Umbria - recommendations and advice?

It is not to be missed that is Assisi. Yes it is well known but very special.

We also love Orvieto, another hill town closer to Rome. It's especially popular picking up and returning Hertz rental cars when going from and to Rome--70 miles by train. The Hertz office is across the street from the train station.

Umbria is a lovely place, and it's just south of Tuscany. You won't be able to tell the difference between them. Orvieto to Siena may be about 90 minutes drive--relatively close.

Spello, Montefalco and Bevagna can probably all be seen in the same day. Perugia, Gubbio and Spoleto are all worth exploring. You can even get to Urbino (Le Marche) for a day trip.

If you will be in Umbria in late May or June I would try to visit the piano grande in the Sibbilini mountains. The drive up from Norcia is wonderful and in June the wild flowers on the piano grande are extraordinary. Of course one must have a car. The views from Castelluchio are lovely.

Another idea for a special place to stay is the Montegualandro...an historical castle that once belonged to Charlemagne. It is refurbished and has 4 apartments in the wall. The apartments are really neat and some are bigger than others.The closest town of any size is Cortona which is where we shopped for groceries.

I don't want you to get your hopes too high. When it comes to "non-touristy" these days, you reeeeeally have to go off the beaten path and Umbria would have some pockets that would fit, but let me encourage you to go to some amazing places that are discovered but still worth it. In particular, Assisi and Orvieto are lovely. Assisi is especially crowded on the weekends, so try to go mid-week.

I suggest you check out Santi Terzi and/or Poggia.

Google Santi Terzi, a villa in the little town of San Gemini, Umbria. I mean IN the town. You step out the front door and you are in the main piazza of the town. Great place to meet and talk with local Italians. Shops and restaurants in town. Wonderful experience.

It is close to Terni and all the places mentioned in these posts are within easy driving distance. Go to Montefalco, Spoleto, Deruta and Todi too. You can take the train from Narni to Rome if you want to visit the big city.

You will.enjoy Umbria.

Thank you all so much! You've given me quite a few things to research.

Sara
Here is the website for the Poggia which would house your family for a week if available.
http://www.palazzosantiterzi.it/casadelpoggio.htm

I love Umbria! Todi is one of my favorite places, as is Gubbio. Good that you will have a car. Also love Orvieto, Assisi and Spello. When you see a tower on top of a hill, drive toward it!

If you visit Spello do the aquaduct walk to Collepino and have lunch inthe restaurant there. Spello can also make a great base as it is fairly central. Also agree with Jane about Norcia and the area around it.

I've stayed in Citta Della Pieve for a couple of nights and loved it. It's off the tourist beaten path. We were only a handful of tourists there. The restaurants we ate at were amazing and not loaded up with tourist food. it's in Umbria just on the border with Tuscany.

We have stayed in Spello, which is next door to Assisi (be sure to eat at Il Pinturicchio), Montepulciano and Spoleto in Umbria. We love the area but it is not without tourists. We have visited Gubbio (just the drive is fabulous), Trevi, Todi (delicious lunch at Jacopone), Montefalco (watched olive oil being pressed and bought several bottles to take home), Perugia (think Baci chocolates!), Deruta (ceramic factory), Norcia (it snowed while we were there and it's all about wild boar or cinghiale everything). Foligno (lentil growing) We usually rent a house or apartment and have started using Airbnb with wonderful experiences in Europe and Morocco. It's an incredible area for pasta, that you have never seen before, olive oil, wines, ceramics, fresh ricotta, vegetables that smell and taste
so incredible. You will have an adventure!

If you plan to visit Orvieto, you can drive to Civita of Bagnoregio - a hilltown like no other. I first saw this 'town' on a Rick Steve's show while we were planning our 2012 trip to Umbria. Turned to my husband and said, "We must go there"! We stayed in Bevagna at a B&B for 5 days and visited Assisi, Spello, Bevagna and Norcia as well as Civita and Orvieto. I think driving took up more time than we anticipated. Also look to see which towns are having festivals and participate. Each town has their own uniqueness and I think you will really enjoy Umbria.

Thank you all! One final question, which would you recommend:
1 - choosing one town to stay in for a week or so and doing day trips to various towns
2 - spending only 1-2 nights in each town and travelling around
Thanks!

When we were there, we rented a house very near Castiglione del Lago. We were able to get to all the places I mentioned, as well as a number in Tuscany. If you aren't going to go into Tuscany, you could consider a location a little further east, but it is totally feasible to stay in just one place. I wouldn't waste time packing up and moving every couple of days.

Sara, to your last question I would say, helpfully, "neither". Especially for a family with kids, I would not recommend packing up and changing lodging every night or even two. But, staying in just one spot for a full week or more could be limiting, or mean that you spend an awful lot of time in the car and on the road. I would suggest dividing your time between two places, maybe one around Orvieto and another closer to Assisi, ideally an agriturismo, apartment or other inn that has a pool and free parking.