Day Trip from Rome to Assisi

"Sarah, there are many more trains a day than you see. Perhaps you are looking out past early December when Trenitalia refreshes their train schedules." Oh, I'm looking in September so I think I actually do see the complete schedule. The problem is that there's only 1 train that goes directly to Assisi without requiring me to change trains at another station. I easily get lost or confused in train stationseven at Union Station here in Chicago, which I've used a bunch of timesso I'm hoping to keep hassles to a minimum by getting direct trains with no connections. Unfortunately, the only train that meets these requirements doesn't even get to Assisi until 10:30, so I don't know if that gives me enough time to explore the city. I would LOVE to spend a few days in Assisi, but logistically I just can't do it on this trip.

My tip would be to spend a night there. You won't have to feel rushed, and we found Assisi particularly charming at night. You won't have any language problem. Assisi is tiny, but it gets tens if not hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. You will find that virtually every shop and restaurant has English speakers, certainly every hotel.

Sarah, there are many more trains a day than you see. Perhaps you are looking out past early December when Trenitalia refreshes their train schedules. Here's a LINK to the typical morning schedule. I've shown the schedule for two days from now so that the fares will appear. The 7:43 run is direct. Other runs require train changes. You don't need a private car. There's nothing wrong with a train change. You're in Italy. We've done a one day trip from Florence. It's a long day but it can be done. Here's some thoughts. 1) The Assisi station is not in Assisi. It's actually in Santa Maria Degli Angeli. The sign in the train station say Assisi but... The point here is that you are not yet in Assisi. 2) The main streets in Assisi are quite steep. The huge Basilica is at the bottom. Most of the hilltown is up the steep hills. 3) The hint here is after arriving on the train, there is a bus stop in front of the small book store/shop next to the train station. Go in there and buy a ticket on the Line C bus. The Line C bus goes all the way to the top of the hilltown. From there, you can tour the town by walking down the steep streets. I guarantee that it's much better than touring up the hills. You save the Basilica for last. 4) The nicer restaruants close from 4-7. We really wanted a nice dinner but couldn't wait until they re-opened. So perhaps a nice lunch. 5) The best tasting gelato we had in Italy was in Assisi. Can't remember where so you might try several places.
6) Think everything is 700 years old there? The buildings are but the shops are just great as they are built into these very old buildings. A bit above average I would say. Plenty of trains to return to Rome. Just put in a date a couple of days from now and you will see everything.

Assisi is completely charming and beautiful, but you really need to spend at least one night to experience that charm. Otherwise you're coming in on the same tsunami of tourists that floods the town every day and then departs in the late afternoon/early evening. You should see the number of tour buses that pull into the parking lots. As mentioned, language will not be a problem precisely because tourism is the main economic engine of the town. Use Rick's tips when speaking (1. Speak slowly and without contractions. 2. Don't use slang. 3. Learn and use some simple phrases such as Buongiorno, Buona sera, and Grazie.) Here are some photos I took of Assisi in May 2008 if you're interested.

I don't hear anyone suggesting a few days - just an overnight, precisely because it is a bit of a hassle to get to. Since you're not comfortable changing trains, have you considered the possibility of a tour from Rome to Assisi? I don't have any I could recommend, but it might be an option for you.

Sarah, the bus from Santa Maria degli Angeli (Line C) does take you to the upper part of town, at the opposite end from the Basilica. At the train station, there are two buses: the one you want will take you to Piazza Matteotti, just outside the town gate; the road will take you past the Cathedral of Assisi, San Rufino. Just keep heading downhill and you'll get to the Basilica. As for changing trains to get to Assisi, the connections are very good, you will change either in Terontola or Foligno. Both are small enough stations so that you won't get lost. Just ask anyone with an "FS" emblem on their shirt or jacket which train to Assisi (just the word "Assisi" should do it). If you have a chance to stay one night, that would be great, the city does look enchanting at night and it's rather serene after the day tours are gone.

"I don't hear anyone suggesting a few days - just an overnight, precisely because it is a bit of a hassle to get to." Oh, I see. An overnight trip would be great, but I can't manage that either. "Since you're not comfortable changing trains, have you considered the possibility of a tour from Rome to Assisi? I don't have any I could recommend, but it might be an option for you." I looked into it just now, and it seems there are bus tours that go from Rome to Assisi for $120/person. I've never taken a tour before--I prefer to wander at my own pace--but since the transportation issues could otherwise be difficult, it might make sense. "As for changing trains to get to Assisi, the connections are very good, you will change either in Terontola or Foligno. Both are small enough stations so that you won't get lost. Just ask anyone with an "FS" emblem on their shirt or jacket which train to Assisi (just the word "Assisi" should do it)." That's good to know! So if I decide to take the train, I'm not limited to the 2 direct trains per day.

To make your train trip even easier, print off the train schedule and take it with you. I like to use the DBahn site: http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en When you query the schedule, you can click on the arrow on the left for the specific train you want and get a schedule of stops. Click on that arrow a second time, and you get a complete schedule of all stops that train makes. You will also see when you have to change trains. Notice that some trains have a circled R. That means you have to have a seat reservation. This reservation will be included when you buy your ticket at the station. I take the train schedules with me which helps with the language barrier when purchasing the ticket. Just point and ask. Have a great trip.