In this article we'll go over all possible itineraries to get to Umbria. This region is located in the heart of Italy and it's not bathed by the sea , so arriving by boat is not an option! However, you could always have a day tour to the charming Trasimeno Lake by ferry boat ;) The landscape is a little rough and mainly characterised by hills and mounts – a truly unique sight when travelling by car or even motorbike!
On the road: travelling by car & motorbike
You can get to Umbria through the highway Autostrada del Sole A1 Florence-Rome; those ones coming from North will find the exit of Valdichiana – Chiusi/Chianciano, while those coming from South could exit in Orte – Attigliano – Orvieto – Fabro. Through the highway Autostrada Adriatica A14, travellers coming from North could exit in Rimini, continuing towards Città di Castello or in Fano, then continuing towards Gubbio; people coming from South will find the following exits: Ancona Nord (continuing towards Gubbio), Pescara (continuing towards Terni through L'Aquila-Rieti), Civitanova Marche (continuing toward Foligno – Perugia). The highway Superstrada E45 Cesena – Orte longitudinally crosses all Umbria. If you love motorbikes, take your passion with you on holidays! Perhaps you'll need to take smaller luggages, but it'll be worth it!
My advice
When arriving by car or motorbike you'll be literally enchanted by the surrounding landscape and beauties of a still intact nature. That's why roads could somethimes be a bit tortuous. Don't forget to take with you some kind of medicine if somebody in your family is carsick! If you're staying in Umbria for a couple of days or more, coming with both a car or motorbike will turn out to be extremely comfortable to visit the many cities and towns of the region, which are all close to each other, but also to move from the villa to the nearest centre offering services and amenities. Actually some country areas might not be served by public transport or just too far away to reach the town by foot.
Train journey
The railway infrastructure extends for a total of 350 km of lines and about 35 train stations. The main network is the line Direttissima Florence-Rome, which develops along the main ridge North-South and it's the first high speed line in Europe, opened for half of its track on 24th February 1977 and then completed on 26th May 1992, by making it possible to connect the two cities within h 1,30 journey. There is also the conventional line Roma-Firenze, which always develops along the main ridge North-South and the line Orte-Ancona, that links the conventional line Rome-Florence to the Adriatic ridge. The additional network is comprised of the line Terontola-Foligno, which connects the line Orte-Falconara with the one of Rome-Florence; the line Terni-Sulmona, that crosses the Marmore and the line Viterbo-Attigliano.
My advice
If you're planning some trips during your stay, take a look at the web site of the Italian railways and check all destinations and departure times. Train is a great alternative to car and usually there are also special offers dedicated to groups of passengers.
Plane ride
The region is served by the international airport of San Francesco d'Assisi, located in Sant'Egidio at about 12 km from Perugia and Assisi. Throughout the year there are daily flights to Roma Fiumicino airport, where you might choose among over 120 national and international destinations. There are also seasonal flights to many Italian and foreign cities such as Trapani, Brussels, London, Bucharest and Tirana. The airport is connected through bus service to the cities of Perugia (duration of the journey around 20 minutes with stops at the square Piazza Italia and at the railway station), Assisi and Foligno. Nearby the airport there's also the railway line RFI Foligno – Terontola with the train station of Ospedalicchio, which is currently closed but a great project of renovation is under way to make it the official stop to the airport.
Useful info: nearby airports
You can compare the offers and available routes of the following airports, which can be easily reached when staying in Umbria: the Airport Raffaello Sanzio in Falconara – Ancona, at 125 km from Perugia and at 175 km to Terni; the Airport Amerigo Vespucci in Firenze Peretola, at 68 km from Perugia and at 235 km from Terni; the Airports of Roma Fiumicino and Ciampino, at about 200 km from Perugia and 120 km from Terni; the Airport of Galileo Galilei in Pisa, at 258 km from Perugia and 300 km from Terni.
