Car & Van Hire - Pescara

The majority of tourist attractions in Pescara are located along the southern bank of the Pescara River. The main landmark in this area is the futuristic-looking Ennio Flaiano bridge. From there, it’s a 5-minute walk to Pescara’s Old Town. This compact area is home to the Ethnographic Museum, Pescara’s cathedral and Gabriele d’Annunzio’s Birthplace Museum.

There are also things to see and do north of the Pescara River. This is mostly a commercial area, but it’s also home to Museo Paparella, which displays beautiful exhibits of Maiolica ceramics. For contemporary art exhibits, head to the nearby CLAP museum. Right in between both museums, you’ll find Piazza Salotto, Pescara’s main square, which is often the venue for open-air concerts and other events.

From Piazza Salotto, it’s only a 5-minute walk to the waterfront. The city’s Lungomare, or seaside promenade, extends for kilometres and is a pleasant area for morning or evening walks. North of the Lungomare, you’ll find several city beaches, whereas walking south will take you to the marina and to Pineto La Conchiglia beach. Not far from this beach is Aurum, a beautifully restored building that now hosts live music, congresses, conventions and private events.

Travellers with children have several options in this city. In the spring and autumn, you can drive your car rental in Pescara south for 32 kilometres and park in San Vito village. From here, you can follow the hiking trail along the scenic Costa dei Trabocchi, or arrange a bike rental for the whole family. The little ones will have a blast at Parco Giochi Paperopoli, an amusement park open all year round. If you visit during the festive season, don’t miss the spectacular Christmas lights display at Casa di Babbo Natale, located a 15-minute drive from Pescara. Lastly, the nature reserve and wildlife refuge of Pineta Dannunziana is a fun spot for a picnic and has dedicated play areas for children.

The main shopping area is enclosed between Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, Via Nicola Fabrizi and Corso Umberto I. Pescara also has several shopping centres, the biggest of which are Porte di Pescara and Centro d’Abruzzo, both located near the airport and offering easy road access from the city centre.

Pescara’s shopping area is teeming with restaurants serving anything from traditional Abruzzo dishes to fast food and including Asian and European cuisine. For a meal with views, try the restaurants along the Lungomare, many of which specialize in seafood.

The most important events in town are Pescara Jazz Festival, the International Film Festival (both held in the summer), and football matches involving the local team, which take place every other weekend at Adriatico Stadium.Be sure to try the local cuisine, which also highlights Alghero's blend of cultural influences. Seafood is the main speciality, and one of the most famous dishes is lobster "alla Catalana", served with tomatoes and onions. You may need to book this special meal in advance. If you have a sweet tooth, you'll also want to try the local dessert of "menjar blanc", a smooth, creamy dish similar to blancmange, crema Catalana or crème brûlée. Of course, you'll find plenty of other typical Italian dishes, too, with thin, crispy pizza being particularly popular.

Car rental in Alghero allows you to explore the part of Sardinia known as the Coral Coast. To understand the importance of coral, head first to the Museo del Corallo. Inside, you can admire incredible works of art that local artisans have made from coral and even pick up small sculptures or pieces of jewellery as souvenirs.

There are many great beaches for you to discover with a car or van rental in Alghero. Le Bombarde and Il Lazzaretto are two tiny coves with picture-perfect white sand and crystal-clear water. Be warned, though: the water can be freezing! Larger beaches can be found at Mugoni, Lido San Giovanni or Maria Pia. The most famous beach in the area is La Pelosa, with a tropical-style beach that belongs in the Caribbean. If you're visiting between June and September, you will need to book your trip in advance to avoid overcrowding.

Capo Caccia is a great place for a day trip, with trails along the coast and some of Sardinia's most spectacular sunsets. Here you can also visit Gotta di Nettuno, a stunning cave network with breathtaking displays of stalactites and stalagmites. A guided tour of the grotto lasts about an hour. The grotto is only accessible by boat and cannot be visited if the sea is particularly rough.

From the airport, drive along Via Amendola until you see signs pointing to Centro. You’ll drive along the E80 road, which takes you into downtown Pescara, very close to the marina. The E80 is a major motorway that connects the city with some of Abruzzo’s most impressive natural parks before continuing onto Lazio province and into Rome. This road is also known as the A25 motorway.

Another important road providing access to Pescara is the Autostrada Adriatica, which splits into two near the airport heading north and south of the city centre. The speed limit on Italian motorways is 130 km/h unless there are roadworks or adverse weather conditions, in which case it goes down to 90 km/h or lower, depending on hazard levels.

There is a toll booth located south of Pescara’s industrial area at the large interchange connecting the E80 and E55 roads. You’ll likely drive through this toll booth if you’re heading inland towards Abruzzo’s mountain area or towards the hilltop town of Chieti.

In Pescara town, the main thoroughfares are Giuseppe Garibaldi (which connects southern and northern Pescara), Viale Marconi, and Lungomare. As it happens in other Italian cities, Pescara’s historical centre (the area around Piazza Salotto) is a pedestrian-only zone. You should also note that the streets around the main square are one-way only.

These streets have resident-only parking (bays painted with yellow lines), in addition to paid parking spots (bays painted with blue lines). There are approximately 5,000 paid parking spots in Pescara.