to the old town by cable car

The funivia is the quickest and most scenic way to deal with the climb between Borgo Maggiore and San Marino’s old town. It isn’t an attraction as such, it’s public transport with cabins leaving every quarter of an hour, but the ride gives you one of the clearest views on Titano. Here are the times, the fares, the closures and how I’d use it.

San Marino cable car times in 2026

It opens every day at 07:45 and a cabin leaves every fifteen minutes. What changes with the season is closing time. From January to March and from October to December it shuts at 19:00. In spring, from 1 April to 30 June, and from 7 to 30 September, at 19:45. And from 1 July to 6 September it runs on until 00:45, which lets you have dinner up top in summer and come down at leisure.

Make a note of one closure. AASS, the state company that operates it, is stopping it for technical testing from 21 to 23 October 2026. If you’re there on those days and staying in Borgo Maggiore, plan on the bus or a car. I’ve covered the alternatives in getting around San Marino.

Fares, and who pays less

Fares have been in force since 1 March 2026. A single costs €4 and a return €7. There’s a €10 day ticket, plus 12-journey, monthly and annual passes. You buy tickets on the AASS website or at the funivia ticket booths.

Children under 120 cm ride free, as do people with a disability above 70 % and, according to AASS, disabled passengers who need assistance along with their companions. The reduced fare, €3 single and €5 return, is for residents, groups over 25, tour operators and TuttoSanMarino Card holders. A private website quotes a different reduced fare, but AASS is the one to go by. What else is in place for wheelchair users, and what isn’t, is in San Marino wheelchair access.

My take on the price is that the single is fair for the climb it saves, and the return only pays if your car or hotel is down below. If you arrive on the Rimini bus, which also stops in Borgo Maggiore but ends up in the old town, you won’t need the cable car to get up.

How I’d use it

I’d go up to the old town by bus or on foot and keep the funivia for the way down. Heading down, you have the rooftops of Borgo Maggiore and the plain opening out towards the Adriatic right in front of you, whereas going up that view is behind you. Down in Borgo Maggiore, the government lists a Thursday-morning market on Piazza Grande and, from March to December, an antiques fair every third Sunday.

If you’re staying in Borgo Maggiore, the logic flips. The funivia becomes your lift, and a cabin every fifteen minutes beats any car park in the old town. The lower station sits right by the old ghetto, according to the government, and the upper one leaves you, according to sanmarinosite.com, with the Basilica and Piazza della Libertà less than five minutes away on foot and the Guaita about ten. That’s where the walk along the Three Towers of San Marino begins. And while you’re down there, don’t miss the Consolazione sanctuary, the Michelucci church that for me justifies a wander round the village.

A cable car with more than sixty years of history

The first cable car opened in August 1959, after three years of building work. In 35 years of service it made over 850,000 runs and carried more than 14 million passengers, according to AASS. It closed in March 1995 to make way for the current one, opened on 25 May 1996, which can carry 1,190 passengers an hour against the old one’s 530. In spring 2017 the cabins and the electrical and safety equipment were replaced, and it returned to service on 15 April that year.

According to Wikipedia, the line is 338 metres long, climbs 166 metres, and each cabin holds 50 people plus one. Those figures go some way to explaining why the ride feels so short.

With children, dogs or luggage

Children under 120 cm travel free, and I’d rate the funivia among the best things to do with youngsters in San Marino, ahead of plenty of museums. Dogs ride on a lead and muzzled or in a carrier, while large dogs and bulky luggage need their own ticket. The Rimini bus rules and your dog’s paperwork are in visiting San Marino with a dog. Bear that in mind if you’re hauling a big suitcase to a hotel up top. I’ve gathered more ideas for families in San Marino with kids.