Travel Information
The Upper Tiber Valley, or Valtiberina, is more than just a harmonious mixture of mountains, valleys and plains - studded with ancient villages, classic churches and great works of art. It is also a most pleasing environment because everything exists on a human scale. The mountains are not too high, the plains are not too broad and it is easy to get around and enjoy.
The easiest way to get around is by car because we are in the country after all. Driving in this part of the world is fairly relaxed and you are just as likely to end up behind a tractor going 10 MPH!
While public transport is pretty good, it does not cover all the places worth seeing. There are also some problems with frequency, but it is very useful for arrivals and departures if you consult the timetables. The Valley is almost exactly halfway on the North South axis between Venice and Rome, and equidistant from the Mediterranean in the west and the Adriatic in the east. It IS central Italy, and is part of both eastern Tuscany and Northen Umbria - and not far from many of the finest attractions of both those provinces.
Getting here is simple: The superstrada E45 which runs North/South is the main link through the Tiber valley from Sansepolcro to Perugia and on to Rome. The most convenient transport hub for the Valtiberina is Arezzo (40 mins from Sansepolcro) which is on both the main railway line through Italy (Rome/Milan), and the A1 Autostrada. SITA run a regular bus service from Arezzo (station) to Sansepolcro via Anghiari.
AVIS has an office opposite the station but the other car hire companies are a little out of town and you will probably need to get a cab from the station. Should be less than 10 Euro. You can also get a cab from the station to the various propereties in the Valtiberina and the cost should be in the region of 60 Euro.
TRANSFERS
Transfers from airports and train station can be arranged in advance for a maximum group of 19 people. The price per person is based on the number in the party and the distance from the Upper Tiber Valley. For more details see Tours and Transfers.
A Taxi service is available for smaller groups for transfers to/from Perugia airport and Arezzo train station at moderate rates. Service to more distant airports can also be arranged.
ARRIVING BY AIR
The nearest airports are:
Perugia 50 minutes
Forli 1.25 hours
Florence 1.5 hours
Pisa 2.5 hours
Bologna 2.5 hours
Rome 3 hours
Ancona 2 hours
International direct flights normally arrive at the Rome airport.
There are numerous low-cost european flights to get you here. The website www.euroflights.com conveniently lists European departure points and the airlines that serves them.
Florence, Pisa airports
Bologna, Forli airports
Perugia, Ancona airports
Rome airports
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
See these downloadable PDF file for detailed driving directions to the Valtiberina from these various airports. You will need Adobe's Reader to view/print the files.
Drive from Rome
Drive from North
Drive from West
Drive from East
TRAINS
AREZZO is the nearest train station for the Valtiberina area. It is on the main train line between Florence and Rome.
For train travel within Italy, the official website of TrenItalia is very useful and even issues electronic tickets on-line.
Train timetables
For day-trips to Florence or Rome, it can be very handy to park your car in Arezzo (there are even some free parking lots if you don't mind walking) and take the train. It is only 1hour and 20 minutes by Eurostar train into Rome!