Planning a trip in June/July 2011 for two weeks. We are starting out in Lucca for our first two days and then on to Cinque Terre (which is why I have to plan so early) for four nights. its then on to San G and Siena for 3-4 nights including the Palio and touring Tuscany for a few days with a tour guide we have used a few times in the past. We have 4-5 more days and Umbria has been recommended.
We enjoy medieval towns, castles, scenery, hiking and of course wine. Which town should we base ourselves? We will not have a car but we have been in contact with a private tour driver who will drive us in Umbria therefore a town with restaurants and places to walk are important factors. which towns should we visit and how many days should we plan for? Any suggestions for hotels (4*)? Is it easier getting to Rome or Florence for our plane ride home? Thanks

Check out Orvieto,which is on the rail line between Florence and Rome. About an hour from Rome. Start with a travel book about the area (you can check them out at your local library before you decide to buy). Check Umbria and Orvieto web sites. Another nice choice is Perugia, although it is a longer trip to Rome from there.

Orvieto is very nice and beautifully quite at night, but as a main base I'd consider Perugia. Lots to see & do, and good connections to other cities.

Without a car, Perugia is your best option for transport connections.

Another vote for Perugia.

We have based in Perugia and Spoleto on trips and loved them both. If you know the towns/cities you wish to visit, you might look at the Italian train site and see which city affords the most direct (i.e., shortest, cheapest) links.

We will probably have a tour guide for 2 of the days so location as well as access to restaurants for dinner and places to walk at night have the most importance. We will probably leave from there to Rome for the flight back so train access is also key. Does Perugia fill the bill?

Looking quickly at morning times to the Rome Terminal (RT) here are some times from 3 cities:

From Perugia, 3 hours to RT
From Spoleto, 2 hours to RT
Venice, 1.5 hours to RT

Not knowing your time frames, these are only guidelines and you'd have to get to airport as well. Orvieto is even closer.

From Spoleto, we trained to Assisi, Orvieto and Spello

From Perugia by bus, Gubbio, Todi, Deruta and Passignano sur Trasimeno. We hired a driver for Montepulciano and Montelcino because bus times not good for us without spending the nights.

Good luck!

Ended up returning to the U.S. via Rome. Couldn't get worse flights 10 months in advance, but that's what happens with frequent flyer tix. Looks like Perugia is the odds on favorite as per above. Any recommendations for 4* hotels (or really nice 3+)?

hi all, I need a little advice going to umbria and tuscany June 2011.for 4 days. We plan to start in Rome and hire a car and drive up to Orvietto, then Deruta (as I'm really interested in Ceramics and their manufacturing and majiolica )then off to Perugia. This is in 1 day staying somewhere just outside city Perugia at Brufani Palace hotel(2 nights) (anyone been any comments??) Day 2 drive to Gubbio and maybe spello then back to Perugia. Are we fitting too much in?
Day 3 we head off to Siena spend a little time there and head off to San gimignano for over night stay Santa Chiara hotel 2 nights(again anyone been any comments?)Day 4 head off Voltera, and Montelupo (again more ceramics)then back for overnight stay in San gimi.Is there other suggestions for Itenary are we doing too much? Day 5 head off to Florence for connection to fly into Athens.Any other reccomendations for Accomadations?

I've stayed at Brufani Palace and as I recall it is 4*. It has lovely rooms and gorgeous views; it's at the upper/old town of Perugia. Hotel Fortuna is another favorite with Fodorites and I've also stayed there but if you want 4* Fortuna is not it.

I've stayed in Perugia (without any car) twice and IMO it is an excellent hub. The train rolls into the lower town area and it's probably a 10 Euro ride to the top/Brufani. Also, a few yards from the train station is a very cool little red shuttle/tram which goes to the top/old town, but when you first arrive I'd go for the taxi. For other trips by train the shuttle works great.

One thing about Perugia is not to miss the system of escalators getting up and down town (it is definitely a hill town!). They are not obvious.

The food is great in Perugia and anywhere else in Umbria I've been--Assisi, Spello, and Orvieto. I also loved Orvieto and it could be well worth a stop or overnight on your way to Rome (it's right on the line to Rome, but it is again a hill town with a tram ride up and then a taxi probably to your hotel from tram stop). Assisi is IMO well worth a visit especially early or late in the day--the original St. Francis church is near the train station, and again the main town/basilica is up the hill. There's a place for left luggage at the tobacco shop at the train station.

On the subject of trains I think above post may be in error -- it's more than 1.5 hours Venice to Rome, more like 3.5; it's 1.5 to Florence from Rome by express train and 2 on other trains; Venice is a ways northeast of Florence.

What I like about Perugia in addition to its being central/a hub is that it's somewhat lively being a college town (in fact one visit was during that notorious murder trial of that odd American young woman, a bit too lively there with the press and all). On that topic, when you take the train in don't stop at the station near the colleges before getting into town; wait for the main Perugla station. It has a great Passiagiata, shops, restaurants, etc. as well as museums, Etruscan leftovers, and fabulous architecture.

One option is to base in Perugia and use the driver to see some of the smaller towns--for example, Assisi and Spello are near each other but the train connections would slow you down from what could otherwise be a day visit; lunch or dinner in Spello is well worth it IMO. You could use the train to go from Perugia to Orvieto and then to Rome.

ceramicgirl I don't know as much about the Tuscany part of your trip, but did you mean to say that Brufani Palace is outside Perugia city limits? The Brufani Palace I stayed in is right at one end of the upper old town of Perugia.

thanks annw. I'm sure its the same Hotel.So is the hotel above the city of perugia and you do need to get into a train or tram to enter the city?

@ Ceramicgirl, the main center of (old) Perugia is on a hill, and the Brufani is at one end of the main drag. It's a great location. The train station is down below, so when you get off the train you can take a short cab ride (if you have a lot of luggage) or take the escalators up if you don't have much.

thanks Alan64, we are hiring a car and travelling into perugia and staying there for 2 nights, so we dont have the hassel with trains, or cabs.
Any one been to San Gimingnano and places around??Again we still have the car to get around.