I have done a search on this site and visited trenitalia.com, but still have questions.The website only shows two ES trains to Assisi, but since I cannot buy it online, there is no price displayed.I would like to know what the cost is for the train. Also, a friend said he thought there was an Assisi express that leaves Termini frequently.I really prefer a direct train as we will have already flown in from the US that morning and taken the Leonardo Express to Termini.Is Foligno an easy place to change trains?

I am gathering this info for a group of friends that may not have much traveling experience.

Thanks

Doris,
First I have to say that I have never been to Italy before. With that said, I am going there in June and I have a done a lot os research and reading about it, and Assisi from Rome is one of the things I would like to do.
So on the trenitalia.it, there are some no stop trains both ES and R that leave Rome to Assisi, when you search for your date, it comes up with stuff,look at the right hand corner and do the search based on the number of changes(it took a while to figure that out), and trips with no stops will show. It seems like the rate is around 22Euros for 1st class standard ES one way ticket.
Another option for getting to Assisi from Rome is the SULGA bus, I have no clue how comfortable or convenient it is, it seems like there are only couple departurs a day from Tiburtina to St Pietro Square, three-hour ride for about 17Euros one way.You can check thier website at sulga.it.
I hope that helps, and please keep me posted as to what you find a decide beacuse I have not finalized my decesion regarding that trip yet.

Doris,
Looking at the Sulga website, it seems like there is a bus service right from the airport to assisi, http://www.sulga.it/autolinee/orari_trovati.asp
It looks like only one service a day so it might not work for them if they are arriving later, or they want to spend time in Rome before they leave, but thought I'll tell you about it.

According to Trenitalia, the second class fare (Rome Tiburtina-Assisi) is Euro 9.40. There appear to be 4 trains that don't require changes.

They depart at 8:22 am, 12:20 pm, 1:04 pm and 1:49 pm. The trip takes about 2 hours.

I have no clue what I am doing wrong, but whenever I go to trenitalia.com OR trenitalia.it (which redirects me to ferrovie della stato.it), the only trains that come up are one at @13OO hrs, the other @1500hours. Both are ES. Both are from Termini and Tiburnia.

Okay, I figured it out - when I entered a date for June I saw all the info you folks mentioned. However, the conference in Assisi is in October, and I guess there are fewer trains going to Assisi at that time .. just the 2 ES trains. But still cannot buy online - is there a limit as to how far out one can buy an ES ticket online?

If your arrival time in Rome fits in, I would totally and without reservation suggest the Sulga bus. It is fast, comfortable, clean and efficient.
We always catch the bus from Perugia to the airport because it does away with all the train changes and hoisting luggage on and off the train. Even if it increases our waiting time at the airport!

If you can't catch the Sulga bus then the train will have to do, won't it.
It's not hard but it usually involves some train changes (at least to Perugia it does but I don't know about Assisi.)
Changing at Foligno is easy, so don't worry about it.

Doris, I believe schedules come out and you can only book 60 days in advance.

Train service isn't reduced; trains after the seasonal change on June 15 haven't been fully loaded on the site, especially for regional trains. You can expect similar frequency to what's showing for dates this week, with some changes in the exact times. If you take the train, on that route there isn't much reason to take the Eurostar; you can take a Regionale, with schedules similar to what Jim Zurer posts, and they don't take reservations.

If you're going direct from the airport (not doing anything in Rome that morning), you can chart the route by entering Roma Aeroporto as your starting point on the Trenitalia site. You can take the FM1 train instead of the Leonardo Express, change at Tiburtina instead of Termini, and save at least €5.50 per person.

Thanks, everyone! I will look into the airport to Assisi routing - sounds like a good idea.

Although you can save money with the FM1 routing from the airport to Tiburtina, I think for inexperienced Italy travellers it is easier to go to Termini on Leonardo Express, and then take a train to Assisi.

The train will in all likelihood originate at Termini and will be sitting in the station for a while and there will be adequate time to find the track and board. At Tiburtina you will have only a minute or so to board while the train stops briefly.

Good thinking, caodog. I think I will recommend the Leonardo and the Assisi train from Termini.

Candi - I would encourage you to try Assisi - I was enchanted when we went - I expected to see Gipetto or Pinochio around every corner!

Thanks Doris, I think that we will end up going there, it just seems that we will have to do it as a day trip from Rome, so I am trying to see how much time this will leave us to explore Assisi. If not on this trip, hopefully we will have chance to go again