Need help on how to go to Perugia
 

Hi. What will be the closest airport in order to get to Perugia? Is my only choice is rent a car?

Where are you coming from?

Have you tried working this the other way -- which is to say, to ask wherever you are going in Perugia (hotel, school, relative) for advice? There may be busses from airports you could take that few tourists know about.

Florence may be the closest major airport and trains run regularly from Florence to Perugia.

No, no. Not Florence! There's an airport in Perugia! It's got regular connections to Milan, London and Barcelona, but not Rome or Paris or New York. That's why I asked the starting point. But I believe there is a bus that goes right from the Rome airport to Perugia, and there may be one from the airport in Firenze -- which would make going into town to get a train time-consuming.

I would like Perugia be my base and from there perhaps rent a car to go to nearby towns.
I'll be coming from Los Angeles

Zepp - i guess i thought Perugia too hilly for a major airport - thanks for correction

I based a week in Perugia sans car and took buses or trains to Gubbio, Todi, Urbino, Assisi and Cortona -really frequent cheap buses and local trains - in case you think you can't day trip to lots of neat places by the excellent public transit

So there are good public transportation available in Perugia then..no need to rent a car?

http://www.perugiaonline.com/reach_perugia_by_air.html

http://www.perugiaonline.com/

There is no need to rent a car to reach any day trip site it seems

but that don't mean there is no reason to rent a car - depends on other factors - affordability being one - these local trains and buses are dirt cheap and good and frequent and reliable... but some folks always want to drive and don't like to depend on public transit

but IMO not if you just want to visit the main places - buses take the same roads as cars so you also see the Umbrian countryside.

While a bus may take the same roads, it might not be at a convenient time.

these buses go at least hourly or did when i was there - sometimes more

sometimes time economy with a car is not so great either - esp if during tourist season you have to park down below the hill town and hike up or even finding parking can take time IME

I like taking local trains and buses because you are not isolated like in a private vehicle from the locals who also take the buses.

Ini Umbria Bus **web site**
www.iniumbriabus.com/
SITA is the national bus system of Italy:

www.sita-on-line.it

Collegium Phaenomenologicum » Travel
General Information about the intercity bus system in Umbria ... Be advised, however, that SITA buses generally stop running at about 9:00 in the evening. ...
www.collegiumphaenomenologicum.org/travel/

Any affordable recommended hotel to stay in Perugia? Thanks!

Hotel Rosalba, which is convenient to day-tripping by public transportation, and the centre.

If you fly into Rome or Florence, it's not at all difficult to get to Perugia by train. And with Perugia's new mini-metro you can get easily get from the train station up to the historic centre (which is very high up!)

I really like the Hotel Fortuna in Perugia's historic centre (there's another thread going on this subject) and from there, you can easily take the escalators down to the main bus station for day trips. Or, the minimetro back down to the train station.

You can do many day trips by public transport from Perugia. I've visited Gubbio, which is only an hour away by bus; Assisi is 25 minutes by train (plus the bus that runs from the train station up to the top of the hill where Assisi is located); Arezzo is only an hour away by train (of course, that's in Tuscany but on the border with Umbria!) You can also get to Spello and Spoleto by train. All are absolute gems.

schweetpea, recently a poster here spent a week (or more?) in Perugia, relying solely on public transportation I think. It might offer you some ideas.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-and-bus.cfm

I sort of thought Perugia was, travel distance-wise, equal distances from Florence and Rome, or maybe closer to Rome???

I agree that public transportation from Perugia is pretty good, but it depends on what your goals are. Buses don't really allow you to poke around in the out-of-way places that are so appealing in the surrounding countryside - the spas and "forgotten" towns and such. I would always opt to have a car, but if it's a first-time visit and you just want to hit the highlights public transportation could be just fine for you.

Native, Perugia is closer to Florence by about 30 minutes whether you're training or driving.

www.maps.google.com

http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/homepage_en.html

For Perugia transport links:

http://www.perugiaonline.com/

Our trip to Perugia was long but worked OK. Philly to London to Rome by air, then by train from Rome airport to Rome Termini to Perugia.

Whether you end up in Rome or Florence, I'd suggest taking a train since I dare say you will be pretty tired if you are coming from LA.

The trip report Leely2 is suggesting is mine! Time is the big factor. We did "land" in some towns during siesta time using the bus system and we hired a driver for some things. We have based in Spoleto in another trip so the cities/towns we visited might not match up with your itinerary.

Please write a trip report and good luck.

Just looked at my TR-we went from DC to Paris to Rome by air. Sorry for wrong info. We really hot-footed it in Paris.