After an early morning arrival at FCO we are driving to Orvieto for a one night rest and refresh before we head further north to Spello. I have read the reviews of Hotel Virgilio and it sounds great, but I tend to be skeptical of reviews.

Have any fodorites stayed there or familiar with it? Hotel Duomo seems like a no brainer, especially with their parking garage, but the Virgilio looks slghtly upscale and fresh and will arrange for parking. Price is the same for my dates. Location for both is comparable apparently. Any thoughts?

iamq,

I haven't stayed there, but the location is good and the pics on Trip Advisor look very nice.

If I remember correctly, this is your first trip to Italy...can you sleep on planes? I can't, so I've never tried to drive upon arrival.

If this might be an issue for you, you could pick up your car in Orvieto. Train from FCO to Termini and then to Orvieto. Timewise it might work out about the same and you would save the airport pick up fee. Just a thought!

Do try to take the underground tour of Orvieto. It's very interesting and unique!

Where are you staying in Spello? Another of my favorites!
Buon viaggio!

Sorry didn't notice Virgilio when I was in Orvieto last year or so. I did stay at Hotel Duomo, where the room was very nicely updated; it's a small family owned type place with competent if not warm service, and yes, location location location. (I took the train, though, so can't report on car issues.)

Please report back if you try Virgilio!

Being on the main piazza can be noisy (cars whisking through, but mostly on the opposite side of the Duomo and in front - not on the side this hotel is on) so I would check reviews for noise. When I was there in September, there was a band (rock) setting up on the side of the piazza in front of those hotels.

There is free parking behind the train station. You just take the funicular (on the front side of the train station) up to the hill town. The lot is large and you shouldn't have a problem finding a spot. You can either walk to Piazza Duomo once you are up top or take the little local bus. Ticket for funicular and bus is 1€.

Some hotels give you a pass to park at Campo della Fiera (Foro Boario), but I don't think it would be very convenient for your hotel so I would ask where they are providing parking. Campo della Fiera is halfway up the hill and connected by escalators up to the city, but is on the far side of Orvieto.

Thanks ann and Dayle. This is our second trip to Italy. First was a week in Rome in April 2007.

Yes, Dayle we use drugs to sleep on long overnight flights and it works well for us. Our FCO bound flight is from ORD and that will give us enough time to get settled on board, pop our ambiens and hopefully get up to 7 hours of sleep. The drive to Orvieto is less than two hours, so we're not looking at a real long trip. I've thought about the train to Orvieto/pick up car in Orvieto option and we may still end up doing it that way, but I have a feeling I will want to hit the road as as soon as possible once we get there. I have plenty of time to make that decision. In Spello we are staying here in the Augustus apartment.

http://www.italybackroads.com/

ann, thanks for the great information about the Hotel Duomo. We may just end up staying there as I said it seems like a safe bet, even if for a just a one night stay. I can't wait to see Orvieto! We will pack in as much as we can in the short time we'll be there, including the underground tour. The plan is to stick around until just after lunch the next day and then move on. That will give us time for two lunches, one dinner and multiple gelato hits during our 24 or so hours there.

kybourbon, so you're suggesting bypassing parking in town altogether to avoid driving in town and just leave the car below at train station? That's an interesting idea. Walking to the hotel would probably be a good thing right about that time as we will have been sitting in a car for a while. Stretching the legs and all. Thanks.

I don't recall negative comments about noise being an issue in reviews of either of those hotels, but I will go back and look again.

I had great meals in Orvieto but found mine by wandering, though the Hotel Duomo recommends Vinosus, right next to them and to the Duomo, with outdoor dining; I know some other posters have commented on specific and well known restaurants there.

There's a street right down from the Duomo/Piazza/hotel that is actually about perpendicular to a more major main drag a couple of blocks away, and of course a lot of shops (ceramics, leather, textiles were those I noted) along with Tabacs, banks, etc.

I was just there overnight but I really enjoyed Orvieto (and Spello!).

As KYB mentioned there is abundant parking by the train station at the lower area. you then take a funicular as noted. However, you would *then* take a bus (which leaves from right in front of the funicular stop) a bit more to the Duomo/Piazza. You would then roll your bags across the Piazza to I think the first street on your right past the piazza - of course they can tell you specifically, whichever hotel you end up at). I agree on checking about where the parking is located. It really might be more convenient to use funicular/bus, even with bags.

It's not difficult (or far) to walk (unless you have heavy bags) once you've reached Piazza Cahen, but it is uphill (not terribly steep). Just follow Corso Cavour from Piazza Cahen. You will see signs to the Duomo once you are on Cavour.

If you are planning to visit some of the sites in Orvieto, there is a pass which includes many of the sites (some tours also - I think the underground is included), the funicular, buses and parking (not sure which parking). The cost was 12€ so you would have to check current prices (ask your hotel) and see if it's worth it for the things you plan to see.

This website tells a bit about the pass, but I'm not sure it's up to date.
http://www.orvietoonline.com/carta_orvieto_unica.html

Thanks you guys. You're getting me excited.

Any feedback on the hotel out there?

iamq,

One more hotel reco for you. We stayed at the Palazzo Piccolomini**** and really liked it. It is one of the old palaces of the Piccolomini family. Frescos on the ceiling and all.

The nice thing about the location is that it is at the opposite end of town from the funiculare. AND, up the underground escalators from the parking structure. There are multipule escalators that go right from the parking structure, up, up, up (very cool) and you come out right at the small piazza for the hotel.

While we were there:

1/2 day trip to Civita di Bagnoreggio
underground tour & Duomo of course
explored the Etruscan tomb excavation site below town
wandered, shopped and had some fabulous meals!

We dropped our car at Orvieto Hertz which is just a block from the train station.

Where ever you end up, you'll love it.

Buon viaggio!

Thanks Dayle. We should be there by 12 noon or one on the first day and plan to leave after lunch on the second day. Do you think we'll have enough time to do the things you mentioned?

I will look into the Piccolomini. I have heard great things about it on this board on other boards.

I think you will only have time for part of it. To me, the highlights were the duomo and underground tour and Civita di Bagnoreggio. If you are driving from FCO and feel like it, it might make more sense to stop at Civita on the way to Orvieto. It was about a 25 min drive southwest to Civita from Orvieto.

Also, the underground tour was given 2x a day in English. Once in AM and once in PM. Check the times as soon as your arrive and see about buying a ticket in advance if they recommend it.

The passagiata in Orvieto is a true, local experience. Be sure to enjoy.

Strolling around this beautiful town is a real treat. One morning we poked our heads into a small church along the way. It was empty and under restoration. A gentleman in a suit appeared. Turned out he was the President of the local restoration society and he gave us a private tour of the recently discovered and very ancient frescos in a back room of the chuch. These are the best memories!

I think you will only have time for part of it. To me, the highlights were the duomo and underground tour and Civita di Bagnoreggio. If you are driving from FCO and feel like it, it might make more sense to stop at Civita on the way to Orvieto. It was about a 25 min drive southwest to Civita from Orvieto.

Also, the underground tour was given 2x a day in English. Once in AM and once in PM. Check the times as soon as your arrive and see about buying a ticket in advance if they recommend it.

The passagiata in Orvieto is a true, local experience. Be sure to enjoy.

Strolling around this beautiful town is a real treat. One morning we poked our heads into a small church along the way. It was empty and under restoration. A gentleman in a suit appeared. Turned out he was the President of the local restoration society and he gave us a private tour of the recently discovered and very ancient frescos in a back room of the chuch. These are the best memories!

Oops, sorry! I don't know how that happened.

One other thing - we did a day trip to Deruta and Todi while staying in Orvieto too. Depending on your route to Spello, you might want to stop in Todi. One of my favorite hilltowns (so far)!

Thanks Dayle! We'll do as much as we can in the short time we'll be there. We could always return.

Todi is on the docket of places to visit, along with Assisi, Gubbio, Norcia, Trevi, Montefalco, Bevagna, The Piano Grande...and on and on.

grazie mille

Hey Dayle, the Piccolomini looks fantastic and just shot to the top of the list. Love the modern touches. Thanks for the rec.

I am on the fence about Deruta. We will probably visit the upper town, but I don't want to get sucked into a bunch of showrooms selling crap. On slowtrav there is mention of a good manufacturer and showroom I think in the upper town that just happens to be right next door to a good restuarant. That's a combo I can live with.

When I was in Orvieto in September, not all of the escalators from the Campo parking lot were working. If parking there, you might have to carry your luggage up some stairs.

Of course, the funicular from the train station wasn't working either. It was having scheduled maintenance which was supposed to take a couple of weeks in June. It appeared they were about to get it running again after three months as they were doing test runs in September.

We weren't sucked into any showrooms in Deruta. The town was quite deserted as were most of the towns we visited in the area.

iamq,

Our visit to Deruta was done on a Sunday (mistake) and without research. We shopped along the lower, newer part of town and were disappointed in the quality of what we saw. One factory was quite interesting though - it was a place that specialized in patio tables and large, outdoor pots. Amazing! Did not buy anything. Now I know better, and would have headed up to the upper town......

Another great memory was Todi on a Sunday. The whole town was enjoying a pro skatboard show on the piazza!! Gigantic, tall ramps in front of the ancient stone buildings. Wonderful!

Ira always touts this restaurant in Orvieto. It's on my list, but after multiple trips, I've yet to eat there.

http://www.isetteconsoli.it/

kyb, isetteconsoli has been on my radar screen too, but there seems to be so many good restauarants in Ovieto, it is going to be hard to decide where to eat during our short time there. Any reccomendations from past experience?