Orvieto, Assisi & Ostia Antica from Rome
 

We're considering making these excursions from Rome while we are there next summer; I would appreciate from those who have done it your opinion as to whether any or all of them is doable in less than a full day( i.e. half a day?) Right now, I'm thinking Ostia Antica after church on a Sunday..and Orvieto and Assisi as entire days...Those who have been, please advise as to your experience as far as time to allow as well as any other suggestions. Thanks...

We spent about three hours in Orvieto and thought it was enough; but, in fairness, I have to say it was at the end of our trip and we had pretty much had our fill of hill towns. We did spend a couple of hours afterward driving over to Civita which I've wanted to visit for quite some time. There's virtually nothing to do there but I enjoyed that much more than Orvieto.

I hated Assisi; they do have some nice pottery there though.

We are taking out 1st trip to Italy next week. OUr plan (after alot of research) is to take the train to Orvieto - rent a car and head to Siena where will have a hotel/base camp for the next 4 days. I have heard wonderful things about Orvieto....will hopefully get to Ostia Antica as well.
Happy travels!

I have been to both Ostia Antica and Assisi using Rome as a base. I don't think it would be possible to visit Assisi using less than a whole day. We took the train there from Rome and I believe it took between 2-3 hours to get there. Plus, you will want to allow yourself enough time to wander through the city.

Ostia was about a 35 minute train ride from Rome. Depending on how quickly you are willing to walk through the ancient city, you might be able to do it in half a day. However, the ruins cover a HUGE area and after almost a full day I still hadn't touched most of it and could easily have gone back the next day to see more! I really enjoyed my time in both Ostia and Assisi, but as someone obsessed with ancient Rome, I have to say that Ostia was one of my favorite stops in all of my Italy trips. If you can do it, it's definitely worth it! Enjoy your trip.

My wife and I stayed in Orvieto in the summer of 2003 and found it to be one of the most enchanting towns we have visited in our travels to Italy. We actually stayed the night at the Palazzo Piccolomini(very simple but charming hotel!)and it was just a memorable experience. The town comes alive at night with hundreds of people by the duomo. We had a great dinner at an eclectic wine bar( I cant remember the name) and found the people to be friendly. The Duomo is incredible(one of the finest in Italy) as are the back streets lined with pottery and other handmade items. Assisi is another incredible place to visit. We were there for half the day and would of liked to stay there for the night. Although, I think a half day was suitable. There is such a holy quality about Asisi which makes this a different type of place to visit. The shrine(tomb) of St francis is just incredible and I will never forget how holy and special of place it was. I hope you have a great trip!

Hi Victoria,

Why not just train to Orvieto, stay there at least 1 night and then rent a car. Spend at least a couple of days outside of Rome?

I've been to Orvieto (stayed 3 nights and did day trips from there) and Assisi (last month). I loved Orvieto and really liked Assisi. I'm not into the religious aspects of Assisi, but appreciated the art and beauty of the city itself.

If I had to choose, I would definitely choose Orvieto. The duomo, Etruscan tombs, the historic well, the underground cave tour, wonderful wine and restaurants, beautiful art galleries and ceramics. Nearby Civita di Bagnoreggion is not to be missed.

Buon viaggio!

Hello victoria_reynolds, did you mean Orvieto one day and Assisi as another day? I love both cities. Are you renting an apartment in Rome or a hotel? Not sure how many nights you will have for your time in Italy and not sure if you will keep your lodgins in Rome while exploring other areas.
I would personally not consider trying to go from Rome to Orvietto to Assisi and back to Rome in one day, but maybe that is not what you meant. Sorry that I do not completely follow your questions. It is probably me and not you, LOL.

IMO, Ostia Antica and Orvieto are reasonable places to visit as daytrips from Rome. Assisi is not.

The train ride to Assisi is lengthy, then you will need transported by bus or taxi from the train station to the town. The station is a bit far from the town.

Assisi and surroundings merit an overnight. Any chance of that? Assisi is one of my favorite places. I have been there 3 times and certainly hope to go back. In the summer, the walks around town, especially the western road from the Basilica to the Roca, and the walk to the Eremo, are not to be missed. If you have any interest in St Francis, these short walks are a great way to experience the scenes and places that were part of his life.

Thanks for the responses...we intend on staying in Rome and day tripping (separate ones) to one or all of these locations. (I appreciate that staying the evening is a whole other expericence. I might have done things differently, but we'd like to save time on checking in and out. So we're only changing accommodations once this trip.) It sounds like Assisi might be a challenge on a day trip basis but it would be inspiring to visit where St. Francis and St. Clare lived.

Hi VR,

Orvieto is a very nice daytrip from Rome.

See http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/orvieto.html

((I))