Planning a trip to Assisi

Getting There

About 20 trains run daily from Perugia (25–30 min.). From Florence (2–3 hr.), trains run every 2 hours or so, though some require a transfer at Terontola. Trains arrive in the modern valley town of Santa Maria degli Angeli, about 5km (3 miles) from Assisi, with bus connections to Assisi every 20 minutes (1€); taxis are available for about 15€ to 20€.

By car, Assisi is 18km (11 miles) east of Perugia, off the SS75bis. The center’s steep streets are off-limits to non-resident drivers. The best strategy is to park in Piazza Matteotti (1.15€ per hour), keep walking west, and finish at the basilica; it’s all downhill. A dependable alternative is the Mojano multi-story garage (1.05€ first 2 hrs.; 1.45€/hr. thereafter) halfway up the hill from Piazza Giovanni Paolo II to Porta Nuova. Escalators whisk you into the center of town.

At least six BusItalia Nord buses (www.fsbusitalia.it; tel. 075/963-7001) connect Perugia with Assisi (50 min.) and five buses a day run between Assisi and Gubbio (1[bf]3/4 hr.). SULGA (www.sulga.it; tel. 075/500-9641) runs at least two buses daily from Rome’s Tiburtina station (3 hrs.) and Florence’s Fuimicino Airport.

Visitor Information

The tourist office (www.comune.assisi.pg.it; tel. 075/812534) is in the Palazzo die Priori on Piazza del Comune. It’s open summer daily (8am–6:30pm) and winter (Mon–Sat 8am–2pm and 3–6pm; Sunday 9am–1pm). The private websites www.assisionline.com and www.assisiweb.com also have good info.

A good place to stock up on maps and guidebooks about Assisi (and anywhere else on earth) is the vintage shop Zubboli at Piazza del Commune 5 (tel. 075/812381; daily 8am–8pm), which also sells beautiful stationery and leather-bound journals.