Train from Rome to Assisi or Perugia
 

My family of 4 needs to get from Rome to either Assisi or Perugia. My thinking is that a train would be best, but I don't know which city would be easier to travel to by train. Looking at the schedule seems to indicate you need to change trains along the way. Does anyone know which city and which train would be most convenient.
Thanks for any help.

I've gone to Assisi from Rome twice by train. It is an easy trip; we changed trains in Foligno, though there may be direct service too (not sure). That said, I don't imagine getting to Perugia would be difficult either. I'd pick the route with the schedule that corresponds best with your family's plans.

Yes though there is the odd direct train to Assisi fromrome Termini (many days laeving 8:07 - next one around 14:00) you cn go hourly or more by changin glike Leely2 says at Foligno - a simple change in a manageable station (unlike Termini with its myriad of tracks and platforms)

For Perugia it's much the same but you change either at Foligno or at Cortona-Terontola.

Both take a mit over two hours on the faster connections. I find the www.bahn.de - German Railways official pan-European train schedule site to be the easiest to use- to access the English page of the bahn.de site go to the home page of www.budgeteuropetravel.com and click on the link "Best on-line European rail timetable" or some such wording and it brings up the English page where you have From and To and the date and you'll get all the schedules for that date - if you trip is far in the future use a dummy date as train schedules rarely change much except on different days of the week, especially Sundays, they can be different. I refer to this home page link because it also gives you several valuable tips on using the Wunderbar www.bahn.de site that may not be apparent to first-time uses.
Check www.seat61.com and www.ricksteves.com for lots of great info on Italian trains. Booking in advance may yield minor discounts but may lock you into a certain train on a certain date at a certain time - as regional trains are partly involved in getting to these towns just buying once in Rome may not be much more and give you flexibility on which train to take - discounted tickets to secure must be booked weeks in advance to guarantee getting the discount as they are sold in limited numbers on each train I believe.

Most of the trains on these routes are regional trains, with no discounts and no reserved seats, so buying your tickets in Italy is the best idea. The train change in Foligno is easy, but it involves going down and up steps; there were no escalators there the last time I was there. If you have more than a little luggage, you'd be better off getting the direct train.

It sounds as though someone may be picking you up at the station, since either town would do. If that's the case, the two are about equal. If you'll be going into the town, the station in Assisi is at the bottom of the hill, and there is a bus to take you up to the town. It's an easy change; the bus waits at the station. I've never taken the train to Perugia; I believe the station is right in the town, but it's a much bigger place, so the station may not be near where you're going.

There's also the Sulga bus which takes about three hours to Assisi (2 1/2 to Perugia). Departs from Rome's Tiburtina train/bus station.

http://www.sulga.it/autolinea/autolinea14.pdf

station in Assisi is at the bottom of the hill, and there is a bus to take you up to the town. It's an easy change; the bus waits at the station.>

Usually but not always - there was none in sight when my train arrived - waited maybe 30 minutes for a bus to roll up and Assisi's station is little used - did not even see a taxi in sight - you are a few miles from the town center and walking is all up a steep hill. Better perhaps to take a bus from Rome right up to the top or near the top of the hill.

I've never taken the train to Perugia; I believe the station is right in the town, but it's a much bigger place, so the station may not be near where you're going.>

There are two train stations in Perugia - the main FS or Trenitalia one is at the bottom of the hill but much more in town and much more used - lots of buses and taxis when I stayed in Perugia several days once - never a problem and even walking was much shorter than in Assisi and not that much of a climb.

Pisa's secondary station is on the other side of the hill and is a private or at least non-Trenitalia rail line serving Todi - from it a cable car goes right up to the town center.

I loved Perugia - good mix of a hill town without being taken over by tourists like Assisi can be with its religious lures bringing numerable religion groups there and regular tourists as well. Perugia is bigger and has a large university that makes it a big different than your proverbial sleepy hill town.

The bus from the train station at Assisi departs two times per hour. Line C.

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

Bvlenci and PakenQ above provide good info. The FS train to Perugia stops at the bottom of the hill, yes, but there is a convenient Minimetro available that runs up to the city regularly from the station. The FS train is a quicker and no transfers.
I took the older local line back to Rome. It's dingier and the ride took what seemed like forever - but it is a bit cheaper.
You can buy tickets (I would suggest) the day of your trip. Should be no problem unless you're on a tight schedule.