Orte printable guide

Orte

Orte is a 2–3 hour stop on the Rome–Florence rail line: enough for the old town, Etruscan caves and a meal. Skip if you have less than 90 minutes.

Orte is a tuff-rock hill town 60 km north of Rome, visible from the A1 motorway. Its Etruscan caves, medieval palaces and elliptical layout make it a worthwhile short stop for anyone travelling between Rome and Florence by train or car. Most visitors spend 2–3 hours here.

Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.

Country

Italy

Best months

Mar–May, Sep–Oct

Avoid

Jul–Aug (heat), Dec–Feb (cold, some closures)

Stay

0 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency: EUR
Money: Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
Daily spend: Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data: TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
Emergency: Police 113 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118 · General emergency 112
Plugs: Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
Tipping: Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
Water: Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
Toilets: Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.

What things cost

Item	Price
Coffee at a bar	€1.10–1.50
Pizza or pasta dish	€8–14
Glass of house wine	€3–5
Taxi from station to old town	€8–12
Train Orte–Rome (regional)	€7–10

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

FCO · Rome–Fiumicino: Train via Rome Termini or Orte Scalo, about 1.5 h
CIA · Rome–Ciampino: Bus to Rome Termini then train, about 2 h

Typical fares

Orte Scalo → centro storico taxi: €8–12 (check)
Train Orte → Rome Termini: €7–10 regional, about 1 h (check)
Train Orte → Orvieto: €3–5 regional, about 20 min (check)

Get around

The old town is compact and walkable. Taxis connect Orte Scalo station to the hilltop (about 5 min).

See and do

Known for

Etruscan caves in the tuff rock
Medieval palaces and churches
Hilltop elliptical layout
Railway junction for Umbria

Day trips

Where	How	Time
Orvieto	Train from Orte Scalo, about 20 min	About 1 h
Civita di Bagnoregio	Train to Orvieto then bus, or drive via Bagnoregio, about 1 h	About 1.5 h
Viterbo	Train from Orte Scalo, about 30 min	About 1 h
Civita Castellana	Train from Orte Scalo, about 10 min	About 40 min
Calcata	Drive via Civita Castellana, about 30 min	About 1 h
Bomarzo	Drive, about 25 min	About 40 min

Sleep

Orte Scalo (station area): Practical for a night near the railway junction; limited dining.
Orte centro storico: Quiet hilltop; Locanda San Lorenzo is the main option. Check.

Phrase card

English	Say or show
Hello / Goodbye	Ciao / Arrivedercichow / a-ree-veh-DAIR-chee
Thank you	GrazieGRAHT-see-eh
How much is it?	Quanto costa?KWAN-toh COS-tah
Where is the station?	Dov'è la stazione?doh-VEH lah staht-see-OH-neh
Can I pay by card?	Posso pagare con carta?POS-soh pah-GAH-reh kon CAR-tah
The bill, please	Il conto, per favoreeel CON-toh per fah-VOH-reh

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly

Scams and watch-outs

The old town is on a hill: steep streets and stairs.
Many shops and restaurants close Sunday afternoon and Monday.
Etruscan caves are unlit and uneven: bring a torch and sturdy shoes.

Orte is a quiet, safe town. Watch for uneven stone streets and unlit cave areas. Pickpocket risk is low.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Orte yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

Etruscan caves in the tuff rock
Medieval palaces and churches
Hilltop elliptical layout
Railway junction for Umbria

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Wikivoyage: Orte, revision 5015486 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5015486

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Orte

A questo indirizzo, per favore

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Police113
Fire115
Ambulance118
General emergency112

The US has an embassy in Rome; most other countries also have embassies in Rome. Nearest consulate: check.

Voykit · checked 2026-09