Help! I can't seem to prioritize the sites for our trip to Umbria. There is so much to offer. We will be there for 6 days in November staying near Assisi. What are the places that are not to be missed? Opinions?

Firstly, will you have a car? Or will you be relying on public transport?

I've lived on and off in Perugia for about five months this year, and have done LOADS of daytrips using public transport. You'll have more options if you have a car, but here are some biggies just to get you started...

Just doing the Franciscan sites in Assisi will take up a day. More if you want to see some other things like the Rocca or some of the other churches.

See my Perusing Perugia travel notes in my signature for at least one day's worth of sight-seeing in Perugia.

Spoleto is another of my favourite spots for a daytrip. There's an awesome acqueduct spanning the valley, with a Rocca on top of the hill. Cross the acqueduct and walk left along the path for about fifteen minutes for an amazing view.

Orvieto is a bit further, but worth the trek to see the splendid Duomo. There's also the curious well with the double-helix stairs to climb down.

If you have a car and like to eat, then venture down to Norcia. They specialise in pork products (sausages, salami), truffles, lentils and trout. You won't go hungry there!

I would also usually suggest Castiglion del Lago, to visit the fortress and also to take a boat trip across to the Isola Maggiore. However, in November this is all very weather-dependent. I wouldn't go there unless the weather was perfect and the boats were running, otherwise the town itself can really only occupy you for half a day.

Other people will suggest Spello and Trevi. They're charming hilltowns. I've been to Spello, but haven't been as enchanted with it as others have.

Hope this helps. Buon viaggio, Claire.

Six days is pretty tight. Assisi alone is worth at least a day. Right down the road, probably a long walk, is Santa Maria Degli Angeli. The basilica there is great. Imagine 20 confessionals in one place. While there, make sure to see the little chapel in the middle around which the basilica is built. (There's a good restaurant, La Basilica, on the street adjoining the rear of the basilica.) Also nearby Assisi is San Damiano, where Saint Francis got the message from on high.
Spello is about 15 minutes away. We stayed there two years ago. Very nice, but better as a base than a destination. Perugia is about 20 minutes in the other direction. Much more to see (it's the biggest town in the area), but it's a pain to get to if you're driving. Park outside and then up by escalators and a decent hike.
Norcia's interesting and even better if you're hungry. Most of these places are more easily accessible by car. Orvieto is a good hour and a half away by car. Todi is 15 minutes closer. Bevagna and Montefalco are much closer, but neither is likely to beguile you in November, when things can get quite brisk.
I suggest you plan on Assisi and Perugia as your main building blocks, then perhaps add Spoleto and Norcia for your remaining time. Leave yourself a day or so slack and be spontaneous for the remainder. You'll be amazed at how quickly the time passes.

Thanks for the info. We will have a car. Spoleto and Perugia were definitely on my list. What about Gubbio?

Bill

Gazetteer of Umbria

Check out my web page on our trip last year to Tuscany and Umbria.

http://www.travel.stv77.com/tuscany2005/tuscany05.htm

We visited Gubbio on a previous trip, but with the time you have, I would skip it. It's a bit out of the way. We enjoyed the Trevi, Spello, Montefalco, and of course, Assisi.

Gubbio is only 45 min. drive from Assisi if one takes the Via san Fortunato to Valfabbrica. Ask locally how to reach the Ponte di san Vetturino and then follow signs for San Fortunato, Pieve San Nicolo'. It is in fact closer by than Spoleto or Orvieto.