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Perugia
A lively hilltop student city, Etruscan walls and chocolate.
Umbria's hilltop capital, a student city of steep lanes, Etruscan walls and a grand main street for the evening stroll, with Perugino's paintings and a buried Renaissance fortress you ride escalators through. Famous for chocolate and its July jazz festival.
Places to see
Rocca PaolinaSight · The vaulted underground remains of a papal fortress, with whole medieval streets and…Free
National Gallery of UmbriaMuseum · The region's great art collection in the town hall palace: gold-ground altarpieces, Piero…≈ A$18- Piazza IV NovembreSight · The sloping main square with the carved Fontana Maggiore; the cathedral steps are where…Free
When to go
- Jan9° / 1°Some rainQuiet
- Feb11° / 1°Some rainQuiet
- Mar14° / 4°Some rainQuiet
- Apr18° / 7°Some rainBusy
- May23° / 11°Some rainBusy
- Jun27° / 15°Mostly dryBusy
- Jul30° / 17°Mostly dryVery busy
- Aug30° / 17°Mostly dryBusy
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
Corso Vannucci. The main street and Piazza IV Novembre: palaces, cafés and the evening stroll.
Porta Sant'Angelo. The university quarter to the north, with students, bars and cheaper rooms.
Fontivegge. Down by the station: modern, cheaper and linked by the minimetrò.
Flying in
Perugia (PEG): Airport bus into Perugia, about 30 min, ≈ A$14. Few flights; check the bus times.
Rome Fiumicino (FCO): Train to Roma Termini, then a train to Perugia (often via Foligno), about 3 h 30 min, ≈ A$39.
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Perugia; check times and fares before you fly.
Getting around
Mostly on foot. A single ticket is ≈ A$3. The old town sits on a hill: the minimetrò and the escalators through the Rocca Paolina carry you up from the station and car parks (about €1.50, check). On top, everything is walkable.
Tourist tax
Perugia's city tax: usually about €1–1.50 a person a night in hostels and B&Bs, more in hotels, for the first nights; under-14s don't pay. Paid at check-in (check).
