Visitor Guide
Visiting parents, relatives, and friends are always welcome at the Umbra Institute. We fully appreciate the desire for students to dedicate time to friends and relatives who make the long journey to visit them during the semester. Each semester, the Umbra Institute provides a week-long break with no classes after mid-term exams to accomodate students’ independent travel and to dedicate time to friends and relatives who visit. Umbra students are required to respect Umbra academic policies and faithfully attend and participate in all classes, course field trips, exams, and other co-curricular activities and events regardless of independent travel. Students will not be excused from class or class-related activities to spend time with guests.
In order to help coordinate travel, check the Academic Calendar to find the dates when class will not be in session!
Getting to Perugia
Most visitors will be heading to Perugia after arrival in Rome or Florence. From Rome, there are a couple of options depending where you are coming from. From Rome Fiumicino Airport you have your choice of Sulga bus, train or private car. Sulga buses leave Fiumicino Airport and head to Perugia in Piazza Partigiani, the bus station. To view the schedule of the Fiumicino-Perugia line, click here. From the station, you can walk or take a taxi to your hotel.
Note: Festivo = Holiday/Sunday, Feriale = Weekday (Monday – Saturday)
Another alternative is taking the train from Fiumicino Airport to Rome’s central Termini train station and then transferring trains to arrive in Perugia. Check the hours at TrenItalia. Upon arrival to the train station in Perugia, you can take a local bus, minimetro, or a taxi to the center or to your hotel.
Although more costly, yet convenient, you can arrive to Perugia from the Fiumicino airport by private car. The Umbra Institute has a special arrangement with Rome Connection to pick you up at the airport or elsewhere upon arrival and drive you through the countryside directly to your destination in Perugia. Visit Rome Connection for details and reservations.
From other main locations in Italy, such as Florence or Bologna, a train is likely the easiest and most cost-effective way to arrive in Perugia.
Where to Stay in Perugia
When guests come to visit students in Perugia, we suggest they stay in a hotel or B&B located in the center of the city. Listed below are a few recommendations. In order to get a discounted price when you book, mention the Umbra Institute. If you choose a hotel that is not on the list below, check the location carefully before you book because some hotels claim to be in the historic center when actually, they are not.
| Rating | Name |
| ***** | Hotel Brufani – Ultimate Luxury |
| **** | Hotel Locanda della Posta |
| **** | Hotel La Rosetta |
| *** | Hotel Priori |
| *** | Hotel La Fortuna |
| ** | Hotel Umbria |
| ** | Hotel Europa |
Getting Around
One terrific aspect of Perugia is that you can walk around and see the entire historic center on foot. Visits to nearby towns like Assisi, Cortona, Gubbio, Orvieto, and others, will require transportation. Public transportation can get you to most places and back for a day trip. Where you do not have a “home base” to keep luggage, consider renting a car, especially if a villa rental is in mind. It is a convenient and fun way to explore the hilltop towns in rural Italy and to get to those hard-to-reach yet enchanting destinations.
What to See and Do
Although Perugia is a relatively small city, there is plenty to see, do, and eat. We recommend exploring Perugia by walking with a guidebook and map, reading its history, and exploring its architecture, monuments, museums, and churches. Not-to-be-missed sites include the Sala dei Notari, Collegio del Cambio, the National Gallery of Umbria, the Chiesa di San Pietro, Capella San Severo, and each gelateria you pass. Click here to download the official guidebook to Perugia in English. Additionally, Perugia is home to a large number of restaurants and cafes; here are some of the Umbra Institute’s suggestions:
Ristorante Nana
Location: Corso Cavour, 202
Hours: Dinner, Monday-Saturday
Telephone: 075-573-35 71
www.ristorantenana.it
Sandri
Location: Corso Vanucci, 32
Hours: 10 am-8 pm, Tuesday-Sunday
Telephone: 075-572-4112
Il Gufo
Location: Via della Viola, 18
Hours: 7 pm-1 am, Tuesday-Saturday
Telephone: 075-573-4126
www.osteriailgufo.it
Ristorante dal Mi’Cocco
Location: Corso Garibaldi, 12
Hours: Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday
Telephone: 075-573-25 11