If you’ve planned and executed a trip to Italy’s major cities, you know how these places work, whether we’re talking about Rome, Florence, or maybe even a week in a Tuscan villa. You pick a city, check in, and the infrastructure does the rest. Trains run frequently, tour operators and wine tasting rooms are everywhere, and taxis are available — mostly when you need them to be. Umbria is a different kind of planning exercise. It doesn’t have that same ready-made grid of getting-around options, which means you have to think a little harder before you arrive — think of it as a not because it’s difficult, but because it rewards the effort. The travelers who get the most out of Umbria are the ones who showed up knowing — at least somewhat — what they were walking into.
So here’s a no-doubt incomplete list of FAQs to help you prepare for your trip to Umbria. Throughout this post, I’ve linked to some other planning material that I think will help you be better prepared when you hit our verdant, welcoming ground.
The Basics
Q: Do I need a car?
Not strictly, but without one, you’ll need a plan. Getting between the larger towns by train or bus is manageable, but most of what makes Umbria worth visiting — the hilltowns, the wineries, the olive oil producers, the places that may not even have a sign out front — isn’t on any train line. For those, you’d need a private driver, which works but is expensive. Or, ahem, you could find someone to handle all of the transport and scheduling for your group.
That said, if you do opt for a rental car, driving in the Umbrian countryside is easy and scenic. The roads are good (sometimes steep and winding, but good), and having your own wheels means you move through the region as it actually exists, not the version of it that happens to have a train station. In cities and small towns, however, beware the ZTL — the zona traffico limitato. These are the historic centers closed to all but local traffic. Even if you don’t get a ticket on the spot, rest assured, it will arrive in the mail once you get home.
Q: What’s the best time of year to visit?
That’s an easy one: spring and fall. April, May and June bring green hills, wildflowers, and mild temperatures. September and October and even into November bring grape and olive harvest seasons, crisp weather, and dizzyingly bright blue skies. July and August are hot — not unbearably so up in higher elevations like Allerona, but still hot. If you’re used to living with a/c in the summertime, make sure your accommodation in Umbria has it. Winter is quiet but has its own appeal if you like having ancient hilltowns mostly to yourself. A winter caveat, however: the entire season can be quite rainy and windy. If your travel goals involve pleasant weather, it’s best to pick a different season.
Q: Is Umbria expensive?
Relative to Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, or virtually any big city, definitely not. Restaurants are more modestly priced, accommodation is more affordable, and the region has less of the premium-tourist-zone pricing you find elsewhere. That said, affordable doesn’t mean cheap — Italy is not a budget destination, and Umbria is still Italy.
When you’re making your travel plans and pricing accommodations, especially, look at all the photos, including those from guests, and read those reviews — especially the two- and three-star ones. Less expensive options, especially historic ones, can be somewhat…spartan, to put it mildly. Some are literally former monks’ cells, and a lot of monks used to sleep on cold stone floors. So comfort is relative. I’d also beware of lodgings that look like they were slapped together specifically for Airbnb, with generic furnishings and artwork. Some vacation rentals even require you to bring your own towels and sheets (!!) or pay extra to rent theirs (!!!).
Getting around and practical logistics
Q: How long should I stay in Umbia?
A week is a good amount of time, especially if you stay in one — maximum two — places and explore from there. Because Umbnia doesn’t have “blockbuster” sites (except maybe for the Duomo of Orvieto and the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi), it’s hard to treat the region like a highlights reel. So instead of filling every day with a different hilltown, a different drive, a different agenda, let Umbria, and whatever town or village you’re staying in unfold a little. Spend some time wandering the weekly market. Eat at the same restaurant twice and see what happens.
The things that make Umbria memorable aren’t necessarily the places you visited, but rather the afternoon you didn’t plan that turned into the best day of the trip. Of course we think two weeks is better than one, but more importantly, whatever time you have, spend it slower than your gotta-see-it-all instincts may dictate.
Q: What’s the tourism infrastructure like in Umbria?
Fine, but maybe a little more…rustic — and I mean that as a description, not criticism. Though more and more luxury properties are opening up, Umbria doesn’t have the same density of high-end hotels, trattorias hawking “tourist menus” (thank ye gods) or many of the convenient, if a little cookie-cutter tourist-facing services that Tuscany has built up over decades. What you find instead are family-run agriturismi, local restaurants where the menu is whatever they felt like making that week, and a region operating on its own schedule rather than yours. This is the good part. But it does mean you’ll want to be a bit more adaptable and less wedded to planning every last detail in advance.
Food, wine, and eating culture
Q: What are some Umbrian specialties?
Our corner — the southwestern slice where Umbria, Tuscany, and Lazio meet near Orvieto — has a food culture that’s earthy, seasonal, and tied to what the land produces — though granted, those qualities describe much of Italian cuisine. Truffles are a huge deal here, shaved over pasta or meat, or worked into antipasti and other dishes. Wild game also appears frequently on menus, especially cinghiale (wild boar) braised as an entree or slow-cooked as a pasta sauce. While I’m not personally a fan, pigeon is also quite popular.
Umbrian olive oil — including from the trees in our backyard — is grassy and peppery and probably nothing like what you can get at Trader Joe’s. And the wines from the Orvieto DOC and the Montefalco zones are excellent and still underappreciated outside Italy, thanks in part to small producers who don’t have the quantities to sell to international markets.
Q: What is a typical meal like?
As you probably know, breakfast in Italy is a quick affair, taken either at home or at a local bar. It typically consists of an espresso or cappuccino, plus a pastry, most often a cornetto (a croissant by any other name). We offer tour guests a slower, continental buffet breakfast, but we’re catering to non-Italians.
Otherwise, meals in Umbria, especially when you’re invited into someone’s home or doing a group sit-down, are slower than in most non-Mediterranean cultures — and they include a lot more food. So. much. food. Lunch is the main meal, and our meals at Franca’s house usually run at least two hours, depending on how many bottles of wine we open.
Remember that at restaurants, whether at lunch or dinner, you won’t see the check (il conto) until you ask for it, as it’s considered rude for the waiter to make you feel rushed.
Q: Will I find vegetarian or vegan options?
Umbrian cuisine is heavily meat-based, and in smaller towns vegetarian options may be limited to a single pasta and seasonal vegetables. Veganism is challenging, but not impossible, as those same pastas and vegetables are usually vegan anyway.
We have served vegetarians, gluten-free, lactose-free and kosher-ish guests, and no one went away hungry!
Language and communication
Q: Do people speak English?
In tourist hubs like Assisi and Orvieto, you’ll find that most people in tourist-facing roles speak at least some English. You’ll also hear a lot of English being spoken, as both communities have plenty of British and American transplants. (I dislike the word “expat,” but that’s a topic for another time.
In smaller towns, English is much less prevalent, which is why I’m almost always on hand to translate for our tour guests. But even if you mangle the pronunciations, attempting a few Italian phrases, like per favore, grazie, mi scusi, will be noticed and appreciated wherever you go.
Q: What about cell service and internet?
Rural Umbria is surprisingly well connected, if not at lightning fast speeds. Cell service can actually be more finicky than the internet, due to thick walls and narrow alleys where signals can’t penetrate. At our Six Keys Guesthouse, for example, our WiFi works well everywhere, but to talk on the phone, you usually have to stand near a window. The easiest solution is to use WhatsApp for making your calls.
Culture and customs
Q: Is it true that many shops and other businesses close in the afternoon?
The riposo, or rest, is the traditional afternoon closing, typically from 1 – 4 pm, which many businesses, especially retail shops, still observe. It harkens back to Italy’s agricultural past, when you rested during the hottest hours of the day. (I touch on it in this article I wrote for HuffPost, in the “Lunch and Dinner are Later” subhead.) In larger cities the practice is less common, and even in Orvieto, franchise stores and many souvenir shops stay open all afternoon. But in Allerona and places similar, count on the riposo and plan your errands accordingly.
Q: Are there things I might accidentally do that are considered rude?
There are a few cultural norms to keep in mind. Dress modestly for churches — tank tops, bare shoulders and short hemlines are considered disrespectful, as is leaving your hat on. I’ve written about this before too — most recently for Travel + Leisure. Dressing a wee bit nicer than you might at home will get you warmer welcomes almost anywhere you go here.
Also, be sure not to make candid observations about Italians and assume no one understands you. Umbria is rural but not the middle of nowhere, and you’d be surprised how many people in a small Umbrian bar spent three years in London or have a cousin in New Jersey.
Also, people just have a way of knowing when you’re talking about them, even in a different language. So just assume you are understood.Q: How is Umbria different from Tuscany, really?
Tuscany definitely got a jumpstart on Umbria — and most of the rest of Italy — when it comes to developing its tourism infrastructure. You’ll see this in the ease of traveling there and the proliferation of English-language signage, menus and service staff. That’s not necessarily a negative, but you might get the feeling that you’re moving through a very beautiful, very well-designed tourism product.
I always say that Tuscany is better curated than Umbria, which feels more like a place where people actually live. The market is for locals, the sagra is something the village has been doing for forty years, the restaurant makes what it makes. You’re welcomed in all of it — but you’re a guest at someone else’s party rather than the target audience. For the traveler who’s been coming to Italy for years and wants something that feels real, this is what real feels like.
Health and safety
Q: Do I need travel insurance?
Yes, always. You are spending a lot of money on your vacation to Italy, and you need to protect your investment if something goes awry, whether that’s a cancelled flight, a family emergency or some global unrest. Also, your domestic health insurance probably doesn’t cover you abroad. And while an emergency room visit or even a hospitalization here would likely cost way less than in the US, things can start to add up if we’re talking about an extended stay, or heaven forbid, having to medevac home. Purchasing a CFAR (Cancel for Any Reason) policy that includes comprehensive medical coverage and emergency evacuation is responsible trip planning.
Q: Is Umbria safe?
Very much so. Italy has a low rate of violent crime, and Umbria, with no major cities and lots of small tight-knit communities, is among the quieter parts of the country. Standard precautions apply, but you’re not going to feel unsafe here.
Q: Can I drink the tap water?
Yes. Tap water throughout Italy, including in Umbria, is safe to drink. Better-tasting, colder and more filtered water comes from public fountains, which you’ll find throughout Italy, especially in Rome. We even have four in Allerona! You can bring a reusable water bottle and fill up as needed. We provide refillable bottles and filtered water for our guests.
Q: Any additional health considerations?
There are no region-specific concerns, other than protection from the weather. So that means sunscreen and water if you’re outdoors, and adequate footwear for uneven terrain, including cobblestones. In the countryside, we do have ticks seasonally, so wear a hat and do a check before you step into the shower at the end of the day. Gross, I know, but that’s country living.
The bottom line….
Parasitic insects aside, part of what I love about living in Umbria is that it hasn’t been overrun. That means I have a certain interest in sending people here who will appreciate it on its own terms rather than compare it unfavorably to somewhere with better signage and a more curated aperitivo scene. If that’s the kind of Italy you’re after, you’re in the right place. And if you’d like a true made-in-Umbria experience, we’d love for you to join us here in Allerona.