We are staying in Spoleto as base for day trips to Perugia, Spello, Todi, Orvieto, Bevagna and maybe a few other small towns. From Spoleto we need to return to Rome where we will spend one night before flying out the next day. Is it best to leave our rental car in Spoleto and take the train from Spoleto to Rome or drive to Orvieto and leave the car there and take the train to Rome? Any must sees in this area would also be appreciated. We would like to take some scenic walks and not focus just on churches and museums. Thank you!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16190 posts
You can return the car in Spoleto and take the train to Rome from there.
Hertz and Avis-Budget are in Spoleto.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
7305 posts
We dropped our rental at Hertz in Spoleto. We were coming from Assisi. Very easy, train was short block away.
Took a 10ish train and were at our hotel in Rome before lunch.
As long as you have day tripped to Orvieto already, why drive there again just to drop car/catch train?
Unless you want to stop/see on the way.
How much time you want in Rome that last day?
Posted by
Perugia, Italy
211 posts
In Spoleto, walk up to the Rocca. Take the combination of passageway and elevator to the fort. You can walk around there and see some beautiful views. I believe that you can walk on that aqueduct, too, but I've never done that. Spello's just beautiful. Park your car at the big lot near the mosaic museum. The museum itself is pretty amazing; they unearthed mosaics from a Roman villa; I don't know if you're into that. But go up into Centro; it's a steep uphill walk but worth it; there are flowers and arches and great doorways everywhere. If it's lunchtime, stop in at Pinturicchio or Osteria de Dada. The first is sophisticated, the second rustic and fun. Have an aperitivo or coffee at the Bar Bonci in the garden, again, the view is pretty stunning. Perugia is not a small town, it's a city of about 170,000. To save yourself from parking craziness, go to the big parking lot at Piazza Umbria Jazz. From there, take the minimetrò into the center, the last stop at Pincetto. Just wander around the old town. If you want to see something special--it's a church but an amazing old one--find the Università per Stranieri. Off that piazza is an uphill street, Corso Garibaldi. At the end of it is the Tempietto di Sant'Angelo, one of the oldest structures in the city. There's a guard tower nearby that you can climb and see the whole city. It's a nice walk, too.
Posted by
OP
16 posts
Thank you for the information on the trains. Our trip starts in Rome for five nights so we are only there for one night at the end of the trip. I have most of Rome figured out.
I really appreciate the information on Spoleto, Spello and Perugia. I will post another topic outlining our plans for Toscana and Umbria once we depart Rome in hopes of feedback that will help us make the most of our time there. We had hoped to get our car in Siena which is our base for Toscana but the train to Siena from Rome arrives at the same time the Hertz closes on Saturday in Siena. We are taking the train to Chiusi from Rome instead because we can get the car there before they close right after the train arrives around 10:45. Thanks again for all of your input.