Driving Venice to Deruta/Perugia? Budget accommodations?
 

I'm thinking of doing this drive, although what I've seen of Italian autostrade scares me. How long? can I avoid the big cities? and where to stay in the Deruta area? I'm a pottery fan, thinking of doing this as an overnight side trip from Venice. Reasonable?

Sue, long drive for ceramics---at least <BR>4 hours and all Autostrada till the <BR>turn for Perugia. Check out Nove north <BR>of Vicenza for the factories for glazed <BR>pottery and more. You can get there in an hour and also visit Asolo, Bassano, <BR>Vicenza the same day.

What exactly scares you regarding Italian Autostrade? No offense intended ... unlike Americans in the US, "slower" Italians do travel on the right lane, enabling one to surpass and "move" at any pace one chooses to! <BR>From Piazzale Roma, in Venice, to Deruta it's a drive of about 420km. It would take me no more than 4 hours if there aren't traffic problems. If you feel unconfortable driving at 130+km/h on Autostrade, allow 4:30 hours. You'll use Autostrade most of your way (350km down to Val di Chiana). Big cities on route are Bologna and Florence, but the Autostrade outskirt them ... <BR>From Deruta back to Perugia it's a stone throw ... <BR>Can't help you with accommodations! <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

If you are a fan of pottery, GO FOR IT! You will not be disappointed. Paulo is right about the autostrade. The Italian network of highways is easy to travel if you remember the golden rule (stay the heck on the right on less you are passing someone!). There are plenty of fuel stations, rest areas that serve edible food(!), and the tolls are easy to pay with a credit card. <BR> <BR>My wife and I went to Deruta as a daytrip from Assisi and it was a highlight of our trip! There are lovely shops in the town center, and larger shops in the outskirts. The downtown shops generally have nicer work, and the suburban ones generally have more stock to choose from at a slightly better price. Don't be afraid to negotiate when making a purchase...bring cash and you'll get a discount every time. <BR> <BR>There is a great restaurant called Fontanina on Via Solitaria. It serves great local Umbrian specialties.

If you don't want to go as far as Deruta, you could go to Faenza (the town whose name gave us the word "faience"). It's outside of Ravenna, so it would be about 2.5 hours from Venice. <BR> <BR>Don't worry about the Autostrade. It's some of the finest roadway built anywhere. As Ralphie says, stay right unless you want to pass. If you're in the left lane, move over if you see someone behind you flashing their headlights at you (no matter how far back they are). The Italians generally tend to drive faster than we do in the US.