Dukey1

We will be taking a cruise from/back to Civitavecchia next year and after that is concluded will take the train to Verona for several nights of opera. I am trying to decide where to go in Italy for several days/nights (perhaps 3 total) prior to the cruise departure.

First off let me say that no we have not "done everything" in many of the Italian locations we have visited such as Milan, Venice, Lake Como, Florence, Siena, Bologna, and Rome.

I was thinking perhaps basing somewhere like Umbria for the countryside with perhaps some museums, churches, etc., to visit. We could rent a car if necessary but it would be nice if we could get there by rail and also be able to get to Civitavecchia by rail on the cruise departure day, or at least to Rome where we could get a car service transfer if nothing else.

It would be easier, I suppose to simply repeat one of the above-mentioned places but I am reluctant to miss something we haven't yet seen.

I am sorry to be this vague but figured suggestions from others might help bring things into better focus.

Thanks in advence.

kybourbon

Civitavecchia is not easily reached by public transport from Umbria. Even if you took the train to Ovieto (have you been?) upon arrival in Rome, you would still have to train back to Rome and then Civitavecchia. Renting a car would make more sense for visiting rural areas.

There used to be a bus between FCO and Civitavecchia that went on along the coast ending in Siena (have you been to Siena?). I'm not sure if it still operates. There are some places along the coast you could reach by train. You didn't mention time of year.

kybourbon

Just noticed Siena was in your OP.

kybourbon

From FCO, you can take the local train which departs every 15 minutes (not the Leonardo) to Rome Trastevere station where you could change to a train to Orbetello and spend your time there. There should be enough to interest you - Giglio, Grosseto, Porto Santa Stefano, but may depend on time of year. If that area interests you, you are only a short train ride from Civitavecchia (45 minutes).

Dukey1

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. To answer a couple of your questions: yes, have been to Siena and loved it as you discovered. Have not been to Ovieto. I think there MAY be a way to train from FCO (this is in June BTW) through Tiburtina).

Will look further at the Orbetello possibility and post further. Again, thanks.

StCirq

According to trainline.eu, there's an average of 16 trains a day between Fiumicino and Orvieto. All go through Roma Termini, though.

I would look into going south down the coast (Sperlonga, Anzio, Gaeta....e.g.,) Lots of lovely, interesting towns there, and easy direct train connections back to Rome.

Dukey1

St. Cirq, Thank you for that suggestion. I admit to having looked only North and will expand the horizons.

Pepper_von_snoot

I was in Orvieto with gal pal Muriel Prada aka Muriel Dior aka Muriel the Scammer this past October and we thought one night was sufficient to see the town.

Three nights would have been too much. The old town is on a steep hill so not for people with mobility issues.

We took the train from Termini.

Thin aka JoAnn Prada

Dukey1

Thin, thank you for the honest comment regarding time required and the "geography" which is always helpful.

StCirq

I agree about Orvieto. A day is fine. The cathedral is magnificent, a wander around the (crowded) streets is fun, but unless I had a car I wouldn't want to base there, or even necessarily come back there every night. I feel the same way about other large towns (Perugia, Assisi...) in Umbria. What I love about Umbria is the small towns like Paciano and Panicale and the ones up in the hills with ancient Roman thermal springs, and the towns around Lago Trasimeno. And Chiusi, which has that extraordinary Etruscan museum (it's also really hilly, though). But you need a car for the sort of traipsing around Umbria that I have done.

Dukey1

And that is probably going to be the question: to traipse or not to traipse? It is more complicated and takes more work than simply landing somewhere and hanging out in a hotel. I am asking myself already, "Am I up for this?"

yorkshire

Without a car, what about Naples?
With a car, northern Lazio and southern Tuscany for Etruscan delights (look at Pitigliano).

StCirq

Well, yes, you would need to plan to traipse.But as I said before, you could go south and just plop down in, say, Anzio, take a ride out to the island of Ponza for a day or a night, enjoy the seaside and the lively town, see the WWII sites, not have to rent a car, and take it easy.

LouisaH

Maybe I missed it, but what time of year? That would certainly be a factor for me.

StCirq

He said June.

Dukey1

Yes, June is correct. I am tempted to do the traipse thing, frankly. Naples we won't do only because the cruise stops there. Yes, I know it isn't any sort of decent way to see the place but that's not the main reason we are taking the cruise. Southern Tuscany? perhaps although we have done the traipse thing there and thoroughly enjoyed it, too.

thanks everyone for your time and suggestions; they are helping me focus.

Leely2

I would not stay in Orvieto for three nights (unless I were a really s l o w traveler), but I would consider Assisi or Spoleto with a car. I stayed in Spello for four (or five?) nights with a car. Very cute and convenient for tooling about, but I am not a tiny town person so I got a little itchy each evening when they rolled up the sidewalks at 10pm.

How about driving the Castelli Romani &/or Sermoneta or inland?

kybourbon

I guess I disagree about Orvieto as I've stayed there multiple times (ditto for Siena) with and without cars. There are buses available and tours to other towns along with some wine tours. I don't find it really hilly once you take the funicular up (I usually stay towards the back away from the Duomo). A car makes it a lot easier. To reach Civitavecchia would take a bit of hassle as the train from Orvieto is regional and you would have to take it to Rome and then change to a train to Civitavecchia (several hours travel time total). Trains do leave very early from Orvieto though. I met a lady in Orvieto for a conference and she had an early flight out of FCO so she took a train departing at 4:30am. Far too early for the funicular to be running down to the train station so she had to arrange a taxi.

>>>Will look further at the Orbetello<<<

Do a search for annhig's trip report when she attended language school there. They took quite a few day trips around the area. I would probably still want a car for the area as I would want to go to Pitigliano as I haven't been.

Tuscania (some of the 1960's Romeo and Juliet filmed there) and Viterbo aren't terribly far from the airport/Orbetello/Civitavecchia, but you would need a car (about 1 1/2 hours from FCO and quite a bit less from Civitavecchia). Viterbo does have some train service, but connections are bad and it takes a long time to reach. There's some bus service in the area, but still connection issues.

I think Anzio would be interesting, but it's not easy or short train connections.