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Car rental in Orvieto for visit to Civita di Bagnoregio

We would like to visit Civita di Bagnoregio from Orvieto but the only day available is Saturday. It appears rental agencies close at 1 pm on Saturdays and are not open on Saturdays. The current bus schedule on line only reflects a weekday schedule.
Any ideas? Would private drivers be available? Cost?

Posted by
3586 posts

I have no idea what a private driver would cost. However, unless expense is of no consequence, I would urge you to think carefully about this project. Why do you want to go to Civita? It is a tiny hamlet, of no particular interest except that eventually the ground on which it is built will be eroded away. Until Rick Steves began hyping it, it was almost deserted. There are several towns near Orvieto that are very pretty and much more interesting. Pitigliano, Tuscania, Sorano, and Sovana come to mind. I'm sure there are others.

Posted by
7737 posts

Rosalyn, personally, I'm with you but I think the appeal is the skinny bridge, the fact that the town is literally disappearing, and that it makes for some stunning photos. One of my coworkers came back from a trip to Italy and was just beside himself with excitement at having a photo of the famous view of the bridge and the town.

Posted by
2455 posts

In Oct 2013, I was in a similar situation on a Sunday when there were no buses running from Orvieto to Civita. I was staying at the Hotel Virgilio (very nice, right by the Duomo) and they arranged one of their staff members, Alessandro I think, to take me. Cost was 80 euros for the drive and two hours in Civita. His car and driving were fine, but I don't think this was actually a "car service". By the way, I expected a quiet Civita, but found it was jam-packed with visitors, mostly Italian. It must be a popular Sunday excursion. The parking lot near the lengthy pedestrian bridge was totally full, so my driver needed to drop me off and then meet me later, instead of walking around with me as we had planned. It was a nice enough visit but not really worth large expense. Quaint, small, touristy hill town, with some restaurants and shops, unique in having no or very few vehicles, nice views, lengthy and partially inclined walk from the parking to the town, over a pedestrian bridge.

Posted by
11613 posts

Personally I would skip it if it cost more than 50E to go. Are you only in Orvieto for the one day? Would it be worth it to pick up a car on Friday and return it on Monday, or do you have other travel plans? The rental would be more than 50E, but you could visit some other towns (Todi, Cortona, Bolsena, Assisi) that weekend.

Posted by
1499 posts

Have to agree that Civita di Bagnoregio is really not worth a lot of time or expense to get there. We were a bit disappointed. Earlier this year we had 4 nights in Orvieto and spent a good part of one day taking the bus to and from Civita. While it was a nice town to visit and makes for great photos, it is not really a hill town as not many people actually live there. Its claim to fame may be that it will eventually fall into the valley and that RS said it is his favorite hill town. In speaking to the owner of B&B La Magnolia where we stayed, she could not understand American tourists' obsession with Civita. So, if you have the time and can find a reasonable way to get there, it is worth it. If not, take Zoe's advice and visit another hill town or just enjoy Orvieto and try not to feel like you've missed something by not going to Civita.