keihin_242

I have a reservation at the HI in Perugia next month and will be staying one night there before heading down to Rome for several days.

I will be arriving by train. How practical is it to actually get to this hotel from Perugia's train station? I understand both the station and the HI are located outside of downtown and that a car is necessary to reach the hotel. The hotel's webpage claims to have a free shuttle to the station. Can anyone verify this? Do they also provide service to downtown?

Having researched the hotel on TripAdvisor, it generally has a good reputation. The price (56EUR) is very good and I'd like to stay here. But if transportation is going to be too much of a hassle, I'd appreciate other ICHG recommendations in the Umbria/Emilia-Romagna area.

USAFAN

I have been twice at the HI in Perugia ... I had a car. All I can say is:

-It's a nice hotel
-It's far away from Perugia, at least 15 min. by car. No public transport nearby!
-I have not seen the train station, only went several times to the old town on top of the hill .. Perugia is really old and pretty.

EDFW

I have not stayed at HI Perugia but have lived in the city for quite some time so I might be able to answer some of your questions:

1) Yes, both the main train station (Fontivegge) and the HI are outside the historic centre (which sits on top of several hills).

2) To get from the station to the hotel you could use public transport, it will be a hassle though especially if you travel with luggage: Bus line F (direction "San Sisto"/"Silvestrini") leaves from near the station and should take you to the main road near the hotel (Via Firenze, Strada Trasimeno Ovest). From there it should be a 5 min walk.

Rental car companies with offices at the train station are: AVIS, Hertz and Sixt.

Taxis are available in front of the station. The price should be somewhere around 15 EUR, depending on the traffic.

According to the hotel's website there is a shuttle service upon request (however, neither the English nor the Italian website states whether the service is free of charge). This would probably be your best choice.

3) According to the hotel's website they offer a scheduled shuttle service (free of charge) to the city centre at 9 AM, 3 PM and 6 PM. At other times on request. They will probably drop you off at Piazza Italia (my guess) which would be the perfect starting point to explore the town.

4) There is one other ICHG property in Umbria, the HI Express in Foligno. Foligno is about 40 km or a 45 min train ride from Perugia and not a very interesting town.

If you have any other questions about Perugia or Umbria, feel free to ask!

keihin_242

Thanks to both of you for the excellent information.

My original reason for choosing this hotel is rather complicated.

My visit to Italy will mostly be centered around Rome. I will be arriving at FCO the morning of 20 May and my girlfriend will be arriving the evening of the 21st, giving me about 30 hours by myself and an overnight stay to consider. Instead of paying up for one of the expensive ICHG properties in Rome (I'm using points for the rest of our stay), I looked at areas within a couple hours' train ride from Rome for a hotel to stay in (as I will have a Eurail Italia Pass) and found this HI with just about the lowest rate in Italy.

So my plan is to take the train up from FCO to Perugia on the 20th, then head back to FCO the afternoon of the 21st. I'll have about 30 hours in Perugia - even with jet lag, I'll still have time to see a few things.

With that in mind, here are a couple of other questions:

-I've lived in Italy for four years in the past, but this is my first time back in ten years. It's also my first visit to Perugia. What are the better sights to see? How heavily touristed is the city?

-What are some recommended places to eat? I'll be saving Euros for Rome, but I don't want to eat junk food.

-What are the best rail transport options from Perugia to Rome? Is it possible to do this without a change of trains? The best for me would be an IC-class train, but I'd be willing to pay the Eurostar Italia supplement if it's worth the price.

-If I'm sightseeing on the 21st, where is the best place to store my luggage? I think the hotel may be best, but this may be time-consuming if I have to travel back there first before heading down to the stazione.

-How are the dining facilities in the hotel and the menu?

-What are some easy-to-carry souvenirs from Perugia? Chocolate works fine for me, and I understand Perugia is a great place to buy it.

EDFW

Perugia is popular with tourists but not like Siena or Florence. Most tourists are Italians visiting just for a day.

What you should do is stroll around the town centre which is very picturesque and have a look at the following things:
- Piazza Italia and the Giardini Carducci behind P.zza Italia
- Corso Vannucci (main street)
- Piazza IV Novembre with Palazzo dei Priori (go inside the Sala dei Notari), Fontana Maggiore and the Duomo
- Piazza Matteotti (the tourist info is here) and the Mercato Coperto
- Via dei Priori
- Porta Sole
- Arco Etrusco and University for Foreigners
- Via dell'Acquedotto
- (if you have time and feel like walking a bit: San Pietro monastery/church with the Mediaeval Garden)

For pizza try "Porta del Sole" (Via delle Prome) or "Etruschetto" (Corso Garibaldi). A pizza margherita should cost around 4-4.50 EUR.

For traditional regional cuisine try "Dal mi' Cocco" (Corso Garibaldi), everything home made. Small selection (two or three different primi to choose from, the same for secondi). Menu of primo, secondo, dolce and a glass of vin santo (dessert wine) should cost 13 EUR, other drinks excluded.

Chocolate-y pastries of the best quality you will find at "Pasticceria Sandri" (Corso Vannucci).

There are only a couple of direct trains between Perugia and Rome every day. The ones in the afternoon leave Perugia at 13,18 and 17,18. Travel time is around 3 hours. These are regional trains, so the slowest option. There is also a direct Eurostar departing 18,03 which takes 2.5 hrs. For other IC or Eurostar options you would have to take the regional train to Foligno and change to the fast train there. In the end you will be in Rome maybe then minutes faster so I don't think it's worth the extra 10 EUR.

I'm not sure if there's a left luggage at the train station, I don't think so. Can't think of other options either so it would probably be best to leave everything at the hotel.

You're right about the chocolate and this would be my pick (though in late May it might be too warm to transport it to Rome or even further without damaging it). On Corso Vannucci there is a "Perugina" shop, which is Italy's most famous chocolate maker. Try the baci (kisses), they are great!

Other souvenirs I can't really think of at the moment, I'm not too fond of the usual kitsch they sell (which you will find at the tobacco shops).

Maybe bring a bottle of wine for the girl in Rome, the Sagrantino di Montefalco is very nice but not too cheap, Rosso di Montefalco is good and quite affordable (Montefalco is a small town about 30 km south of Perugia).

I think you will enjoy Umbria! If you have any other questions feel free to ask!