Getting around

By air

Orvieto has no airport of its own. Rome’s airports (Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino) are the main gateways, about an hour away by direct train; Perugia’s small San Francesco d’Assisi airport is a similar distance. For long-haul you’ll route through Rome or a European hub.

By train — on the main line

This is Orvieto's real advantage. Its station, Orvieto Scalo, sits in the valley on the main Rome–Florence line, with a train roughly every hour. Rome is about an hour away, Florence about an hour and a half (times below).

Up to the old town — the funicular

From the valley station, a funicular climbs the tufa cliff to the old town (Piazza Cahen) in a few minutes, with a free shuttle bus on to Piazza Duomo included in the ticket. This is how you get up and down the rock. Run by Busitalia; a ride is €1.30.

On foot, on the rock

The old town sits on a flat plateau of tufa, so once you're up there it's walkable: compact, level (unusually for a hill town), and made for strolling between the Duomo, the piazzas, and the cliff-edge views. Most life on the rock happens on foot.

Buses and the funicular (Busitalia)

Busitalia runs the funicular and the local buses, including the shuttle from Piazza Cahen to Piazza Duomo. A single ride is €1.30, valid 90 minutes and covering the funicular and the shuttle together (Busitalia, 2026).

Intercity buses (FlixBus and Itabus)

A budget option for other cities, on FlixBus and Itabus. On the Rome–Florence line the train is usually faster and more central, so most people take it, but the coach can win on price or for routes the train serves awkwardly.

A note on driving

The old town on the rock is largely car-free with a ZTL, and parking is down by the station or at the cliff edge (linked up by the funicular and lifts), so a car is a burden up top. It earns its keep for the surrounding Umbrian and Lazio countryside, the wine hills, and Lake Bolsena nearby.