ASSISI

By train with a change in Foligno is likely the fastest way. The Assisi station is actually at Santa Maria degli Angeli, at the bottom of the hill. From the station to Assisi, on top of the hill, you will take a taxi or bus. Not sure what you are referring to with out of town sights. Aside from the church of S.M degli Angeli, near the station, everything else is pretty much inside. The town is not that big, so in a few hours you can visit everything. However I've always enjoyed spending the night there. It's a very pretty town, and when the day tourists are gone, it gets even better.

Gladys, actually, the Papal Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is at the lower level of the hilltown. The streets up through the town are steep. It's a 2hr train journey each way. Most runs have one train change. However, the 7:58am run has no train changes. As Roberto explains, the train will arrive in the Assisi train station. The sign says "Assisi" but it's really in Santa Maria degli Angeli. You can't even see Assisi from the train station. Not to worry. Go next door to the small shop and buy a ticket on the Line C bus. The bus stop is just outside the shop. The Line C bus takes you to the top of Assisi. From there, you simply walk down the steep streets and stop wherever you wish. Great shops, great pastries and great gelato. The Basilica will be at the bottom of the streets. You can make that your last visit. You can make the Basilica your first visit and then take the bus up to the top. It really doesn't matter. But, the hills are steep. We did as I describe above and we spent about 90 minutes in the Basilica.

Gladys, the easiest way would be to get off at the top of the old town (via taxi from train station), which is right by the Basilica of St Clare. If you want to visit San Rufino, that's just a short walk from there uphill. (I think you could also get off at the car park at the top of town, which would put you closer to St Rufino, I believe, if that's important to you.) From there, head downhill, stopping at sites as desired. The Basilica of St Francis is at the very bottom of the old town, after you've visited intervening sites. A couple of my favorite places are outside of town. San Damiano is a km or so below the old town. The church and convent complex are beautiful, well preserved, and relatively quiet. About 4 or 5 km above Assisi is the Eremo della Carcieri, a hermitage used by St Francis and his followers; it's my favorite place in Assisi, with lovely buildings dating to St Bernadino around the 14-15th century; amazingly quiet, in a beautiful setting of deciduous forest. Both are still active Franciscan friaries (and there's also a Franciscan convent at the Eremo). If you're doing a day trip, I'd take taxis to both. If I only had a day in Assisi (I stayed a week in my last visit), I'd go to the Basilica of St Francis (arriving as early as possible), then take a taxi to the Eremo, and then taxi to Dan Damiano before returning to Rome. I would bring some bread/cheese/fruit so I wouldn't waste time in a restaurant, but that's just my traveling preference. If a restaurant needs to be fit in, that would need to be in Assisi proper.

Walking downhill is a lot easier than walking uphill (you'll see by the expressions on people's faces as they go from the Basilica of San Francesco to the higher part of the town), and you see all the same things on the way. There's a great view from the Rocca Maggiore, the castle at the top of one of the hills - that is an uphill climb, but you can get there on your way to the Basilica.