Where to stay and what to see in Umbria

Guide books, such as Ricks, cover what to see and where to stay in detail; dozens of pages, lots more than you're going to get in a few paragraphs of replies.

"lots more than you're going to get in a few paragraphs of replies."

Mike is right in his post. On this kind of question ("what to see in Umbria"), we simply can't give you what you need in the small space and time we have here. Books have been written on this subject and you need one of 'em. Please don't rely on the little bit we can tell you here.

Here's a link from another part of this site

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/italy/italy_menu.htm

scroll down to Tuscany & Umbria. That will get you started, then take Mike's advice.

...but you can get some recommendations here, of course.

We LOVED Spello. Beautiful old stone buildings that haven't changed in a thousand years. Spello and Umbria never saw wealth on the level of Tuscany, so they didn't cover their buildings with colored stucco. I much prefer the look of their stone.

Seeing Spello is like you're walking along the ridge of a mountain. You start at the bottom and walk up the hill as far as you care to go. The town isn't very wide if you turn left or right. It's like a shotgun house: you walk in the front door, just keep walking straight (up) and you pretty much see the whole place.

We were about the only tourists in town. I think it's like that most of the time. It's a big contrast to Assisi, also a nice place but packed with tourists.

We also liked Montefalco and Todi.

We traveled by train from Rome to Assisi then to Florence. Assisi (in Umbria) was spectacular. It is the quintessential Italian village - peaceful, quaint, historic (Basilica San Francesco is awesome in the mid to late afternoon after the all the tour buses have come and gone. We stayed at the Hotel Berti, perfectly located and very sweet, for one night. We took the little local mini bus to the tip top of Assisi and then wandered all the way back down on foot and thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the village and the views of the valley. It was a wonderful respite after the intensity of Rome. Remember, it's the old village on the upper hill, to visit. Not the "town" of Assisi.

Pallazzo Bocci

We spent a week at an agriturismo right outside of Assisi and really enjoyed Spello, Montefalco and Todi. Gubbio is also lovely. One day we drove to Civita and Orvieto.

We spent several days last September visiting Umbria. We stayed in Perugia, and from there took day trips to Assisi (by bus) and Spoleto and Gubbio (by train). The folks at the TI office were very helpful. Convenient connections and relatively short distances made them all easy and enjoyable. Perugia itself wasn't a big favorite, but it has many sights and made a great base for exploring the region. In Perugia we stayed at the Hotel Sant'Ercolano... not fancy but nice, and quite reasonably priced. If you go to Perugia, find out about the mini metro, which makes moving up and down from town to ground a lot simpler. Have a great trip wherever you travel.

Funny, I posted a question like this about Munich, asking readers here for suggestions, and got REAMED by Kent and Jo. Like I wasn't allowed to ask readers for suggestions of what they like and what to see. Jo posted that I was lazy to ask, that I was not willing to do the work myself and was asking the readers to do the work for me.

I only asked for what the people on this board liked, so I could see if I missed something in my planning.

Glad the readers so far are responding to your question with answers and not criticism.

Have a wonderful time in Umbria, I'd recommend Orvieto -, one of my favorite towns (see St Patricks well, and shop for ceramics) Montefalco is off the radar here, but is very small, quaint and has some great fabric shops. Perugia is the chocolate capital of this region- Bacci (kiss in Italian)

Basing in Orvieto for a night or two gives you good access to this region.

Have a wonderful trip!

I did 3 days in Umbria this past May with La Pallotta in Assisi as my base. Very nice hotel, and their nearby restaurant is great too. That worked well with a car, but may not work as well if using public transportation. Did a trip to Gubbio and Urbino one day and visited Spello, Bevagna and Montefalco another. Stopped in Cortona on my way to Tuscany (it's just as you enter). Really enjoyed Assisi in the evening - far less touristy than during the day.

Assisi is a great town to visit. We stayed for several nights at the Hotel Ideale. A small hotel on the opposite end of town from the Cathedral. We had a nice room with a terrace overlooking the valley and town.

Joyce,

I'd also suggest Orvieto as a "home base" for your stay in Umbria. From there you can take day trips to Civita di Bagnoregio (one of Rick's favourite hill towns) or other locations in that area.

Orvieto is a smaller town with an interesting history. The Duomo is beautiful (especially the ceiling frescoes in the room at the end by the altar).

Be sure to have a look at St. Patrick's Well in Orvieto. The double helix design was an incredible engineering feat, considering when it was built. The Underground tour is quite interesting also.

Happy travels!

Several years ago we stayed in Perugia at the Hotel Fortuna and we were very satisfied. WE used Perugia as a base and explored Assisi, Gubbio, and other parts of Umbria. Perugia itself is a beautiful hill town. The hotel was just 50 meters from one of the main piazzas. You would be close to Orvieto, Arezzo, and other central Italy destinations.

Buon viaggio,

RB

Thank you to all who have provided suggestions of towns to see and places to stay. Guide books help but it is nice to get information from other sources of things that were interesting to see and do.