Escaping the gloomy January weather in London, to the beautiful Italian village San Pellegrino Terme was the perfect way to spend my birthday weekend. This trip was a birthday gift to me, and like many others, I had never heard of this town before! Once a playground for the rich and famous, the buildings that once entertained the bourgeoisie of Europe have now stood empty for decades.
Today, the village’s main attraction is the QC Terme San Pellegrino spa which offers a spa day for only £65 per person. To find out more about planning a trip to QC Terme San Pellegrino, read my blog post here.
QUICK FACTS
Location
Part of the Mountain Community of the Brembana Valley, San Pellegrino Terme is described as “the gem of Brembana Valley”. The small village of San Pellegrino Terme is located in Northern Italy, in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy. Most well known for it’s mineral water San Pellegrino that was once described as “miraculous” by Leonardo da Vinci, the village has something for everyone – from adventure to relaxation.
Population
With only 3800 people living in San Pellegrino Terme, the streets are often eerily empty. I believe this only adds to it’s tranquility!
Language
The local language in San Pellegrino Terme is Italian, and the majority of the locals do not speak English, which is a contrast to the larger cities in Italy such as Milan or Venice. This was not a problem, and the locals were very hospitable and helped us with translation where possible. The only problem was that I accidentally ordered a Carbonara pizza instead of it’s pasta dish!
Currency and Affordability
I found San Pellegrino to be very well priced compared to other locations in Italy. The local currency in Italy is the Euro €. On food and drink, I spent a total of €75 between Friday – Monday.
Breakfast: €4 for a cappuccino and a filled brioche. A traditional Italian breakfast!
Lunch and Dinner: €15 – €20 for a main meal and a glass of wine or a cocktail in a mid-range restaurant.
A glass of wine: €5 – €15. I noticed that the price of the wine varies a lot depending on where you are buying it from and the quality of the wine. When travelling, I enjoy tasting the recommendations of the local wines and a glass of these tended to range between €8 – €10 per glass.
Alcoholic Cocktail: €5 – €8. I enjoyed a couple of Hugo Spritz’s, a favourite of mine when visiting Italy!
HOW TO GET THERE
Airplane – Taxi – Bus
If travelling overseas, Milan Bergamo is the closest airport to San Pellegrino Terme. From there, you can either grab a taxi or catch 2 buses that takes you all of the way to San Pellegrino Terme.
Taxi
Uber is available in Italy, and it will cost between €65 – €80 for the 45 minute journey from Milan Bergamo Airport to San Pellegrino Terme. I checked this option a few times during my trip, and the price was dependent on the time of day.
Local Buses
Catching buses is the more affordable option, and can be easily planned using Google Maps. This is the travel route that we took, and despite the journey being slightly longer than a taxi taking around 1.5 hours, the route is scenic and has amazing views of the River Brembo.
When travelling to San Pellegrino Terme from Milan Bergamo, you firstly need to catch the no. 1 Bus from the bus stop outside of the airport terminal. This 13 minute, 2-stop journey will take you directly to Bergamo – Piazza Marconi. From here, you catch the ‘B’ bus directly to San Pellegrino Terme. This second bus takes 40 minutes and there are 25 stops on the way.
One thing to note when catching buses is that it is very difficult to know where to purchase tickets! Some of the locals were very helpful with this in San Pellegrino Terme and directed us to the local shop to purchase tickets. Some of the buses also have an option to pay contactless on the bus, or to purchase tickets online.
During the weekdays and Saturdays, the buses run regularly from Bergamo – San Pellegrino Terme and I found the timings to be accurate on Google Maps. However, if travelling in either direction on Sundays, it is important to note that the buses only run once every 2 hours. We missed the 10:20 bus from San Pellegrino Terme to Bergamo by a few minutes, and we had to wait until 12:20 for the next one! However, the buses continue to run reguarly from Bergamo to the Milan Bergamo airport even on Sundays.
WHERE TO STAY
As I received this trip as a birthday gift, I did not research the accommodation options before our trip. I didn’t even see where we were staying until I arrived! I had a lovely surprise, as we stayed in an apartment booked through Air B&B, which had 2 balconies off the living room and the bedroom, overlooking the river and the mountains. Such a beautiful way to wake up in the morning!
This apartment cost approximately €70 a night. The host was wonderful. She gave us a tour of the apartment, and provided Italian snacks, local coffee beans and refrigerated bottles of San Pellegrino sparkling water. A great touch when arriving in San Pellegrino Terme!
When researching on Booking.Com, I found that the 3* hotels cost approximately €70 – €90 per night. However, if you are looking for something more luxurious, Booking.Com has a couple of 5* resorts available for €300 – €400 per night.
WHERE TO EAT/DRINK
Before arriving in San Pellegrino Terme, I had no idea what to expect in terms of what restaurants would be available. As we spent 2 nights in San Pellegrino Terme, we ate dinner at two restaurants – both which I recommend! Our Air B&B host recommended that we reserve tables in advance during the weekend, which we did do and noticed that the restaurants became particularly busy between 20:00 – 21:00.
Ristorante Pizzeria De Franco – A good sized menu serving local Italian food. I opted for the local delicacy, Casoncelli Alla Bergamasca. A traditional stuffed pasta recipe originating from Bergamo. The meat pasta is stuffed with a mixture of roast veal, ground pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, sultanas, parsley and sometimes small pieces of pear! Casoncelli is typically served with a butter and sage sauce, with chopped pancetta and grated Parmigiano served on top.
Stazione Terme Bar Ristorante & Pizzeria – Despite accidentally ordering a Carbonara Pizza instead of the pasta dish due to incorrectly reading the Italian menu, I actually really enjoyed my meal! The traditional Italian menu contained a large selection of pizza’s, and 3 – 4 choices of pasta including a meat ravioli. The menu also contained a range meat and fish options.
Ristorante Ca Bigio – A gorgeous cosy café in the centre of San Pellegrino Terme, serving cocktails, coffee and a large array of pastries and brioche. The café has plenty of outdoor seating next to the river, so you can eat your breakfast whilst catching some sunshine. The bus stop to catch the buses to Bergamo is right outside of Ristorante Ca Bigio, making it a great spot for breakfast or a snack whilst waiting for the bus. Especially if you have a 2 hour wait like we did!
HOW LONG TO VISIT FOR
How long you want to spend in San Pellegrino Terme depends on what it is that you want to do. As we visited in January, the cable car to reach the top of the mountain was closed and I felt that I saw everything that I wanted to in San Pellegrino Terme in 2 days. The main purpose of my trip was to visit the QC Terme San Pellegrino. Everything else was just a bonus!
Whilst passing through Bergamo, I recommend exploring this historic, picturesque town. The views are worth it! We spent approximately 6 hours on our final day wondering around Bergamo, which is divided into lower-town and upper-town. You can read my day-trip in Bergamo guide here.
Please visit my TikTok @charlnotes_ for further recommendations and guides. Would love to see you over there! Happy travels!
