Best form of travel to San Benedetto del Tronto from Rome/Florence

It's a detour from either place, because San Benedetto is on the Adriatic coast, therefore on the other side of the Appenines mountain range compared to Florence and Rome. You can take a train. From Rome it's about 5.5 hours, from Florence, surprisingly enough, it's one hour shorter in spite of being farther (the magic of high speed trains!).
From Rome you would take a train to Ancona, via Foligno, then in Ancona, catch a train to San Benedetto. From Florence you would take a train to Bologna, and from there catch a train going down to San Benedetto. Train schedules below:
www.trenitalia.com
Florence is Firenze, Rome is Roma.

If you drive it's 2.5 hours from Rome or 3.5 hours from Florence.

If you choose the train for the majority of the trip, then I think you should skip Vastogirardi. Renting a car for just a day might cost as much as two or three days and you'd still keep the hardest part of the driving - in and out of Rome plus some smaller mountain roads.

But it's not horribly hard to drive the whole thing and I have driven a similar route, with a mountain detour just for the scenery. I did that driving in late October, when Italians are not going to the beach, so parking and traffic along the coast were wide open. It would be more congested in summer. I doubt that the city of Pescara today looks anything like my relatives would remember, with significant rebuilding after WWII.

Who are you? Are you from Chicago Heights IL? I'm a Marchegiani too. My maternal grandparents were born in Monteprandone, married in Grottammare, and lived in Porto D'Asco. I have family in Porto San Giorgio and San Benedetto del Tronto too. Mom grew up in Porto D'Asco.

I've always taken the train from Rome to Ancona, then another train south. At times the train from Rome to Ancona is late. So be sure to validate both train tickets at Termini in order of use. The Ancona station is large. My experience is that the Rome train arrives at lower level, and I have to take the elevator to the upper level for the second train. Tracks are clearly marked. If the first train is late, there won't be time to validate tickets at Ancona. That second train has always been on the track waiting. But just long enough for me to board, if the Rome train is late!

The train tracks south of Ancona are nearly in the Sea, there's the beach, then the train tracks. The tracks follow the Sea the length of Marche. The train ride is beautiful, exhilarating and refreshing. Our towns in common are shore towns, nearly in the sea! Monteprandone is a tad inland and I needed a car to get there.

But I've never driven the entire route so I can't help with that.

Wow! Thank you all so much.

Roberto - thank you for the link to the rail system.

Laura - you make some great points. I am worried about driving through Rome and wondered if I was trying to squeeze too much in by going to San Benedetto since it's kind-of out of the way. Sounds like it will be a long trip either way - by car or train. Unfortunately, I don't think I can convince my travel companion to skip Vastogirardi. From your description it doesn't sound like the drive through the mountains was difficult - that's good to hear. Really appreciate the information you've shared. Grazie.

Sandra - I'm amazed that you could figure out from my post that I am from '"da Heights" as well. Small world, isn't it. I'm from San Benedetto and Amaseno heritage. My travel companion is of Vastogirardi and Pescara heritage. Great information about the trains. Sounds like the train ride is beautiful along the water and may be more exciting than exhausting. Grazie for your wonderful description.

Been worried that the drive may be too much to do. It's 6 hours total, but we would want to stay overnight somewhere along the way to really take in the area. Just not sure where to stay - suggestions in the Vastogirardi area or east of there are welcomed.

On the other hand, I've also been concerned that the train ride may take too much time and coordination, plus we would not get to really "experience" the small villages along the way. Really feeling torn on what to do…if squeeze in San Benedetto at all.

Thank you again for you all the input. Really appreciate it.

I'm from Amaseno too! Amaseno is my hometown, where my paternal grandfather was born and lived.