See if there is any help here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/best-way-to-get-from-san-sebastian-spain-to-puglia-italy.cfm

Can you give us the planned route? Offhand, I am thinking that Benevento might be one of many options. How far, if at all, are you willing to detour off the route?

Thanks Ekscrunchy. Day 1 arrive FCO. Still debating whether to train to Termini and then somewhere else and rent the car on day 2, or to rent immediately at FCO.

Night 2 and 3 Matera. Night 4 thru 7 in Polignano (Pulia). Then EasyJet north to Verona.

So trying to decide what makes sense for day 1. Had originally thought of train to Naples for 2 nights and only one night in Matera.

Am open to ideas. Will be looking up Benevento after I send this.

Steve

Benevento looks like a great stop, and the Hotel Villa Traiano looks wonderful.

Thanks again, Ekscrunchy

Steve

If you haven't been to the Bourbon palace at Caserta, consider staying in/near either Caserta Vecchia or nearby San Leucio. The Caserta palace and the old silk factory complex in San Leucio are UNESCO World Heritage sites, and there is a silk museum in San Leucio.

The palace is reminiscent of Versailles, but San Leucio is very unique. King Ferdinand built the silk factory complex adjacent to existing royal apartments at a hunting preserve and created a colony for the royal silk weavers who had privileged status and were granted a form of early social security. The silk from this area is still highly valued by clients such as Quirinale Palace, Buckingham Palace, the White House, etc.

>>>Still debating whether to train to Termini<<<

If you do go to Termini, you can get a sim at the TIM store on the upper level.

Caserta is also on the route and would make a good stop. But will you have enough time for sightseeing?



Here is a trip report including details of the author's stay in Benevento:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/back-from-campania-benevento.cfm



Travel from Rome to Matera by train/bus:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/question-about-4-nights-in-puglia-area.cfm



I will throw in one more idea; I have not been, but Telese Terme is a well-known spa town in the Benevento area, with many hotels; might be an interesting overnight stop:


http://www.termeditelese.it/

OMG - as our grandchildren say and text --- so many places, so little time.

Ekscrunchy - your trip reports about Puglia and Matera got us onto this kick - and now you have put some frosting on the cake.


My wife and I have been traveling, first to France, and now to France & Italy almost yearly to celebrate our wedding anniversary for a few years.... we are looking forward to 37 years in May 2013.

Correct me if I have it wrong, Ekscrunchy and Alice9, but my impression is that Benevento with its arch, ruins, churches etc. can be enjoyed a little before dinner and a little the next morning. Vs Caserta, which looks like it could require a full day. So my thinking is that we can skim the surface by staying overnight in Benevento, and for the future, we need to cover Campania in more depth.

The good news, is that by the time we are ready to leave, we are getting excited thinking about the next year's trip already. So, I'm thinking that for 2014 Campania will be a featured destination.

Steve

And KYbourbon, according to my map, also in Termini is a 3Store. For around 8Euros they have a great micro-Sim card for the Ipad that gives you about a month of data that has worked everywhere we have gone in Italy.

Still thinking.

Steve

Another plug for San Leucio.

http://www.italytraveller.com/en/e/revolutionary-royal-silk

>>>bocacpa on Nov 15, 12 at 10:03am
And KYbourbon, according to my map, also in Termini is a 3Store.<<<

Never heard of 3Store or seen it in Termini although there is an electronics store on the basement level (sells phones). TIM is Telecom Italia, the main provider in Italy with hundreds of stores all over Italy and the ability to top up your TIM sim even in small tabacchi and other stores. If you have a problem with your 3Store sim, will you find one in the area you are traveling like you will the TIM on every corner?

I wouldn't train into Termini just to get a sim.

If you don't want to drive the first day, you could take the Buonotourist bus from the airport to Salerno. Pick up your car there the next day. The bus departs the airport at 3:20.
http://www.buonocore-group.it/tratte/collegamenti-aeroporti/142-battipaglia-pontecagnano-salerno-caserta-roma-aeroporto-fiumicino