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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Tuscania
Half a day for the two Romanesque churches and the Etruscan museum; skip if you only have time for one hill town in northern Lazio.
Tuscania is a quiet medieval hill town in northern Lazio, 90 km north-west of Rome. Its two Romanesque basilicas — San Pietro and Santa Maria Maggiore — and the Etruscan National Museum are the draw. Most visitors stop for 3–4 hours on the way between Rome and the coast or as a half-day trip from Viterbo.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, quiet)
- 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 €40–60 excl. bed · Mid €60–100 excl. bed · High €100+ 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 · EU-wide 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 (margherita) | €6–9 |
| Pasta dish at a trattoria | €10–14 |
| Glass of house wine | €3–5 |
| Bus Viterbo–Tuscania one way | €4 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FCO · Rome–Fiumicino
- About 1 h 30 min by car via A12 and SS1; no direct train
- CIA · Rome–Ciampino
- About 1 h 45 min by car
Typical fares
- Bus Viterbo–Tuscania
- about €4 one way, about 40 min (check)
- Taxi from Viterbo
- €40–50 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The historic centre is walkable. A car is needed to reach Tuscania from the motorway or to visit the Etruscan tombs outside town.
See and do
Known for
- Basilica of San Pietro (8th–12th century)
- Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
- Etruscan National Museum
- Medieval walls and towers
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Viterbo | Bus from Tuscania (about 40 min) or car via SS2 | About 45 min |
| Tarquinia | Car via SS1 and SP1, about 30 min | About 35 min |
| Civita di Bagnoregio | Car via SS2 and SP19, about 40 min | About 45 min |
| Calcata | Car via SS2 and SP33, about 50 min | About 55 min |
Sleep
- Historic centre
- A few B&Bs and agriturismi; quiet at night, limited dining options.
- Outside the walls
- Agriturismi and the Hotel Tuscania Panoramico; car needed.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Goodbye | Ciaochow |
| Thank you | Graziegraht-see-eh |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?kwahn-toh koh-stah |
| Where is the church? | Dov'è la chiesa?doh-veh lah kee-eh-zah |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favoreeel kohn-toh pehr 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
- San Pietro and Santa Maria Maggiore may be closed at lunch (12:30–15:30) or for services: check the posted hours.
- The Etruscan museum is small; allow 45 min–1 h.
- No train station: you need a car or a bus from Viterbo.
Tuscania is a safe small town. Watch for uneven cobblestones and limited street lighting in the historic centre.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tuscania yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Basilica of San Pietro (8th–12th century)
- Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
- Etruscan National Museum
- Medieval walls and towers
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: Tuscania, revision 4118984 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4118984
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/tuscania). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.