13 Wonderful Things To Do in Perugia, Italy — ALONG DUSTY ROADS

How To Get Around Perugia

Perugia has a unique layout of historic layers, steep cobblestone streets, and sloping alleyways, but a very modern, ingenious way to navigate them.

A series of escalators, lifts, and even a monorail (yes, Simpsons fans – a genuine, bona fide, electrified Monorail!) link the old town up on the hill and the new town below, meaning that getting around it is quite different to most cities.

It caused us a fair bit of confusion for us, so it’s worth understanding how it works before you arrive – especially if you’re coming by train or on an Umbria road trip.

The Train Station to Perugia Centro Storico 

Like Siena, Perugia’s train station is in the new town down the hill – here on Google Maps.

From there, your best bet is to walk a flat 200 metres to Fontivegge (maps), a public transport hub where you’ll find buses and the entrance for the affordable monorail (they call it a Minimetrò, but we’re sticking with this!)

Its futuristic little carriages hold around fifteen passengers at a time between the modern and the medieval, and departures are very very frequent, so don’t fret too much if you just miss one. There’s plenty space for bags, and this offers the quickest, most direct connection to the historical centre without any wait times or queues.

It operates Monday to Saturday from 7am to 9.05pm (last ride), and 9am to 8.45pm on Sundays and holidays. That early closing time can catch visitors out, so take note.

You can easily buy their UP tickets from the machines at Fontivegge, and the main options are:

· a standard single for €1.50 (valid for 70 minutes)
· a pack of 10 for €12.90 
· a tourist UP card for €5.40 (valid for 24 hours)

The final stop uphill is Pincetto (maps), and from there you’re just a couple minutes walk from the action.

Note that the nearest monorail station to your accommodation in the historic centre may still be downhill (or indeed uphill), necessitating a 5-10 minute drag of your suitcase across cobblestones and up steep side streets to your accommodation.

We did this for our fantastic Airbnb, and whilst it’ll be perfectly possible for some streets and travellers, it may not be fun or straightforward with others – check Google Maps or ask your accommodation in advance of arrival. 

For context, we only needed to take the monorail twice – once when arriving by train and once when leaving.

For more information, visit the Minimetrò website

Can you walk up from the train station? | Absolutely, but we highly recommend not doing so if you’ve got heavy or multiple suitcases. Though not as far as it seems, it’s quite steep, some along a twisting busy road, and several streets ain’t ideal for wheels or pedestrians. Instead, your best bet is to take the monorail or find a taxi to drop you off as close to your accommodation as possible.

Travel Tip // Remember to validate your ticket on entry and exit, and single tickets can’t reused for 20 minutes after exit. You will encounter people outside the stations asking for your used tickets, sometimes quite aggressively.