We are traveling to Orvieto August, 2003 and would like suggestions of other nearby Umbrian villages that we could visit by train. Orvieto will be our home base for a week because we will be visiting with family. We would also appreciate your suggestions for restaurants in and around Orvieto. Thank you for your assistance.

The villages that I would suggest around Orvieto are not on a train line.
You really need car to see the area.

Hi LesS,

Spoleto is a lovely town, definitely worth a day or two. The town center is about 2 km from the train station, but there are frequent buses. We spent one morning hiking up the hill to Monteluca (sp?), where there is a monastery and a decent restaurant.

From Orvieto, you can see the following towns with public transportation:

Todi (one bus per day)
Viterbo (several buses per day)
Montepulciano (combination train/bus)
Cortona (combination train/bus)

Obviously, with a car you can see quite a bit more and more efficiently.

LesS, I just returned from Orvieto and posted a report title "Orvieto Restaurant Report", which you can find by using the search function at the top of your screen. I have also topped it for you.

I agree that a car is a better way to visit Umbrian towns. You can easily drive to Assisi, Arezzo, Civita di Bagnoreggio, and the other towns mentioned in previous posts.

We rented a car from Avis for 4 days through AutoEurope. Picked it up in Orvieto and dropped it at the Rome airport on our way out -- very convenient! The AutoEurope website makes you think you can't get a car in Orvieto, but if you phone on their 800 number you will find no problem.