Valle di Francesco

Great apartments looking up the hill to Assisi. Easy walk from the train station with a big supermarket and shops and restaurants nearby. Apartments are newly refurbished, very clean and well equipped for cooking simple meals. We had a balcony with fabulous views of Assisi, perfect for sitting out in the evenings with a glass of wine!

Newer place with spacious rooms. Very Nice. This is operated more like a B&B rather than a Hotel. Limited times you can check-in at. Front desk is not manned at all times. You are away from a lot of the regular tour traffic which was nice for us. Not much in the way of extras and it is a walk to restaurants. Look at a map before booking this hotel to see if it agrees with your travel plans.

The Valle di Francesco apartments are situated approximately 8-10 minute walk from Assisi railway station in Santa Maria degli Angeli 3 km below the hillside town of Assisi. If you are arriving by train walk out of the station and walk directly across the road and about 200 metres ahead you will come to another roundabout turn right, farmland on your left, and approximately 800 metres in front of you at the next junction you will see Valle di Francesco. The apartments are mainly surrounded by small holdings of farmland, the first morning I got up opened the double doors to see this elderly gentlemen and his wife mowing the adjacent field with an old fashioned hoe and beyond Assisi up on the hillside in bright sunshine a nice way to start the day. The apartments are relatively new, my studio had a large double bed and a single, a small kitchenette with plenty of cutlery etc so no problems there a small television, and I mean small, air conditioning and a reasonable shower and toilet area. If you wish to get up to Assisi by public transport just walk back to the train station and right outside you can catch the bus up to Assisi, they leave at 15 and 45 past the hour, and the fare is 1.60 Euro but do get your ticket from the newspaper shop in the station otherwise it's 2.00 on the bus, you can also buy rail tickets from here which helps as the ticket office is rarely open. One bit of advice in that it is better to get off the bus at the last stop, Piazza Matteotti, and walk down through the town, this is also the oldest part of Assisi, because if you get off at the lower part below the Basilica of Saint Francis EVERYTHING is up hill from there. Entrance to the apartments is through an electronic gate system which is accessed by your room key so parking your car in the car park is that little bit more secure. I would say that this is a great place to stay and base yourself if touring this part of Umbria, as mentioned the apartments are surrounded by 80% farmland so once out the gate you are not right into a traffic problem just a clear road and you are on your way. Check in is between 15.00 and 18.00 you will find towels etc for your stay in the apartments, one thing I would like to add is that these are not serviced apartments so do not expect daily cleaning etc but Francesca is always there in the afternoons and is extremely helpful. If you need groceries there is a good supermarket a short drive away (or 10 minute walk) in Santa Maria not far from the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli. All in all I enjoyed my stay here, being in this countryside setting made it more relaxing after staying in the upper old town of Assisi on my previous visits, down here you are away from the narrow, but beautiful, streets of Assisi but also you had this great sense of freedom and open space which was not possible in the old town. One last piece of advice please do not forget the Mosquito repellent. Happy travelling but above all safe one's and thank you for reading my review. Chris Leavy. With 3 Credits in The Rough Guide Travel Books. France, Turkey and China.