Traveling to Orvieto, Italy

If you happen to be in Rome, take a half (or whole) day to venture out to the charming hilltop town of  Orvieto.  It's only one hour on the fast train from Rome... 

When you arrive in Orvieto by train, step out the front and walk across the street to the Funiculare (middle photo)  which takes you up to the top of the hill.  Once you've arrived at the top, walk to the left through the archway (lower left photo) through the gardens to see the spectacular views (above photo).  Once you've seen the views, walk back through the arch and straight up the hill on the tree lined street.  This is Corsica Cavour the main street through Orvieto.  

Via del Duomo intersects the Corsico and will take you directly to the Duomo.  This is a lovely piazza where you can dine and shop.  There are many quaint shops and fantastic cafes in the town.  We enjoyed Caffee Monanucci for fresh vegetable salad and Orvieto wine.  The stores feature olive oils, limoncellos and linens.

Additional travel information:  Several trains go to Orvieto each day but be sure to choose a fast train.  We arrived at 11:30 and took the 3:24 train back to Rome.  I suggest purchasing your return trip as the trains can be crowded.  Who wants to stand for one hour on a train?  

The Funiculare building (above) is just across the street in front of the train station.  It costs one Euro each way.

A very handy feature is the outdoor bathroom at the Orvieto train station.  They cost only cents to use.  Ciao!  You may be interested in reading this short article at NYTimes