kybourbon

Orvieto really isn't convenient from the other towns in Umbria you've mentioned. The drive is curvy, you get bogged down behind other drivers, etc. It takes longer than what google says. I also think Gubbio is out of the way compared to the other towns you've listed. Perhaps it was the route we took. We did park free in Gubbio (around a bus station maybe), but had to walk a distance.

I think the only place we had to pay to park other than Perugia was Assisi. All the small towns (Deruta, Bevagna, Montefalco, Trevi, etc.) we could easily find a free spot. It's easy to pop off the road between Perugia and Spoleto and visit lots of small hill towns. You can see many of them from the highway. Orvieto and Gubbio are the outliers. Perhaps visit Orvieto as you are leaving Spoleto on your way to Rome depending on what time the rental car location closes.

annw

Here's a photo from an Italian fFB friend's post -- it's the fountain you can see on the right side of the google earth photo above.

ciaociao

Thanks KY. We will save Orvieto for a day trip. That settles that topic . Gubbio has been put on the next time list because it does look like it's definitely out of the way.

Ann, that's the picture of Perugia, correct?

Here's another question for y'all. We are flying into Rome. Definitely want to stay in Spoleto for 3-5 nights and do some day trips. If you were me, where would you spend Christmas (23, 24, 25, 26, could drop the 26th) between Rome and Spoleto. I don't know why but the more I read about Perugia the less I think I want to spend 3-4 days there. I hope I'm not offending anyone our sounding completely nave. Then again, maybe Perugia is the place....We do enjoy cities with great food, shopping, beautiful architecture/churches, art, etc. I don't know why it's not settling with me. A few years ago we spent Christmas in Bologna before going to Val D'Orcia. Stayed in Siena and then moved to Montepulciano to visit Pienza, Montalcino, etc.

Dio Mio.......

ciaociao

meant to add this above. other places for christmas. might not make logical sense. seems like siena could work, even though we've been. i think volterra and san gim are too far. not sure what else would be in our path.

annw

Siena sounds great; lovely city as you know -- pedestrianized center as with many of the cities and towns. Agree about Volterra--lovely but quite a ways out IIRC. Been to Pienza? And did you cross Assisi off the list?

annw

BTW was just reading somewhere that Rome is a bit chaotic at Christmas but also lively -- and, it sounded like, crowded.

ciaociao

Hi Ann, Happy Saturday! Assisi is still on the list I probably forgot to include it. Based on what i've read, it doesn't sound like we would want to base there (maybe to touristy, too heavy on religious side, etc.). Thanks for the vote for Siena. I have to make a decision here.. Perugia, Siena, or xyz over Christmas before moving to Spoleto and environs.

We actually spent NY in Rome a few years before the pandemic and we really had a wonderful time. Sometimes the first is always the best but I'm hoping it will be as good as it was before. We had dinner and then went to Hassler atop the spanish steps and had drinks, listened to music and then stepped outside to see fireworks. We walked back to our airbnb by the Pantheon and were surrounded by families and "normal" people. We commented on how we could never do this in the states because everyone goes crazy. fingers crossed.

HappyTrvlr

We spent two weeks in Spello and would love to return. We did a day trip to Perugia, beautiful city, but we were glad we were not staying due to the hassle of elevator or stairs down the hill to garage, etc. It seemed like a huge hassle. We had an included parking space at the top of Spello which was so easy to use.

ciaociao

Hi HappyTrvlr! We are really excited to go to Spello. It sounds like a beautiful town. I know Spring or Summer would be even prettier but we are still looking forward to going there. Based on everything you folks are saying, if we decide to base in Perugia for Christmas, we will most likely stay in town and not do any day trips due to the hassle. We have to decide if Perugia will hold our enthusiasm and curiosity for 3-4 days, which I know probably sounds stupid to even say because I know it's a beautiful city with great restaurants, shops, the duomo and other sights. I'm sure it will be beautiful at Christmas as well.

ciaociao

It's me again. I promise that I will stop the insanity and quit asking stupid questions BUT.....I have one more final request. Originally, we were thinking of staying in Orvieto over Christmas and then moving to Spoleto because we wanted two different bases so we could really experience the towns in the evening and the restaurants. Somehow, I got off track because I think someone may have suggested that the distances or drive time from Rome to Orvieto and then Orvieto to Spoleto didn't make much sense in terms of logistics. So here's my final questions (yes, i need a life line ;-).

I will check again but what do you think about driving from Rome to Orvieto for Christmas. When I look up the drive time it shows 1.5 hrs from Rome to Orvieto. We would stay there for 3-4 nights probably and then go to Spoleto (which looks like 1 hr 15 min) stay for 4-5 nights and then drive to Rome and drop car off. We've driven into Rome before so we are ok with that and enjoy stopping along the way. How does that sound and do you think Orvieto would be fun and enough to do/open over Christmas? If Orvieto, what part of town should we look to stay in?

Thanks for listing and responding. Cheers!

Jean

If you're coming off an overnight flight, I definitely wouldn't drive any farther than Orvieto. The drive is at least 90 minutes, not counting reaching your hotel and/or parking. FWIW, I'd rather be in Orvieto with a car than in Perugia without a car.

I don't think anyone who has commented about any particular town has visited at Christmas, so I doubt any of us really knows if "enough" will be open. You can do some research on the popular sights in Orvieto and try to determine their open/closed schedule over the holiday. Duomo, underground, St. Patrick's Well, Etruscan stuff, views from the Torre, etc.... If you're not cooking, you'll need dinner reservations every night. (There are a few restaurants in town that are located in ancient caves.) You're only talking about 2-3 days there, and I suspect the 25th and 26th are very quiet everywhere.

kybourbon

**If you're not cooking, you'll need dinner reservations every night.**

I've never needed reservations when I've stayed in Orvieto, but that might be different for Christmas time.

**If Orvieto, what part of town should we look to stay in?**

The top/hill town is small. Bigger than somewhere like Pienza or Montalcino, but I would think you could walk side-to-side in 15-20 minutes (Pienza is more like 5 minutes across). Orvieto is pretty flat similar to Pienza except the first bit from the top of the funicular. Once you reach the Duomo area, it's fairly flat. There are the 2 buses from the top of the funicular with one going to the Duomo (bus A) and that side with the other going to the opposite side (bus B). If staying towards the back half, ask if they include parking in the big lot (Campo della Fiera) with the escalators. In the front half, check the train station parking (I'm pretty sure it's free). There are other lots including one near the Duomo, but I would imagine they are more expensive. FYI - The funicular only runs about 8a-8p.

034_UrbMin_Inv_Orvieto.PDF

Campo della Fiera

Jean

I've never needed dinner reservations in Orvieto either, but I'm assuming Christmas Eve, Night and the 26th ARE different. Everywhere, not just Orvieto.

HappyTrvlr

Be aware that some restaurants may closed

ciaociao

Thanks again you guys. Ky, thanks for all the details on Orvieto. Very helpful. Thank goodness we still have a little time. It's kind of between Siena and Orvieto now. Sadly, the airbnb we stayed at in Siena is already booked. I think both towns will be wonderful over Christmas. We will plan to eat out on Christmas and will stay in and cook for Christmas. We are so excited and thankful for everyone's help. Many of you have already said, "we can't really go wrong". We will have a great time regardless. However, because of your help we will be making more informed decisions. I have a few guidebooks which help but not as much as this forum! I will stay in touch. If you have any other comments or shared experiences, I'm always listening.

Jean

If you pick Siena, look into flying into Pisa or Florence Peretola. The drive from Rome FCO to Siena is too far/long after an overnight flight... probably 3.5 hours.

There are a couple of buses a day from FCO to Siena which MIGHT work with your arrival time, but the ride is 3+ hours and vulnerable to traffic delays. By train, it's 4.5 or more hours with at least 2 changes, but IMO trains are more comfortable than buses for longer rides. There once was bus service between Pisa Airport and Siena, but I'm unable to find any info on that. Perhaps not (yet) restarted post-Covid.

The drive from Pisa Airport to Siena is close to 2 hours (about the same by train). From Florence Peretola, about 1.5 hours (slightly longer by train). If you arrive Siena by train, you would likely need/want to taxi to your lodging which could add as much as 30 minutes depending on distance. If you pick up the car at either Pisa or Florence airports and return it in Rome, there will likely be a one-way surcharge.