Our itinerary has been finalized for weeks, our bags are almost packed and the adrenalin is starting to flow for our trip to Italy next week. After a couple of flight time changes (thanks a lot Delta) we are now scheduled to arrive at FCO at 7:30 AM – quite a bit earlier than we originally planned.

We are renting a car at FCO and driving to an agriturismo near Siena. Check in time isn’t until 4 PM so we have decided to stop in Orvieto for a few hours. The last time we were there (about 12 years ago in the wonderful pre-ZTL days), there was a small lot near the duomo we used but I think it is now in the ZTL. We also used the parking lot by the train station but I see on the Orvieto Online web site that there is now a big new parking garage on the other side of town - Campo della Fiera (with surveillance - places: 620).

Is this new parking garage the best place to park for a few hours before we continue on to our agriturismo or would you recommend some place else? Thanks for your help.

We've parked in that newer garage. It is very close to the Piccolomini Hotel, which is like the opposite end from the duomo. I would not hesitate to park there. The walk through the town is not a problem (although a map is certainly helpful as the streets can be confusing).

I should also say that this garage is on the edge of Orvieto and does not require you to drive on any of the small streets in the town. You enter the garage from the roadway up the hill to the hilltop town of Orvieto.

I parked at an outdoor lot in Piazza del Popolo, a few blocks behind the Duomo.

Even if the garage is "guarded", do take the precaution of putting everything in the boot and then reversing the car hard up against a wall so that it can't be opened from the outside.

it may not stop the thieves, but there's no point in making it easy.

Hi John:

There's an underground system of escalators and lifts that link the new parking garage to the historical centre of town. (That's where we parked when we stayed at Hotel Piccolomini last fall.) The town itself is very walkable though a map is useful!

Have a wonderful trip!

Thanks everyone. I'm leery of trying to drive anywhere close to a ZTL so it sounds like the new garage is a good place to park. I will definitely try to foil any nefarious activity. Thanks again.

>>> We also used the parking lot by the train station but I see on the Orvieto Online web site that there is now a big new parking garage on the other side of town - Campo della Fiera<<<

Campo della Fiera has been there quite a while. If you click on where we are on this link, you can see the Campo della Fiera parking (photo on the right with yellow arrows). There's garage parking or the top is open.

http://www.monasterosanlodovico.it/English/english.htm

Here's the ZTL map.

http://www.orvietoviva.com/orvieto-ztl.pdf

Our friends that are going with us bought a new GPS and they have already programmed in most of the addresses we will be going to in Tuscany - including this garage. Thanks again everyone. Really looking forward to this trip.

The wine consortium is near the top of the escalator from the parking lot.

http://www.ilpalazzodelgusto.it/it/dove_siamo.html

http://www.ilpalazzodelgusto.it/it/p...ustazione.html

Thanks kybourbon. Looks like an interesting place.

Just back from our trip and thought I would report that we parked at Campo della Fiera with our luggage in the boot for several hours and it worked great. We found a spot next to a concrete wall, backed in right up to it making it impossible to open the hatch and felt like it was very safe.

Unfortunately we did not make it to the wine consortium but we thoroughly enjoyed Orvieto. We spent several hours walking around the town, visiting the duomo and having a very nice lunch at Ristorante Antico Bucchero that we came across on one of the side streets. Highly recommend a visit to this picturesque hill town even if it's only for a few hours.

So glad you enjoyed Orvieto John! It remains one of my favorite places in Italy! Thanks for reporting back.

Hey John! I've been looking forward to a trip report from this trip, and I don't imagine I'm the only one. Your group always seem to have some entertaining adventures to read about.

Thanks hanabilly. Three lessons learned on this trip: 1. we're not in our fifties any more 2. June in Italy can be really HOT and 3. things can go wrong no matter how good you think your plan is! Even so, we had an incredibly fun trip. It's been just crazy busy since we came back but I'll eventually get a TR posted.

Haha! Well, your three bullet points definitely serve as a little teaser, anyway. And hey, I certainly can't be the one to complain about timeliness! I never did finish my last report...hats off to all of you who do...it's fun, but not necessarily easy ;o)