Rome to Assisi

It is a 2-or-more- hour train trip. If you leave at 7:58 (according to the current schedule) you would take a Regionale Veloce and have no change of trains, arriving at 10:07. The cost is just over 10 euros each way. You could spend the day and catch another Regional Veloce back to Roma at 16:24.

You can research options at www.Trenitalia.com.

Once you arrive in Assisi, you can take a taxi (about 15 Euro as I recall) or a city bus up to the town as the station is down the hill a bit.

We did the Rick Steves' self-guided tour of Assisi from his Italy guidebook. Also, there are local guides you can hire like Anne Robichaud to show you around.

You can do it but I would stay later than Laurel is suggesting. (Arriving into Assisi at 10:30 and leaving at 4 doesn't give much time in the town.) I do agree that the Rick Steves self-guided tour is the way to do it. You do realize, I hope, that Assisi is built on the side of a steep hill, so there are lots of stairs or steeply ramped streets to negotiate on foot. That's why the Rick Steves tour starts you at the top of the town and works its way downhill.

Michael since she will be there in November, she'll be losing daylight by late afternoon. The next Regional Veloce (no change of trains required) is at 18:27. Sunset is about 17:00 on November 5.

Thanks for your help. I really want to go there but have never used a train before in a foreign country. I can't seem to figure out how to buy the tickets online but obviously this is way in advance. Is it safe just to show up early and what do you need to know to buy a ticket at the train station. I know there are ticket machines but I don't know Italian. Would we be able to figure out what to buy or do you go to a ticket booth to be sure that you get the right ticket. I don't really care if it costs more. I just want to be on the right train. Obviously going there ourselves will save money rather than going on a private tour.

The ticket machines have an English option, so don't worry about that. Each train has a number, and there are. big boards everywhere in the station that tell you which track the train will be on. You look at the number of the train because Assisi won't be the final destination--it could be Perugia or Terontola/Arezzo. It's not hard at all--and you'll feel a part of Italy doing it.

Good morning, The very first time we took a train in Italy was from Rome (termini) to Assisi and it was extremely simple. We then took a taxi up to the town, since the train station is located in the valley. There are also buses there that you could easily get for the commute. I grew up/live in a rural area, so in the US I have trained maybe 4 times total.

Assisi is a beautiful town and deserves an entire day. Check out the times of the places you want to visit, since it is November. If it is a cloudless day, I would stay for the sunset, as you don't have to buy your (regional) train ticket until you are ready to leave.

It will be quite some time before November tickets are available.

Most of the Rome-Assisi trains are regionals, and for those you will not pay extra by waiting until you're in Italy to buy your tickets. Those trains have no assigned seating and cannot sell out, so you don't need to worry about that, either. Buying the ticket at the train station on the day of the trip is really the best idea for this routing unless you just can't bear the idea of doing that so early in the morning on the day of travel.

The one thing to be cautious about is that the lines at the staffed ticket counters can move quite slowly. Most of the people in those lines are buying complicated tickets, so you'll want to allow plenty of time just in case you have some sort of issue with the ticket machine and end up having to stand in line. Those machines are easy to use, in my experience, though they didn't always recognize the number of my senior-discount card.

Assuming you buy the ticket in Italy, don't forget to validate it before boarding the train! Unvalidated tickets are not valid and will result in a hefty fine when the conductor comes through the train, checking tickets.

In many ways, using a train is no different than flying in the US. You have departure boards/screens listing the departing trains, at certain track numbers (same as airport gates). If you nervous about using a train, go the day before and do a dry run for your train. You can check the departure board, walk down to the platform/track, check the train and see people boarding, etc. It will be just the same the next day and much easier for you.

To put yourself more at ease regarding train travel, visit www.seat61.com. You will find a wealth of information!

Great information. I feel confidant in doing this now. Thanks everyone.