A Travel Guide for Every Traveller In and Out of Perugia: Navigating Trains, Buses, and Airports
An opinion piece by Elke Schrenk, Spring 2026
Planning travel can be stressful, especially in a new country. While in the US we are well accustomed to long road trips in our own cars, in Italy public transportation is the way to go. Not only is this the cheap and easy way to travel, but it can also provide an enriching experience to see how Italian transportation is different from what Americans are used to. In this article, I will provide a brief overview of the various ways to travel from Perugia.
Coach Bus
The bus is probably my most used method of transportation for traveling within Italy. Providers like Flixbus offer coach bus tickets that are often much cheaper than train tickets, and sometimes even faster. The buses themselves are very comfortable, and it is a great place to catch up on sleep during a long travel day.
The bus station in Perugia is called Piazza Partigiani, and is easily walkable from the city center. It is a small station, so I would say it is only necessary to get there 10 minutes before your scheduled departure time. It is easy to reach cities throughout Italy by direct bus, however a transfer may be needed depending on your destination.
It is also important to note that bus stations are often located a bit outside of the city center, and you may need to take a taxi or public transit to get to your accommodation. This can add both time and money, so it is important to think through your entire travel day before buying tickets.
Train
Similarly to the buses, it is easy to reach many Italian cities by train. The main differences between the two are the price and travel time. Generally, the train is faster but more expensive than the bus. Train stations are also typically more centrally located than bus stations, which makes it easier to reach your accommodation or explore a new city during a long connection. In Perugia, the train station can be easily reached via the minimetro.
Airplane
From Perugia, there are a couple of options for traveling outside of the country. My preferred method is to take a train or bus to Rome, and fly out of the Fiumicino Airport. If you travel by bus, you will arrive at Tiburtina autostation. From there you will need to take the subway to Roma Termini (train station) and then take an express train to FCO. This is called the Leonardo Express, it runs frequently and takes around 30 minutes. I would recommend allotting around 4 hours from the time you arrive in Rome to the time your flight leaves.
Where to go?
Overall, Perugia is an excellent home base for traveling throughout Italy and the rest of Europe. While larger European cities are easy to get to from Perugia, and are popular tourist destinations, I personally try to mix some less popular travel destinations into my weekend plans. From the US it is easier to reach large hubs like Paris or Madrid than smaller towns within Italy, and prioritizing places that are off the beaten path can provide insight into Italian culture.
Helpful websites
Omio.com is a great resource for comparing train and bus ticket times and prices. You can buy tickets from the website, however it is often better to buy directly from the train or bus company in case there is a cancellation or delay.
Skyscanner.com is a great website for finding plane tickets at a low price. You can search for flights to “everywhere” if you don’t have a specific destination in mind.
Hostelworld.com is helpful for finding a place to stay, although I also commonly use airbnb.com.