If you finally decided to explore Le Marche and you're considering which means of transport is the most convenient, you may feel reassured to know that there are many possible options, mainly thanks to the strategic position of the region in the centre of Italy. Car, bus, train, plane, ship...whatever your choice will be, you could count on a beautiful and pristine surrounding landscape throughout the whole journey.
Find out with me all possible itineraries! ;)
By Car
North to South you can get in Le Marche region through the highway A14 Bologna-Taranto or through the parallel main road SS16. Cities of main interest can be reached from the coast through the streets leading to the hinland: the SS3 Flaminia that from Rome crosses the Umbria region passing by the Furlo area, the town of Fossombrone up to the city of Fano; the SS76 following the Esino from Fabriano towards the cities of Jesi and Ancona; the SS77 beginning in Fossato di Vico and ending nearby the Adriatic coast close to Falconara Alta; finally, the SS4 Salaria that links Rome and Rieti to Ascoli Piceno and San Benedetto del Tronto. Inland roads connect the beautiful valleys and cross the region vertically – you'll have amazing views from the car, they are worth a stop while driving!
My advice
To get around the region freely while staying at your holiday villa, car is often the best choice. Even at summertime there's always little traffic in Le Marche, especially in the smallest towns where you won't have any problems of that kind. If you prefer to rent a car, this service is provided in the majour city centres and in most of the car showrooms and mechanic's workshops. If you arrive by plane, you can rent it directly at the airport, but be sure you booked this service before departure! If you're seeking help for car rental, write me in the comments or send me an email.
By train
Le Marche region offers an integrated railway network counting about 380 km lines with over 60 stations. Here are its main lines: 'adriatica' that crosses the whole region north to south and links the main costal cities ( Milan-Bologna-Ancona-Pescara-Bari-Lecce) and the 'transappenninica', connecting the Umbria region with the Adriatic Sea (Ancona-Fabriano-Foligno-Orte-Rome). There are also complementary railway lines: the line Civitanova-Fabriano, connecting Le Marche hinland to the Adriatic coast; the line Ascoli-Porto d’Ascoli and the line Pergola-Fabriano.
My advice
Talking about costs, train might be a profitable choice but a car is often essential during the stay. My suggestion is to choose this means of transfort mainly for daily trips or long journeys while on holidays. Be aware that you'll always find a bus leaving from the station to majour centres of the region which are not served by train, such as the cities of Urbino, Cagli, Cingoli, Fermo, Arcevia or Camerino. For further information about itineraries and ticket costs, have a look at the web sites of Trenitalia o Italotreno.
By plane
Flying in Le Marche from anywhere in the world is possible thanks to the airport of Ancona-Falconara, named after Raffaello Sanzio. It is located at 18 km from the city centre of Ancona, to be precise in Castelferretti, a town of Falconara Marittima and it is composed of two passenger terminals (arrivals and departures) of 6.300 sq.m each. There are scheduled annual and seasonal flights from various cities of Italy (Rome, Cagliari, Trapani, Catania...) and from abroad (Brussels, London, Munich, Barcelona, Moscow, Spalato, Tirana ...).
Additional useful info
To get to the airport you might take the buses connecting it with the cities of Ancona and Ascoli Piceno, usually doing some intermediate stops (i.e San Benedetto del Tronto, Grottammare, Pedaso, Porto San Giorgio e Civitanova Marche). At the airport you'll find different companies for car rental and taxi service. Other nearby international airports are located in Bologna, Rome, Pescara, Pisa and Perugia.
Ports in Le Marche
Leading port of the region is that of Ancona and it's also one of the first in Italy for vehicle and passenger international traffic. It is linked to Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Albania and Montenegro; some cruise ships, mainly Costa Crociera and MSC choose to stop here during their Adriatic routes. There are also links to Croatia through catamaran from the ports of Pesaro and Civitanova Marche. The nine tourist ports allow you to dock in Le Marche in Gabicce Mare, Pesaro, Fano, Senigallia, Ancona, Numana, Civitanova Marche, Porto San Giorgio and San Benedetto del Tronto.
Public transport
Besides car and train, you can decide to cross the region using public transport, reaching one of the closest bus stop to your holiday house. For more detailed information, I suggest you to visit the local tourist information centre, where you'll be provided with names of the companies, possible itineraries and timetables.
