We spent a productive 47 minutes there in 2005, so we thought we'd go back next year to see what we missed (which was everything except the steps I wanted to see). We thought we'd spend three nights, with one of the days being a day trip to Assisi. I looked back to trip reports but found very little about Perugia. Have any of you spent time there? Hopefully the Carabinieri who almost gave me a ticket in 2005 will forget our faces. Grazie!

It's been since about 2010 since I was there. Back then you could take an actual factory tour at the chocolate factory.
Don't know if you still can take a real tour, but if you like chocolate, it's worthwhile....

https://www.perugina.com/it/casa-del...del-Cioccolato

Hi, we visited quite a few years ago and went back for a day this May. Here's the trip report - in one day we didn't try to see everything because we spent most of the morning at the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria which we loved, but looking at paintings always leaves us tired! An excellent idea to spend three nights with a day trip to Assisi in my opinion. There's a lot of wandering around to be done as well as the main sights
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspo...y-perugia.html

maitaitom, We stayed in Spello for two weeks which included a day trip to Perugia, an interesting and beautiful small city set up high on a promontory. We parked in a garage about half way up the hill and then took an escalator up to the top, an interesting way to enter a city!
It was filled with university students, was a very attractive city and we had an excellent meal there. I would like to stay there for a few nights but would not want to use it as a base as coming and going was a bit of a hassle. We enjoyed Umbria and drove to several other interesting towns and cities such as Bevagna, Montefalco and Norcia. We loved our two week stay in Spello. The surrounding countryside was filled with vineyards.

Pre-covid and getting old, but Rhody and I based there. We visited some of the places you have seen (Gubbio for one):

Perugia and Rome by train and bus

Great place!

Thanks everyone. Now if I can just figure out the logistics of this trip.

We spent half day in Perugia and enjoyed it tremendously. It's a stunning and surprisngly compact historic centre, albeit housed within a large and complex urban settlement. Assuming you will have a car, it wouldn't be my first choice as base to explore eastern Umbria - not the easiest to get in and out of, has a maze of ZTLs and parking is tricky (we missed entering a ZTL by a whisker when trying to park at Piazza Partigiani). We based in Spello instead. That's just my 2 pence on Perugia as a "base", its a compelling visit of course.


Perugia memories from 2018

Perugia memories from 2018

I spent a week there at a puppetry festival. It is certainly very well preserved and you could easily imagine yourself going back in time while there. Having said that, Perugia does not excite me, and I don't have any particularly fond memories of the town. It's good for a stopover on your way to something else.

After three trips spent in Umbria, I have the same feeling about Perugia that others have expressed. It’s a nice city but a hassle to drive in and out of. For ease, I like Spello, Bevagna and Montefalco. But I’m especially partial to Spello.

"I spent a week there at a puppetry festival."

I assume there were no strings attached. We would be taking the train from Orvieto should we decide to do this. Plus the last time I was there I narrowly avoided a parking ticket.

Hi. We last visited both Perugia (I love the chocolate) and Assisi (I am a believer) as a day trip from Pienza without an encounter with the Carabinieri.
But your experience reminds me of my first experience with European authorities. In 1964 I made a U-turn on the Autobahn after I missed an offramp.
Then I was chased down by four uniformed Autobahnpolizei in their blue and white marked Volkswagen bug. I played it dumb while an officer kept yelling.
en deutschland es verboten. The four officers then huddled, and one came back to my car, wrote me a ticket, collected a 3 Marks (75 cent) fine, gave me a receipt and let me go on.

"We would be taking the train from Orvieto should we decide to do this."... iirc, parking around the Centro was in underground/street garages so good you wouldn't be driving...others can confirm or clarify.

Sounds like an awesome plan! Perugia is a beautiful city situated in Umbria, Italy, mostly known for their historic centre and gorgeous churches. During your stay, make sure to check out Fontana Maggiore, Piazza IV Novembre, National Gallery of Umbria, and The Facciatone. Besides, don't forget to taste the gelato and chocolate in Perugia while you are there. Enjoy your stay!

Yo MaiTai,
If looking for historical Perugia foto ops:
The ancient Etruscans built the dark lane via Volte della pace. Another superbly historic place is the arched corner of v. Aquilone/v. Mesti d. Volti. Here, one could do a 2-fer, as the Talmone Chocolate shop is nearby on the latter street. That choco-shop seemed a more friendly place than the storied pastry shop Sandri, across the way. At Talmone, one is also close to the unique Aquadotto (and also the grisly murder site that once led to so much trouble for American uni student Amanda Knox). Pza Rossi Scotti (aka Porta del Sol) is worth a peek. And of course, there's the obvious Palazzo d. Priori area, with its interesting fountain as photographed so well above by ANUJ.

A more peripheral site down in the SE corner, but one just as photogenic and atmospheric, is the sumptuous Chiesa S. Pietro. Some claim that its historic wooden choir row is the best in Italy (best reached by cab or local bus).
Giardini Carducci has some nice views out to the countryside.
The underground transit station was apparently once a historic women's prison--very unique setting.
And for all its 'stars' Brufani palace was not at all stuffy nor exclusive. Great lunch place.

If in that general area, one might also visit the lesser-known Abbazia di S. Pietro, a sorta-splurge lodging with a setting and breakfast worth crossing an ocean for.
Two additional quasi-related notes: a) Fendi Pinot Noir made in nearby Valfabrico is the best Pinot that either of us have ever tasted--if you see a bottle then buy it, youz won't regret it. b) Castellucio and its thermal inversion misty sunrises just might make the highlight of your trip. One could drive there just for that rarefied experience, but you can no longer lodge there unfortunately.

For us, Perugia was a great daytrip, but did not hit the sweet spot of becoming a base. That's just us.
Good luck.
*I may be asking you some local questions in the future coz our winter trip may involve your city.

I am done. the discussion

We were there in the fall -- lovely city. We just did a day trip but very easy to fill up several days.

We drove and there is a huge parking lot(s) that you can park in. It wasn't a hassle at all. Just had to walk maybe 10 minutes into the city center. In the lot we parked we walked through some sort of archeological site to get to the town It was rather interesintg.

I was referring more to the traffic around Perugia. If I recall, parking was fine.

From what you have said it sounds like this is part of a longer trip. Where else are you staying and at what time of the year? Depending on your previous location, you could arrive by train or fly into Perugia Sant’Edigio airport (think they have tried to rebrand as Perugia St. Francis d’Assisi).
Perugia is a lovely city and well worth a city break for a few days. I know that Spello gets a lots of positive press on this site, but for me it’s OK. I prefer Spoleto, Todi, Orvieto or Lake Trasimeno. The train links from Perugia are good and you can reach Assisi in about 20 minutes.
There are plenty of shops and restaurants and markets. Occasionally the famous Forte de Marmi market is there during the summer. If you like ceramics take the bus or drive to Deruta.

UKtravelover - "Where else are you staying and at what time of the year?"

Going in May - Right now, Orvieto, maybe Perugia (day trip Assisi), Naples, maybe Ravello and Rome. Trying to do it all by train, but might rent a car in Naples to go down to Ravello and Amalfi on a day trip. I didn't want to start in Rome or Naples, so thought Orvieto could ease us into the trip. Anyone want to pick us up at the airport and drive us to Orvieto. I'll buy you dinner.

Zebec - "I may be asking you some local questions in the future coz our winter trip may involve your city."
If you're in town, I'll buy the first bottle of wine.

**so thought Orvieto could ease us into the trip. Anyone want to pick us up at the airport and drive us to Orvieto. I'll buy you dinner**

Throw in my airfare and I'll do it.

I've taken the train to Orvieto upon arrival before. I took the Leonardo into Termini and caught a regional train to Orvieto. If you aren't used to Italian regional trains, Orvieto is a pull-thru station so stops are only scheduled for a minute or two. You need to be ready with your luggage to get off. To tell how long the stop will be, look at Rome Termini to Chiusi Chianciano Terme. Trenitalia will show some trains requiring a change in either Rome Tiburtina or Orte. I would avoid changes unless the times don't really work and make you hang around the station too long.

If it's your usual crew of four, instead of the Leonardo you might find it easier to take a taxi and only a few euro difference. The Leonardo is 14€ per person where an official Comune Roma taxi will be a set fee of 52€ for 4 (a Fiumicino taxi is more).

If you think a departure from Rome Tiburtina will work better timewise, then you can take the FL1 train from the airport to Rome Tiburtina (8€ and departs every 30 minutes on weekends travel time about 45 minutes).

If you haven't take a train to Orvieto before the funicular is right across the street, but closes around 8pm. Once up top you can take one of two buses that travel around the old town (one goes to the Duomo side and the other to the opposite side). I imagine your crew would decide to hoof it depending on where your hotel is (it's a bit uphill to reach the flat part, but not much).

FWIW, I don't think it's particularly easy to reach Perugia from Orvieto by train and you will need to decide which Perugia station you want. When I was in Perugia there was an antique fair which may have been a monthly event (I've forgotten which piazza, but it was on a Sunday). There was also a parade of old Fiats that came up the hill and through the old town. You could hear their horns coming long before you could see them. They were followed at the end by a tow truck.

If Orvieto sounds like too much transport trouble, there is the Sugla bus from Fiumicino airport to Perugia (Piazza Partigiani). Cost is 19.90€ and travel time is 3:45.

https://sulga.sotrap.it/home/getcorse

Trenitalia has been running 2 fast trains from Fiumicino to Naples without change (trave time 2 hours) if you decide it will be easier to start there. Departure times might not be convenient and schedule changes happen in Dec. so no way to know if those runs will still exist next May.