Matera to Rome - Lunch suggestions

If it were me, I would pack up a picnic lunch in Matera and stop at the Saepinum Archaeological Area in Molise and walk around this peaceful and almost untouristed set of Roman ruins, then eat your picnic. Sign says no picnicking on the grounds, but there's a nice parking lot. There's a bathroom. It's halfway to Rome.

What route are you taking? If it involves the E45 through Caserta, then Pepe in Grani is just a short detour north, in Caiazzo. It is reputed to be the “best pizza in the world”. We may try to get there ourselves in March.

https://www.pepeingrani.it/?lang=en

If you google “Alex Pepe in Grani” you will find YouTube videos of the French food blogger’s visit to Caiazzo to sample the famous pizza. Lots of fun to watch.

I don't know what the E45 is, but to pass by Caserta they should enter the motorway network at Potenza, take the A2 and then the A1.

I wouldn't leave anything in a parked car when travelling so close to Naples.

Looks like Molise would take us way out of the way though....adding several hours to the trip?

Not sure of our exact route....will just follow the GPS mostly.

Keep the ideas coming!!

Dario, I am looking at 4 different paper maps of the region (Basilicata and Campania) and on 2 of them the main roads (autostrada) have mostly E numbers, with a few A numbers shown for the same roads as well; one has only A numbers and one has only E numbers.

The E45 is the same as the A2 and then the A1. But maybe they would want to leave that at Salerno and bypass Napoli on the east (looks like A30 on one map, E84 on another), and then re-join the A1 near Caserta.

I am curious what their GPS route will say.

Lola, just like the EU bureaucrats you hope that 60 million Italians learn a new numbering system they rarely notice on signs and nobody has heard about. Sorry, I'm too old for that. Just like many of EU dinosaurs I keep on seeing, memorising and using only the national numbering system.

Good luck in asking anyone in Italy where the E45 is or seeing those E-numbers written on the blue signs used on non-tolled roads. Or hearing an emergency announcement on the Motorway Radio about "Fog on the E35 between Milan and Piacenza".

Not surprisingly, viamichelin.com shows these 3 routes from Matera to Rome:

• Via Strada Statale 655 and A1. 05h 32minutes. 418 km Tolls & gas: €59.22
• Via A2 and A1. 05h 14minutes. 447 km Tolls & gas: €66.64
• Via A14 05h 35minutes. 552 km Tolls & gas: €91.73

As a side note, the A14 route would take Jennifer on a less touristy side of Italy where one can still eat fish in strange places

Looks like Molise would take us way out

Molisn't, you mean Molisn't. It's Italy's Brigadoon, but nobody will ask you to eat a sheep's stomach stuffed with meat and barley.

Google Maps says Matera to Saepinum to Rome is 5 hours and 24 minutes. But I admit it's probably a good idea to find a nice restaurant on the faster route instead.

Dario, I totally sympathize, as I am old as well, and do not adapt well to changes in place names or road numbering. It must be especially annoying in your case, where the numbering system was imposed by a “foreign authority” outside of Italy.

It is all very confusing for a non-Italian. Even the Michelin online map changes from E numbers to A numbers on the same road as I zoom in and out—back and forth. Maybe this will come through:

https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Maps/Map-Puglia-Italy

And now I am wondering what map I should use to navigate if we decide to rent a car in Puglia to spend a few days in Valle d’Itria. The map I have with all A road numbers is a small National Geographic map that does not show enough of the small roads we will be using. My 1:200 000 Touring Club Italiano map of Puglia has roads designated as A—, E—, RA—, and No, ——, and then lots of smaller roads with no name or number at all.

The road heading west from Potenza that you recommended is designated as RA5, E847, then A2, and E45, all in the first 80 km or so. I am glad we are not driving that part. It’s enough to make my head spin.

I’ll second Lola’s recommend Pepe in Grani!
We were introduced to it by our daughter’s boss when she lived in the Naples area. Well worth the short side trip off the main road.

We’ve driven both the E842 which takes you closer to Bari, but prefer the E847. (SS407)
Better road, not as highly trafficked.

Directions from Matera. Have done several times.

SS7 > SS407 toward Potenza > A2 toward Salerno> A30 toward Caserta close to daughters home > SP333-111 toward Pepe’s.

I personally would stop and visit Reggio Caserta.

https://www.reggiadicasertaunofficial.it/en/

Have an awesome dinner and spend the night before heading to Rome

The driving on this trip is not easy and you should allow well more than 5 1/2 hours. We did the Google recommended route past Avellino (E842 it says on the map, but Dario's right, you'll see no such road sign) and it avoids heavy metro areas. The roads are ok, but the 1st half is not on the autostrada and requires a higher level of driver attention. The 2nd half is always busy and will keep you alert. I would go with the picnic idea as we find it hard to de-compress in a restaurant after a few hours of road agitation. We made a detour into Benevento as it has a rare Lombard church and a great Roman victory arch, but there are plenty of other little side trips to break up the drive.

Gerri, thank you for endorsing Pepe in Grani—-and the Caserta Reggie.

If we are able to take our March trip as planned, we would like to break up our train journey from Bari to Bologna with an overnight at Caserta. I know it is a detour, but since we are taking the coastal route on our way to Puglia, we would like to try a different route back north. I actually planned this to visit the Reggia di Caserta, before we ever heard of Pepe in Grani and his pizza. But my husband is a fairly serious student of pizza making, and would like to visit Caiazzo for dinner there.

It looks like it is about 20 km away, and there actually is a train between the two, taking about 40 minutes, but it doesn’t run late enough to be useful for dinner.

https://www.eavsrl.it/web/sites/default/files/PIEDIMONTE%20MATESE%20-%20NAPOLI%20dal%2013%20dicembre%20al%2010%20dicembre%202022_ODS%20775.pdf

Maybe there are taxis that cover this for a reasonable fare? Or I guess we could go for lunch the following day, and take a late afternoon train to Bologna. Any thoughts?

I agree with Mike, our experiences on the 842 were very similar to his. This was in mid October.
Our 3hour 6 minutes turned into 4 1/2 hours.

The easiest way to explain the road # is the A roads are the part of the Autostrada. S, SS, SP etc are like our interstate and regional roads. The E road designation is the European system that travels thru Europe.

On some highways you’ll see both, A1/E35. Having a general idea of the major cities or towns you pass through will also help.

Lola, daughter is still in contact w/ her old boss. I’ll have her check with him for recommendation.
If you’re spending the night, your lodging might have a solution. It’s about a 12 mile drive, but a small road. Daughter drives like a local, so had no problems.

Jen, sorry for interrupting your post.

No worries about interrupting!! Unfortunately, we have a pretty set itinerary. For the first time ever we are travelling with another couple. It's a "best of" tour of Italy. They want to "see" a lot of stuff. Not the leisurely tour my hubby and I usually do. But, it's ok since we've been to all these places before (sometimes 2-3 times before). We are definitely driving Matera to Rome.....just has to be that way. But, most people don't get to see Matera & the Adriatic on their first tour of Italy and I really couldn't resist showing it to them. We only have that one long day of travel out of 2 weeks, so it should be ok. The rest of the trip is less travel for sure. Then, they go home and hubby and I have another week to RELAX! LOl!