Overview
Conegliano was our first introduction to northern Italy on this road trip, after entering from Slovenia. This was my tenth visit to Italy, but the first time we had explored the country by car and focused on smaller northern cities rather than the familiar major destinations.
The town surprised me for the wrong reason. At the entrance to such a wealthy and internationally famous wine region, I expected the prosperity to be more visible in the surrounding streets and villages. The atmosphere was pleasant, but many houses, roads and public spaces looked worn. For the gateway to one of the world's best-known sparkling wine regions, Conegliano felt unexpectedly tired.
Getting There
The physical border infrastructure between Slovenia and Italy was still visible, although we were not stopped. The roads and motorway service areas also felt weaker than those we had used in Croatia and Slovenia. Italy's ticket-based toll system was another reminder that this was our first road trip through a country we had previously explored mainly by train.
The scenery was initially flatter and less green than Slovenia. That changed as we continued toward Valdobbiadene and the hills of the Prosecco region.