Perugia was once Italy’s best-kept secret, a place reserved for those who had explored every corner of Tuscany and still wanted more of that classic Tuscan style and scenery. Perugia is the capital of Umbria and, while the region is now very much on the tourist map, it is still a good alternative to Tuscany – and often without the high-season crowds who flock to Florence, Siena and other Tuscan cities.

Perugia is a mid-size city, well worth a visit in its own right but also an excellent base for exploring the wider Umbria region. It’s easy to spend a day or two exploring Perugia, where the cafés on Corso Vannucci are good places to linger. When it’s time to move on, Assisi is just 20 minutes away on local trains that run two times an hour. Spoleto – a classic Umbrian hill town – is just one hour from Perugia on a direct train.

Although Perugia is not on a high-speed line, it has since 2018 enjoyed a daily visit from a chic Frecciarossa high-speed train. It allows an early morning run to Florence, Milan and Turin. That premium train takes just 81 minutes to reach Florence. Other, less illustrious, trains take closer to two hours. There are direct Intercity and regional trains to Milan and Rome. The fastest service to Rome takes about 2 hrs 30 mins. The best bet for journeys from further afield (eg. from London and Paris) is to use high-speed trains to Florence, connecting there onto a train for Perugia.

Perugia has several railway stations. The best choice for the town centre is simply called Perugia (although often referred to locally as Fontivegge). There is an innovative automated rapid-transit system which will speed you from the station up to the town centre.