Umbria base

We spent two wonderful weeks in Spello and highly recommend it as a base in Umbria. You may want to reconsider renting a car. It would be hard to explore Umbria or Tuscany without a car.
We never used the Spello train but I don’t recall it being far from the bottom of this hill town.

Thanks Suki. Where did you stay in Spello?

I would instead stay in Perugia which has a Minimetro system to get you from the train station up to the hilltown. If you hoof it in Spello you're going to be doing a fair amount of uphill walking. We stayed in Spello once and enjoyed it but had a car; the old town has few flat sections, it's uphill both ways ;-)

It's been a few years since we've been in Perugia but at that time they didn't have the modern train ticket machines with an English menu, so I recommend installing and using the Trenitalia app on your phone. You'll need wifi service in Italy if you buy Regionale tickets on the app since when the conductor comes around to check you need data service to bring them up.

I adore Spello and think it’d be a great choice! I stayed at La Bastiglia (hotel with restaurant at top of town with a gorgeous small pool) for 3 nights in June a few years ago. The outdoor dining for breakfast has fabulous views. I took a taxi from station to hotel when I arrived, but walked (carry-on only) back/downhill to station when leaving. It is a classic hill town so it is somewhat steep, but there are also a lot of steps. One day I walked to Assisi - about 7 miles, and took train back. I’d love to return one day.

With a car: Spello or Assisi
Without a car: Perugia

I seem to be one of the few people that wasn’t taken with Spello. I visited there by train while I was staying in Perugia, which was very convenient for a lot of surrounding towns that I wanted to visit. I would not want to stay in Spello with or without a car.

And now for something completely different.
Bevagna.
I am done. the suggestion

We’ve never been to Spello but stayed in Perugia without a car and were able to access many places by train or bus. The Tourist Information office was very helpful in suggestions and transportation advice. We stayed in the Hotel Sant’Ercolano…not fancy, but pleasant stay and near the mini metro. Safe travels.

I mentioned Assisi and Spello because of the central location and the proximity to the freeways, which makes them perfect for day trips by car, although I prefer to stay in Assisi as Spello is a bit too small for my taste as a base.
Perugia makes the best base if one relies on public transportation, as it is the regional capital city and the transportation hub. It is not a village however does not have a small village vibe (it is a decent size college city with lots of students), and it is not very car friendly, therefore I would not choose to stay there with a car.

We had a week in Umbria planned for this year but had to cancel for medical reasons. We were going to stay in Perugia.