How difficult Pienza/Assisi by car
 

DH and I in Tuscany 2 weeks in May, with the first week in Pienza (our second visit to this area). Would like to daytrip to Assisi. Is it an easy trip by car? If not, is there bus service from Pienza? Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has already done this.

Hi ninosgirl...lucky girl...we loved Tuscany and especially liked Pienza and that general area.

Just a question as to where you are spending your second week. Umbria is lovely and has many beautiful towns to visit. Assisi is approx an hour and a half from Pienza perhaps more depending on traffic and stops.

Umbria makes a perfect compliment to Tuscany. We stayed in the area of Spello for 3 nights and loved it. We visited Spoleto, Trevi, Assisi, Brevagna, Montefalco and stayed in Spello.

Here are my photos in case you want to have a look.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/crazy4travel/main?view=1

Enjoy your trip planning

When we stayed at La Saracina, outside Pienza, we easily daytripped to Assisi, Perugia, Gubbio and even Norcia.

We are spending 2nd week near Greve in an agriturismo. We spent a week in Orvieto in 2003. with another couple who did the driving, and did a daytrip from there to Assisi but barely skimmed the surface (I didn't even own a computer back then and knew very little about Assisi but wanted to see the Basilica). That is why we really want to go back and see the other churches, etc, and also revisit the Basilica. I agree that Umbria is a beautiful area also, but my heart belongs to Tuscany.

Crazy4Travel: Your pictures are great! I just looked at a few of them, and realized that I had seen them before as a result of a previous post of yours and I have them in my "favorites". Thanks.

I understand your love affair with Tuscany...I fell in love with it too!! I thought Pienza was a lovely town and that entire region is picture perfect.

The town of Assisi is more charming than I expected...I think you could easily do a day trip there from Pienza and feel like you've completed your visit. I urge you to try and visit Spello if you have any extra time. You can see the town in 2 hours.

It sounds like you have a good plan in the works. Enjoy your holiday.

I second the suggestion to see Spello. We really enjoyed our short time there - just a very beautiful little village. We also liked Pienza -think you will enjoy staying there. Very easy to daytrip to Assisi from there (but don't miss Spello!).

To me, the perfect thing would be to visit Spello for dinner, after spending the day in Assisi. Spello has a couple of outstanding restaurants and you could go there when the shops are still open, walk a bit, then eat. Of course, that would limit wine intake, due to the drive back to Pienza!