day trip from Florence to Assisi

My wife and I did this. We found Assisi to be our favorite hilltown thus far. We wish we had planned an overnight. The train journey takes 2.5 hours each way. So there goes 5 hours. Then, the train station says Assisi but it's not really in Assisi. It's nearby. You take the bus into the town. In fact, you can't see the beauty of the town from the station. It comes into view as you are riding in on the bus. Big Hint #1. The streets are steep. When you arrive at the train station, go next door to the little store and buy a bus ticket on the Line C bus. Take this bus all the way to the top of the town. This way, you enjoy Assisi as you walk downhill. Note that the Basilica is at the bottom so it will be one of the last things you see. You'll pass it on the way up. Big Hint #2. Beautiful shops built into the 13th century buildings. Great bakery and gelato. We wanted to have a nice dinner but found that the nice restaurants close from 4-7. You can easily get something less nice somewhere there. We had to get down to the train station for the trip back to Florence so we had a frozen lasagne dinner (properly thawed and heated) in the train station bar area. 25E for the dinner and a Coke Light. But, it was not bad and my wife and I still remember our visit there and the beauty of the hilltown. Off we went back to Florence.

Sass Would you give us your itinerary for your itinerary in Italy? Include the international travel days. For instance, are you going to Sienna? That will help us make better suggestions. Bobbie

Bobbie, July 4 we arrive in Florence from Venice. July 5 we were planning to visit Assisi. July 6 Pisa. July 7 Orvieto and we arrive in Rome.After a trip to Vatican and Pompeii we fly back. We have no desire to see Siena.According to Rick Steve's 2011 Italy. Siena is closer, but the way the hotel has worked out we cannot do an overnight in Assisi.The teen agers have expressed a desire not to be stuck in the Academia or Ufizi. Thanks
Sass

It's do-able, but also a long day. One alternative is to rent a car and drive there & back, since the train is so inconvenient. Travel time would be slightly less. It's about 170km by road (per Google maps) but you have to add on time to get out of Florence. It's Autostrada almost the whole way, which makes it an easy drive. One question: why do you have no desire to go to Siena? Mathew

Siena seems like an extension of Florence.