Any recommendations for hotels in Oct. Also, are there tours to the countryside near Siena and Assisi?
Thanks.

Maxamam.....I've constantly recommended The Santa Caterina in Siena...as for Assisi, I suggest staying in nearby Perugia..Hotel Fortuna on the top of the hill near the main drag , Via Cornucci....lovely ivy-covered, beautifully decorated by the decorator-owner. Much much more happening in Perugia than in Assisi...you can visit the beautiul St. Francis cathedral on a day tour of which there are many leaving from Perugia.
Stu

Maxamarm,
The Continental and the Alma Domus are both inside the walls, one is $400 a night the other is $75. Need more information on your requirements.

And somewhere between $400. and $75. are the Palazzo Ravizza in Siena and the Hotel Umbra in Assisi.

The Palazzo Ravizza is within the walls -- which the Santa Caterina is not -- and close to anywhere you might want to go in Siena.

The Hotel Umbra is just off the main square in Assisi.

You can do a day trip from Perugia to Assisi very easily by train, but I would not suggest doing it with a tour. Why let your schedule be dictated by a tour group?

But given the choice between Perugia and Assisi, I would stay in Assisi, which is smaller and less modernized. There are many restaurants at all price levels. But if you are looking for night life, then Perugia is the better choice.

There are tours to the countryside from Florence, but not from Siena or Assisi, as far as I know.

The tiny and very picturesque hill town of Spello is about 10 minutes by train from Assisi.

We love the hotel La Fortezza in Assisi. The rooms are a little small but our room had a private patio. It's about 55 Euro per night but it's wonderfully clean and quaint. It's in the center of Assisi.
http://www.lafortezzahotel.com

I also liked La Fortezza, but I would caution that it's not for everyone. When we were there no one spoke English (not a problem, I pantomime my "Italian&quot, and it had those wet-the-entire-bathroom showers.

We thought it was charming and quaint. And we spent more on dinner at their restaurant than we did on our room.

Definitely not a luxury property, but I'd stay there again.

Oh, duh, pardon me! I meant La Pallotta, not La Fortezza. Oops.

I communicated by e-mail in English with the Fortezza and the son who was at the desk spoke English very well. We didn't eat at the restaurant. We asked the son for well priced local places........he didn't mention their restaurant hmmmmmm

It's a great price for a really nice place to stay.

Leely: OOOps, I guess I did a duh. I didn't read you post properly.

Ann,
I get those 2 (Pallotta, Fortezza) mixed up for some reason, even though I've only stayed in the one.

Regardless, I love Assisi.

Ann1, I'm surprised that the son at the desk did not mention La Fortezza's own restaurant to you; it DOES have a restaurant that is well reviewed in many guidebooks. We are talking about the same place: up the stairs to the right if you are facing the Temple of Minerva on the main piazza in Assisi?

Leely, I didn't stay at La Pallotta, but I did enjoy eating there: down a few stairs from the main piazza in Assisi?

Yes, Eloise, that's where the Pallotta restaurant is. You get a 10% discount when you stay at the hotel. As I mentioned above, we (a party of four) spent more on that meal than we did on 2 rooms at the hotel.

And, as you probably know, it's not a particularly expensive restaurant.

Eloise: We knew about the restaurant at La Fortezza, but we asked for economical restaurants where just locals go. I think he didn't mention their restaurant because it isn't economical and since it's in the center, probably not a lot of locals go there. We like to go out of the way. That's what I meant about the fact that he didn't mention it. It is a great place to stay, though.

Leely, yes, I know La Pallotta is "not a particularly expensive" restaurant; I would even go so far as to say that it is "inexpensive." But very good, and the staff are pleasant.

Ann1, that makes sense; I know La Fortezza's restaurant is more high-end than not. I thought of going there but decided not to.

My husband, son and I stayed at Fortezza in 2000. We had a huge room on the hotel's 1st floor with 2 double iron beds and a full private bath. It was so cheap! It was located on the opposite side of town from St. Francis basilica. Right off the piazza commune. Loved it.

No one recommending La Fontebella anymore? Are there problems with it?