4 Day Road Trip from Rome to Venice via Assisi and then Le Marche

ben,

I'd have to give some thought to your proposed route. However a couple of other important points to mention.....

It's important to note that for driving in Italy, each driver listed on the rental form must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are valid for one year, and easily obtained at any CAA/AAA office (two Passport-sized photos required, which may be provided by the issuing office).

You'll also have to be extremely vigilant to avoid the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) areas which exist in many towns. You'll be subject to hefty fines for each pass through one. Do NOT drive in Florence, as it's just about saturated with automated ZTL cameras. In areas enforced with cameras, you won't find out about the fine until several months after you've returned home.

It's not clear whether or not visiting Venice is part of the 4 days. All of those places are worthy of your attention, but need more time than you'll have, especially if Venice is included. Driving and finding parking take time. Check viamichelin.com for approximate driving times, then add up to 25%. Orvieto and Ravenna should each get a full day. Getting to Assisi and seeing the sights will use up another. Some might say that Padova can be "done" in half a day, but a day would be better. I would leave Le Marche for another trip.

Five stops in four days (not counting Venezia). Each city deserves an overnight, which will give you less than a day for seeing the city.

If you are spending a few nights in Venezia, you could visit Padova as a daytrip.

You're gonna spend more time driving and looking for parking than enjoying the locations and sites you're seeking. Can it be done, sure...but why, are you looking to set some sort of speed record?

Ravenna, Padua and Venice should be four days alone. Traveling down to Assisi and Orvieto really should be a separate trip, you're gonna have to drive up and through a mountain range just to travel down into Umbria from the North. If I were you, I'd reconsider this overly ambitious trip. If four days is all you have, Venice and Padua is more than sufficient to enjoy the sites. The other locations you can plan for in a separate trip.

First, use viamichelin.com to estimate net driving times. Second, check a map, I don't know how much of the Adriatic coast you'll see from the road, and you won't have much time to stop in towns along the way even if you omit stops in Orvieto and Assisi. Even Ravenna isn't actually on the water.

Sorry, I should have been more specific. We have three full days planned for Rome and three full days planned for Venice. We have four days in between and want to use them to go somewhat off the beaten path as opposed to Florence etc.

So what would be our best use of those four days? Assisi and Ravenna seem like musts. But what else is viable? I should say that my wife and I typically move pretty fast when going through landmarks, museums, etc. But that said, we get there's plenty of driving involved and will have to spend the night in whatever place we choose to visit on our way up north.

And to be clear, we are not afraid of driving long distance, in fact we embrace it. Coming from Oregon long scenic drives to get to a final destination are the norm and something to be enjoyed.

So far the posts have been a TON of help. Thank you!

I second saving Le Marche for another trip. While I wouldn't go there in August, mid October will be far out of season. There are many wonderful places to visit just inland from the Adriatic coast (Urbino, to name our favorite) and you won't have time for that on this trip. Orvieto is great and is easily worth two nights, in my opinion, as are Assisi and Ravenna. Padua wasn't one of my favorites, except for the Scrovegni chapel, but maybe we just didn't give it enough time.

In that case ☺
A night each in Orvieto, Assisi and Ravenna. All are lovely, all are different. With a car you'll be able to stop in small towns along the way, but will you have time?