What is the best way to get from the airport in Rome to the Abruzzo region, specifically to Pescara and the hill town of Penne? By train and then rent a car in Pescara to travel around?
Also, any suggestions on things to see and do in that area? We would like to do some hiking in the national park.
Personally I’d rent a car in Rome and drive the 2.5 to 3 hours to your destination. It’s mostly freeway driving.
You can also take a train or a bus to Pescara, then rent a car in Pescara (Hertz is near the station and even more companies are at the airport), but the train journey alone is at least 3.5 hours (the bus is about one hour faster), then you need to drive from Pescara to Penne once you have the car. So why the aggravation? You will need to rent a car eventually anyhow, so you might as well do it from Rome and save yourself the train/bus money and the extra time.
