Rimini is an excellent base. San Marino, the cliff-top republic 25 km west, is the obvious half-day excursion — easy by bus from the train station. Ravenna is under an hour away by train and one of the great cultural day trips in Italy: eight UNESCO-listed early Christian monuments with the finest Byzantine mosaics anywhere west of Istanbul.
For the wider Adriatic Riviera, hop south to Cattolica or Riccione, or north to Bellaria. Inland, the medieval village of San Leo and the Marecchia valley with their Malatesta fortresses make a fine drive.
