Day trips from Orvieto via public transport?

Orvieto is not exactly a transportation hub. I went from Todi to Orvieto on a Sunday, no bus, ended up taking a taxi. So avoid Sunday day trips.

Buses might work for most places. Traveling within one region is easier than crossing into Tuscany or Le Marche, for example. Getting connections through Perugia might work out, by bus or train.

Yeah, don't even think about taking a bus on a Sunday or holiday. That is madness.

I like Orvieto a lot, but I'm not sure it's going to work well for all of your destinations. Remember that if you're staying up in the historic district (and I absolutely would), any train trip starts with a walk to the funicular (could be 15 minutes or more), a brief wait for the funicular, then the (short) ride down to the lower level where the train station is located. And then you'll need to buy the train tickets if you haven't already done so. Realistically, unless your hotel is much closer to the funicular than most are, you'll probably need to set out at least 45 minutes before your train is scheduled to depart. Makes early-morning trains pretty unattractive.

Arezzo will be OK; it's definitely worth a visit but probably doesn't require 12 hours.

Assisi is iffier because of the number of sights and the amount of time you may wish to spend wandering around the very handsome non-touristy areas. Plan to get an early start that day.

Siena is considered the #1 sidetrip from Florence, and many people promote an overnight stay instead. I'm not sure about bus service, but if you take the train to Siena and don't want to get up early enough for the 7:21 departure, the best you can do is arrive in Siena at 11:57. That's not ideal.

I have no idea what you'll encounter with trips to Perugia and Montepulciano.

I encourage you to check the bus and train schedules to see what you're letting yourself in for. Rome2Rio.com is not reliable about travel times or fares (do not trust those!), but if you keep drilling down you'll usually get to a link to the appropriate company's website where you can find the schedule. Alternatively, Googling something like "bus Orvieto to Perugia" is usually fruitful, though it often delivers the schedule for the return trip.

it's funny because when I was in Orvieto last week, I actually found that some of the eastern Tuscan towns like Arezzo and Cortona were actually EASIER to reach by public transportation than Umbrian towns like Todi and Spoleto etc. Basically the Florence-Rome regionale train passes through Arezzo, Cortona, and Orvieto, allowing you to link any of them up easily (once you know the schedule). Another option is the train to Chiusi and then a bus to Montepulciano. I believe Rick covers all of these options in his book.

One point to remember is that there will be fewer transportation options on a Sunday or a holiday. The regionale trains still run, for example, but probably less frequently than during the week. Bus service may be minimal to non-existent.

1/2 day trip by public bus - Civita Di Bagnoregio. Hang out and sip some wine in a cool, below ground cellar. Or, more gelato! Enjoy national park type views.

While I wouldn't have based in Orvieto, especially for that length of time, that's just me. However, it's probably going to be a wonderful place to come back to each evening after the tourists have left for the day, find a favorite restaurant (there are tons of top-notch ones) where after a few days you're known, and chill.

Thank you all for the useful info! One of us is participating in a music course and so we have use of an apartment, thus the 3 weeks in one spot. Really appreciate all your thoughtful tips!! Thank you!

Sounds idyllic to me, mikanet. We daytripped to Orvieto from Rome early March and saw how quiet and serene it could be without the tourists. Loved the place, enjoy!

It's true -- one of the biggest day trips would be to Rome . . or up to Florence. The regionale train takes a couple of hours to Florence.

Because your apartment is basically "home" for three weeks - you can stay in hotels for a night or two instead of just day - tripping. It just depends on your schedule. I would consider overnighting in Florence if you have a couple of days. Better use of your time.

Sun-Baked makes an excellent point!