Umbria Getting there & around

Getting around

Getting around Umbria on public transport requires some forethought. Conversely, having a car is a hindrance in several congested hill towns. The best way to see Umbria is to take the train or bus to congested towns such as Assisi, Spoleto, Perugia, Orvieto, Spello and Gubbio and then rent a car for a week and wander through the countryside.

Buses head from Perugia to every town in this chapter; check at the tourist office or the bus station for exact details. The state train system (Ferrovie dello Stato; 147 88 80 88; www.trenitalia.com) sparsely crisscrosses Umbria, but the private Ferrovia Centrale Umbra (FCU; Umbrian Central Railway; 075 57 54 01; www.fcu.it in Italian) and several bus companies fill in the blanks. For general Umbria transport information, call 800 51 21 41. You will rarely be connected to someone who speaks English, but if you’re well practised in Italian numbers, and can tell them the city, they’ll usually patiently tell you the prices and times of day that trains leave.