Perugia travel/study

As with most places in Italy, the "best way" is by train. There are numerous trains from Roma Termini to Perugia every day, with travel time about three hours and most with one change. There appears to be at least one direct (no changes) train on that route, departing Rome at 14:28 with a travel time of 2H:31M. That train is a Regionale so if you're using locally purchased tickets, you MUST validate the ticket prior to boarding the train on the day of travel, or risk hefty fines.

I don't have any suggestions for a language school. There are many schools to choose from in that area, including one in Assisi, Orvieto and Siena. I'd suggest looking at several to find the "best fit".

How long are you going to be in Umbria? How old and how fit are you?There are many Italian language courses in Perugia but the best will be thru the university. An important question however is for how long do you want to study, and where do you want to stay?

You fly or train into the Perugia area from Rome. (Sorry I note from the next comment that there are no flights from Rome! - we fly into Perugia from the UK & I assumed there would be domestic flights!)

Perugia is a hilltop town in Umbria. It's a major city and a tourist mecca. We go to Umbria every year and stayed in Perugia last year but wouldn't do it again. The problem is that, unless you stay at a very expensive B&B or hotel on the top of the mountain everything is on the side of a VERY steep mountain and you will be constantly climbing up and down and going round and round to get anywhere. Parking in Perugia is either expensive, restricted limited. My first advice would be to NOT stay in Perugia City. There is fantastic accommodation outside of Perugia and a very good bus service from the smaller towns and villages around Perugia's base. The villages around the Lake Trasimeno are great!

If you decide to stay outside of the Citte, finances allowing, I would consider hiring a small car (Fiat Panda) from Rome Airport and keeping it for your stay. The area around Perugia is a fantastic base for visiting Umbria, Tuscany and the Marche States but the hilltowns are swarming with tourists throughout the summer.

I live in Perugia for a good part of the year, and my advice is this: Stay in the city and do not, repeat, do not rent a car. That's a recipe for frustration and expense. There are lots of AirBnb and homeaway.com rentals. Look at the University for Foreigners website (https://www.unistrapg.it/en) to see what classes suit you. There are lots of courses and it is one of Italy's preeminent language schools.

The center of the city is compact and completely walkable. Yes, it is hilly, but hey, it's good exercise. It's easy to get around, and I don't really understand the previous writer's complaint about it. Staying in the city is not that expensive, either. It's a youthful, enjoyable city with lots to do and see. It is NOT heavily touristy, though we Perugini are used to foreigners and will help out however we can. With a class at Stranieri (what everyone calls the university I linked to), you'll have a built-in social group.

Please don't let anyone scare you out of staying in the city. Walking around Perugia is one of the joys of being in Italy. With accommodation outside of the city, you'll be isolated and you'll be spending way too much time on the road or on a bus. To get to Perugia from Rome, you take the Sulga bus from either Fiumicino airport or the Tiburtina bus station. Or there are trains from Termini and Tiburtina, most of them regionali. Look for a direct, so you don't have to change at either Foligno or Terontola (Arezzo). NOTE: There are NO flights from Rome.

Have a great stay. It's one of my favorite places on earth.

I wasn't trying to be negative with my previous post but rather practical. Perugia is an expensive tourist Town and you are going to be there for a while. If you are young, fit, have a lot of money (or have family living there!) and you like living on the side of a VERY steep hill then you will have a great time in Perugia. However, if not, (we are retired) then you won't be able to afford to stay on the top of the mountain or eat in the tourist and classy restaurants regularly. The 'healthy' mountain-climbing every time you go out will soon become a real pain(8-((.
Although a hire car is really useful for getting around if you are staying in the countryside, if you decide to stay in Perugia, don't bother. The buses from the suburbs and countryside take you to the centre of the town. It is a beautiful city and has a great atmosphere but most of the visitors are only there for a day or so. Check with the University and the language students about costs and where they live - i'll bet they don't stay in the centre of Perugia!
Does it have to be Perugia? Have you thought about Bologna where there is a massive foreign student population, great location, it's renowned for its food and culture and, importantly, its much cheaper!

I love Bologna, too. But it's a much bigger city and I don't think it's any cheaper than Perugia. Plus, Stranieri is world renowned as an Italian language school. Hey, my hometown doesn't get enough love and it's got a great hangout and music culture.