What would be a good base town for a week in Le March

Urbino is very pleasant, interesting and central with some easy driving day-trips.

Though from what I remember (this was a few years ago), the main motorway north/south to Ravenna, etc. runs along the coast, so if you're planning many distant trips being there might be better?

I'm assuming you'll be driving. I don't know about railway or bus links and that could make a difference on where you choose (I'm not sure if Urbino is even on the railway, for example).

If we went back I would pick Ravenna. We stayed in Pesaro for 4 nights without a car, and while it was OK (very peaceful and inexpensive in the off season), the lack of a car made it hard to get to a lot of places, and we thought Ravenna, where we went on a day trip, to be charming.

Others who frequent this board may recommend a place further south such as Senegallia, but that is only 1.5 hours away from Ravenna so it depends how far you want to roam on day trips or if you want a second base. Our late friend Zoe loved Ascoli Piceno. That as a second location would give you a launching point for Abruzzo which has many worthy places to see.

We were just in Le Marche last month. We enjoyed our time in Pesaro very much, but as Laurel said, it’s rather quiet and a car is needed for day trips. It’s a good location for visiting Urbino and Ravenna. We liked Pesaro because it has wonderful bike trails and a nice coastline. For your second week, how about in Emilia–Romagna, near Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia or Parma? There is much to see in that area and the food is amazing. If you decide to not rent a car and travel around Le Marche more, let me know and I can tell you places we visited further south that would be inconvenient for day trips.

I’m a fan of Senigallia. It’s a walkable little town with daily markets and great restaurants. There’s a train station in the center of town, and a bus system as well. We took a bus to the lovely nearby hill town of Corinaldo and a train to the amazing Caverns of Frassasi.

And of course Senigallia has miles of sandy beach ... even if you’re not planning much beach time, it’s wonderful for early morning walks.

You need to outline the places you're interested in visiting and Google the driving time from your base. Once you leave the coastal autostrada, drive time is a large factor. For example, Urbino is wonderful but the drive time in and out for trips beyond its surrounding area make it inefficient. We liked Fano as it's small but well located.

This is all good information. We will have a car and we like poking around little towns, but we will keep in mind the driving distances in the mountains. So thanks for that. And we will be spending time in the Bologna area for the food. Any other ideas are always appreciated. Again, thanks for all your thoughts.

Ditto Mike, the drive times make all the difference. Other than the coastal autostrada, it can be slow going. Determine which areas you wish to explore before choosing the bases.
I chose a southern and northern base, both recommended: Ascoli Piceno and Senigallia. I also stayed in Fano and Sassoferrato.

Hi. I would recommend you to spend a few days in Romagna. Ravenna and Urbino are great, especially Urbino, It is a jewel. If you have some extra time I would explore some small towns ir Romagna, such as Sant'Arcangelo and San Leo. Sant'Arcangelo is a small, medieval town, very well maintained with wonderful restaurants. The region of Romagna is unbeatable when it comes to food. If you have some time and like to do some fun, I would check out some local tours. There are many cooking and cultural tours. When I went last year to visit some relatives who live there I used a small local tour company, buonjourneyitaly. My kids and I made pizza and rode an old 500 up the hills. It was fun!

Good luck

Tiziana

Hello
My wife and I are going to Italy in April 2019. Just going to the Naples (and south) area.

Some good friends would like to go to Italy with us in 2020.
I'm in charge of planning that and am thinking of going to the main cities (Venice, Florence, Rome - which my wife and I visited in 2002-ages ago) but would like to spend 4 nights ELSEWHERE. Le Marche is a beautiful looking area. It seems that the central highlands make driving there from Florence a pain.
I like all the discussion above and am wondering from you-all - do you have a resource you'd recommend to aid decision making on going to an accessible but less touristy area - probably after Florence and before Rome?
Le Marche
Umbria
Tuscany seems more flat or rolling, like the midwest USA (where we live) - maybe that's an unfair impression to have?

Evan, I would also make a new thread so your question does not get lost--I just happened upon it because I had commented on this one, but I'll get the ball rolling.

do you have a resource you'd recommend to aid decision making on going
to an accessible but less touristy area - probably after Florence and
before Rome? Le Marche Umbria Tuscany seems more flat or rolling, like
the midwest USA (where we live) - maybe that's an unfair impression to
have?

Tuscany is pretty diverse--yes a lot of rolling hills in wine country, but also interesting coastline in the south -- the northern mountainous part called Garfagnana might appeal to you. I'd feel like only four days would be rushed for delving into le Marches. You would have to be very selective, probably only one or two places given the travel time. I have not explored Umbria yet, but that might be worth pursuing given your other stops.