After 2 nights in Florence (2nd visit) I have an additional three nights and would like to spend some time in or around Assisi. Also would like to stick with train/bus. Please recommend your favorite towns to stay and/or visit in Umbria. Also any favorite hotels/restaurants and must see sights.
Thank you
Posted by
Anchorage, Alaska, USA
17 posts
We are just finishing up our 2 week trip to Italy and fell in love with Assisi. We stayed at Hotel Ideale and the view was breathtaking. Although it was a short hike from town, it was worth every step. I would call ahead and reserve a room with a balcony.
We took a day trip to Orvieto and had a wonderful timeand especially enjoyed the Duomo. We really wanted to go to Sienna, but the train would require a few changes and would take too long for a day trip. I suggest you go to Sienna for a day trip from Florence if you have time.
Every restaurant we went to in Assisi was fabulous- Magna Vino and Ristorante Osteria dei Priori (not the hotel) were both great.
When we walked into town, we were tired and wanted to find our hotel. Rather than continue walking around, we ran into Anne Robitsch who is an American tour guide. She suggested we stay at Hotel Priori and it seemed like she had some type of connection. Although the room was nice and centrally located, it was very loud at night and we kicked ourselves for not staying at Hotel Ideale. We checked out of Hotel Priori and stayed our last night at Hotel Ideale and were very pleased. The view was great and it was much more quiet (and less expensive).
One last word of advice: at the news stand in the train station you will want to buy enough bus tickets for your stay (at least 2 per person). You can get them from the bus driver but it costs more.
Have a wonderful trip!
Posted by
Clifton Park, ny, usa
109 posts
I do not have any special hotel or restaurant recommendations but we really loved Assisi. One place we really loved but do not hear much about is the Eremo delle Carceri. It is a very lovely wooded area outside of the town where St Francis is said to have spent time living in a cave amongst nature. There is a wonderful church, his cell, and a trail that is so peaceful. we came upon a group of pilgrims singing hymns during our walk. It was so beautiful and moving whether you are religious or not. You can check it out online.
Posted by
Daytona Beach, FL
223 posts
If you are in Umbria May 15, there is a fabulous festival in Gubbio. You can find info at www.ceri.it
Posted by
Athens, Georgia
65 posts
We spent 3 nites at the Hotel Duomo in Orvieto back in Feb.2008. We really enjoyed Orvieto and the Duomo is quite impressive. We spent an entire day exploring the town and it was one of the best days or our trip. I had mentioned in a previous posting that La Polamba was our favorite restaurant and we ate there 2 nites in a row. We did a daytrip to Assisi. Also spent a couple of hours in Todi on our last day. It was a nice town but after all the others we had visited in Tuscany and Umbria I didn't think it was anything exceptional. However, we did have a wonderful lunch at Umbria and their polenta con fungi e tartufo nero was my husband's favorite meal. They have a lovely terrace that wasn't open in the winter but would be a great place to eat in the summer.
Posted by
OP
Issaquah, Washington, USA
4 posts
Thank you for your kind suggestions. I'll post an itinery and follow up once decided.
Posted by
Columbus, OH, USA
2084 posts
Last September we stayed a few days in Perugia, from which we conveniently day tripped to Gubbio and Spoleto (by train) and to Assisi (by bus). We felt a day in each of these 3 towns was satisfactory and had a great time. In Perugia we stayed at a small, nice, and inexpensive place..Hotel Ercolano. Perugia was nice but not my favorite place; however, it made for a great base from which to visit other Umbrian towns.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32352 posts
Darrell, I'd also suggest a stay in Orvieto. It's a wonderful town with lots of history. The tour of St. Patrick's Well and Underground tour were both very interesting (at least IMHO). The Duomo was also very impressive, especially the Frescoes on the ceiling in the small room at the end (right side of the altar as I recall).
One other nice thing about Orvieto is that it provides an opportunity to visit one of Rick's favourite hill towns, Civita di Bagnoregio. It's about a one hour (or so) trip from Orvieto via Bus. Check the Civita website or Rick's books for details.
I found a really nice restaurant in Orvieto, but can't remember the name - will have to "dig out" my trip diary to see if I recorded the name. I had lunch at Antico Forno in Civita, and quite enjoyed it.
Another nice thing about Orvieto is that it's only about a one hour trip to Rome (if that's your next destination).
Happy travels!