I will be traveling and staying in Lanciano (Abruzzo)for two weeks in April . I will have a car and are interested in side trips during the stay. I don't mind traveling 3 to 4 hours each way for day trips. Does anyone have any ideas?

In Lanciano you are very close to the coast and that part of the Adriatic Coast is named "Costa dei Trabocchi". Trabocchi is a local word to mean the platforms to fish the little local fishes: calamaretti, trigliette, alici, merluzzetti, granchietti di sabbia.
In Marina di San Vito there is a restaurant, whose name is L'ANGOLINO DA FILIPPO 1891, where you can delight this "fritto di paranza".
Then, close to Lanciano, a small town, Rocca San Giovanni, where you can taste and buy a delicious and not so very well known olive oil at Frantoio Della Fazia: do not missi it; cheap and great !
If your idea of day trips are so that you are focused on Abruzzo I can send you my report about Abruzzo but, you have to know, I wrote it in Italian.

Ciao and Buon Anno.


Vincenzo

Vincenzo
thank you for your reply, yes I am interested in Abruzzo day trips but I do not speak nor read Italian. Is it possible for you to summerize your report by naming a town and 1 or 2 of its sights?
Thanks Walt

Hi Walt,
let's hope it can help you.
A good day trip is for Torano, in Teramo province.
Torano is on the top of a sweet hill; the view is beuatiful: in the meantime the Adristic Sea and the mountains. Torano is the headquarter, so to speak, fo the wine Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG; taste thie great wine eating the typical salsicciotto di Torano: pork meat lightly smoked, very delicious.
From Torano, the direction is S-W go to Teramo and do not miss, in the underground of Palazzo Savini, the very interesting “mosaici del Leone”.
From Teramo to L’Aquila, so that you can admire from different angle of views il Gran Sasso.
At L’Aquila do not miss the famous fountain of “99 cannelle”.
Close to L’Aquila visit Basilica di Collemaggio, especially if you love Dante and the history of the Pope Celestino V.
If a very sunny day and you have time enough, go to Castel del Monte (very high on the nountain) , to enjoy the view and to taste a very delicious pecorino (sheep cheese).
Do not miss also Santo Stefano di Sessanio, the ancient roman Sextantio, now very famous for its unique hotel.
Good suggestioni s also the Lake of Campotosto: a small treasure between Gran Sasso and the Monti della Laga.
Campotosto is famous also for its typical Mortadella.
In Abruzzo, far from Lanciano but very interesting to visit: Pescasseroli, the most important town of Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo.

Close enough to Lanciano there is the cute town Guardiagrele: the Terrace of Abruzzo.
Do not miss to visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Along the main street, Via Roma, taste and buy the typical cookies: sise delle monache.
Da Guardiagrele puntiamo verso la costa adriatica che incontriamo a Vasto.
Delicious trip is also from Guardiagrele to Vasto, a sea town where, anyway, you should taste the typical Ventricina del Vastese.

Other day trip is for Pescara, whose main square is named Piazza Salotto, to mean you meet there everyone.

Vincenzo

Vincenzo
Thank you for taking the time to respond, it's difficult getting any response for the Abruzzo region or anything on the southern Adriatic side of Italy
Walt

A nice place to visit is the town of Civitella del Tronto. It is a fortress just to the north of Teramo.

Casale