Looking at this

http://www.umbriamobilita.it/public/...ssisi_2011.pdf

it seems like there could be a closer stop to San Francesco before Piazza Matteotti. I guess it's not clear where the stop on VV Emanuelle II is?

Ok, the venerable GAC has this to say on another forum:

http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/862600685
/m/234008485001

Matteotti is not the right stop; I should be getting off earlier.

I forgot to post the Assisi-Rome schedule, which is here:

http://www.sulga.it/orari/perugia_roma.pdf

>>>Festivo" means Sundays, right?<<<

Yes, Sunday/holiday. Note the schedule also lists tutti i giorni (every day) departing at 4:30.

Assisi is hilly. Your trek from San Francesco should be all downhill to Piazza S. Pietro. You can see S. Francesco in this picture (front left).
http://www.mojanoassisiparking.com/g...Qiv=none&Qis=S

>>>How to Get to/from/around
BY BUS: to Perugia ( duration: 30 minutes, services: 9 a day), to Gubbio (duration:1.10 hours, services: 11 a day). Buses leave from Piazza Matteotti. There is an intercity bus station at Porta San Pietro from which buses to Florence leave (duration: 2 ½ hours, services: 1 a day). To Rome (duration: 3 ¼ hours, services: 3 a day).
Within Assisi every 30 minutes there is a bus from Piazza Matteotti to the railway station. There are six car parks in Assisi all linked to the centre by orange buses.<<<<
http://www.umbria-by-divino.com/assisi.html

The Sulga website says you can buy tickets online.
http://www.sulga.it/acquista.php

Thanks, I tried that Sulga link, but it doesn't seem to allow Assisi as the "from" destination. So I tried Perugia instead and that doesn't seem to work either. Perhaps I'm missing something.

Anyway, I feel like I have this under control now, if I choose to do it. Thanks again!

I did the Assisi trip the past Sunday.

I ended up taking bus C to Piazza Matteotti and enjoyed the pleasant walk downhill to San Francesco. There was a shop that sold bus tickets (1 euro), which also doubled up as left luggage (in case anyone is wondering).

I went to the Lower Basilica at the tail end of the next to last mass. This was good timing, as the church was lit and it was easier to see the frescoes. When I went again after the last mass was over, it was much dimmer. But it was possible to use the automated audio guide for two chapels -- the one frescoed by Simone Martini as well as the one by Giotto and his school -- which also illuminated the chapels. The crypt with St. Francis's tomb was open.

The bus left from the main piazza below San Francesco. The Sulga bus schedule says Piazza San Pietro, and there's indeed a square before this church nearby, but that was not where the bus actually parked. This main square has a couple of names, it seems to me. The map on Bus C says Piazza Unite d'Italie, whereas I think the sign said Giovanni Paolo. In any case, it's a really large parking lot so you can't miss it. The bus had a Sulga logo as well, so it was easy to find.

The bus to Rome cost 18.50 euros. It went to Rome via Perugia (which was where the driver collected the fare). My train ticket was only around 10 euros.

So everything went well and thanks again for the tips! I thought the trip was really worthwhile.

What time did you get to Assisi and how long were you able to stay? Was the shop that sold tickets/stored luggage close to San Francesco?

The shop was at the train station, sorry for being unclear. I wonder if there's a left luggage office as well that was closed because it was Sunday. In any case, people have said before that the trenitalia website says there's left luggage in Assisi, and indeed there is.

There's also left luggage at Tiburtina -- it opened at 7:30. Fortunately it did open before my train left.

My train arrived a little before 10 am, and I think I took the 10:16 bus C. I took the 1:45 pm Sulga bus. There were obviously trains that left later, but since my flight was at 8:20, I had to allow myself enough time to get to FCO. Probably the 2:46 train to Foligno would have been fine, but I didn't want to risk a train connection there.

I think the main complication was doing this trip on a Sunday, as there are fewer trains and worse connections. Also line B of the Metro was not running the past Sunday.