Lots of people will tell you it isn't easy to travel by train in Umbria. I've been doing it for years. It's not super fast, and many of the major hill towns have stations at the bottom so that you'll either have to lug your bags up or take a bus into the center. But the scenery is fine and the connecting bus is often waiting for the train, so don't fear public transportation in Umbria.
It's easy in Italy to find a station, and buy tickets for the next destination out. It's how we used to do it in the "olden days" of train travel in Italy.
If you're never taken the train in Italy, see our Video: Taking the Train in Italy
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Rail Map of Umbria
The green lines on the map indicate train lines. The lines of the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, abreviated FS on most schedules, form the bulk of the lines in Umbria. The center north-south trending line, from Terni through Perugia to Sansepulcro in Tuscany is run by Busitalia Sita Nord and is called the Ferrovia Centrale Umbria. Don't worry, it all works pretty seamlessly.
Where to Go in Umbria on the Train
Around Lake Trasimeno. Train service is quite good around the lake. You can get to Castiglione del Lago, Touro and Passignano on the train. The stop at Touro, the site of Hannibal’s historic defeat of the Roman soldiers in 217 BC, puts you near the lake's edge, where you can get to nearby Isola Maggiore by an inexpensive ferry in 9 minutes.
Read more about Lake Trasimeno.
The Capital of Umbria: Perugia
Perugia has four train stations. The main station for visitors to Perugia is called Perugia Fontivegge railway station. At the exit to the station you can take the new Minimetrò di Perugia to the city center on the hill above.
Umbria.GO Transportation Pass
The Umbria transportation Pass gets you unlimited trips on regional trains in the whole region of Umbria, with extentions to out-of-region cities Orte, Chiusi and Terontola. The pass also includes the Minimetrò di Perugia, boats on Lake Tasimeno, and the funicolare of Orvieto. It's available in 1,3, and 7 day versions as well as monthly. A one week pass costs 45 euro, a bargain. You can buy them at Busitalia and Trenitalia ticket offices, and the info point in Piazza Italia in central Perugia.
Perugia, in the center of Umbria, makes a fine hub for exploring the region. We learned Italian in Perugia, at the Universita per stranieri. We didn't run out of things to do in our month's stay, taking trips outside the city on weekends.
Our Suggested Itinerary: Perugia is in the center of Umbria, so it makes sense to rent an apartment for a week in the old town, get a one week Umbria.GO pass, and take day trips to Lago Trasimeno, Orvieto, Assisi and other cities you might like in Umbria (or Chiusi in Tuscany).
Borghi più belli, Umbria's Prettiest Villages by Train
Italy has awarded the most beautiful villages in each region. Umbria and Le Marche, which share borders, have the most, with 30 villages each.
Here is the list; the villages in bold are accessible by train.
Acquasparta, Allerona, Arrone, Bettona, Bevagna, Castiglione del Lago, Citerna, Corciano, Deruta (Deruta train station is situated nearby to the village San Niccolò di Celle.), Lugnano in Teverina, Massa Martana, Mount Castello di Vibio, Montecchio, Montefalco, Monteleone d’Orvieto, Monteleone di Spoleto, Montone, Nocera Umbra, Norcia, Paciano, Panicale, Passignano sul Trasimeno, Preci, San Gemini, Sellano, Spello, Stroncone, Torgiano, Trevi, Vallo di Nera.
Notes on Train Travel in Umbrian Cities
Here are some peculiarities for some popular destination in Umbria reachable by train.
If you look at the map, in the northeast corner you'll find the popular destination of Gubbio. The train station used to get to Gubbio is called Fossato di Vico-Gubbio Railway Station, located 20 km in the Southeast (Fossago di Vico is marked on the map). Connecting buses E052 and E022 get you to the center of Gubbio from the station in 36 minutes and there is one every 2 hours or so.
The city of Orvieto has a funiculare that takes you to Piazza Cahen in the center from the train station. It rurns every 10 minutes. You can get a taxi at the station as well.
The hill town of Todi is reached by a short bus journey from the rail station.
Umbria is the green heart of Italy. See it from a train window. It's amazing.
Other Rail Maps of Popular Italy Regions
Frequently Traveled Routes in Italy
More Italy Travel Planning Resources
- Travel Planning Timeline: Learn what you need to plan when.
- What Will an Italy Vacation Cost?: Tools for budgeting your Italian vacation.
- Unplanned Attractions: Save time for the good life in Italy.
