My friends and I are taking a cruise out of Rome the first of October. We are going a few days early to explore Rome. I have been to Rome a few times so I thought I might take a day trip to Assisi. I would be traveling alone. I checked Get Your Guide, but no tours on that day except for expensive private guides. Any ideas for a trip that doesn't cost a fortune. I also want one in just English.
Mary
There are frequent trains between Rome and Assisi. I have been twice and never had a guide. A good guide book should suffice.
I agree with Suki - just take one of the frequent trains (about 2 - 2.5 hrs each way) . Once there you can join a local tour or just strike out on your own with a good guidebook and/or map. The city is pretty compact and relatively level as Italian hill towns go.
Know that the train station is down the hill from the town (couple of miles) but there are buses or taxis to get you up to the area near the Basilica from where it's smooth sailing for a casual walker.
We took a DIY day trip to Assisi from Rome back in 2019. Took the train from Termini, as someone else suggested. Once we got to Assisi, we got on a local bus from the train station to the hilltop old town (I think we bought the bus tickets in a news stand in the Assisi train station, a couple Euros each). It was not difficult to find. We rode the bus to the very last stop, as suggested in our RS Italy guidebook. Then we used the RS App with our phones to listen to Rick's walking audio tour (we find them informative and easy to use). Since we took the bus all of the way to the last stop, it was a nice downhill walk, and we started/stopped the tour as needed to check other things out/go into the various churches. After spending a few hours, we caught the bus back to the station, and also visited the cathedral near the train station (I think it's the one that they built around St Francis' original chapel). All in all, it was a great day. We enjoyed seeing the old town and all of the St Francis sites. Definitely possible without an organized tour.
The old town in Assisi is lovely. I saw very few other tourists until I got almost all the way down to the basilica and started walking past the tacky souvenir stalls.
I visited Assisi on my own and navigated around with my Rick Steves guidebook. Don't think a tour guide is needed. If you wanted to spend less time on a train, you might consider visiting Orvieto instead. The cathedral is stunning, the town is charming, and you can do a fascinating tour in English of the underground tunnels used in ancient and more modern times. When you arrive at the train station in Orvieto, you simply ride the funicular up into town.
Thanks for the information. I checked the big train station and couldn't find anything for Sept. 30 going to Assisi and returning later that day. Do you think it is too early to find those times. I would like to do the fast train with no stops. Thanks.
Mary
Yes, it's too early. The new summer schedules up to December 11 will be uploaded on trenitalia.com by June 12.
There aren't many trains going to Assisi, but You can use a day before June 12 for planning
Better pick the same day of the week you are going to make this day trip.
I would like to do the fast train with no stops.
Dario, correct me if I'm wrong but while the OP can do Roma Termini>Assisi with no changes, I don't believe the Trenitalia Frecce high-speed trains travel that route - almost of them are regionales with non-reserved seats - and there will be some short stops along the way?
It looks like there are only regional trains, the journey's about 2.25 hours. What's in the RS guide book is all you need - at least it's all I needed when I was there for 2 days. The walk between the S. Chiara church and the Basilica, through the center, is a comfortable incline. Anything beyond that, like the RS walking tour has some very steep hills. You are likely to want binoculars for the Basilica's frescoes.
That's what I'm seeing too, Chani. Thanks for the double check! :O)
Assisi is lovely but yes, no fast trains and many have a change. It really depends on your interests. There are closer day trips from Rome like the Tivoli gardens (Villa D'Este) or Ostia Antica if you are interested in Ancient Rome. Orvieto is also a wonderful choice and I think only 1.5 hours by regional train. All of these places are doable with just a good guidebook.
I agree that this is an easy day trip from Rome and have done it a number of times. (Some train journeys require a change, but not all.) The walk from the station to the old town is lengthy (30 min.?), but doable. There's a bus that you can pick up at the station that will take you easily and quickly into the town. I like to go to the last stop (at the top) and work my way down. You can purchase a ticket in the station's tabacchi.
