Growing up in the historic hill town of Orvieto,

Andrea Vincente was surprised to hear that some of his neighbors

have founded Truscan tombs beneath their cellars.

Some people had those holes literally under their houses

and never knew about that until archaeologists showed up and say,

wait a minute.

Coming up, we'll get an insider's view of Orvieto.

Dan Richards prefers using trains instead of short-haul flights to get around Europe. It's much simpler and more direct. It's city to city. It's pretty much door-to-door if you're in central Europe, and that's a wonderful thing. While Monisha Rajesh found the train lines in India were ideal for reconnecting with the land her family came from.

People who choose to travel by train are people who like to chat. They like to be around people.

They like to travel as a community.

Come along as we enjoy riding the rails and visiting one of the most enjoyable hill towns in Italy on today's travel with Rick Steves.

I think it's one of the most striking, memorable, and enjoyable hill towns in all of central Italy.

A guide from Orvieto tells us about his charming and historic home in just a minute.

And we're having fun taking the train in the hour ahead.

Authors Dan Richards and Monisha Rajesh explain why they'd rather take the train instead of a flight

to get around in Europe and in India.

As they'll explain, it's really the most convenient and convivial way to get to where you're going.

Taking the freeway or the fast train north from Rome, the first dramatic hilltown you see is Orvieto,

sitting proudly on the natural fortification, its volcanic plateau or Butte, has provided since ancient times.

Even the Pope used Orvieto as a place of last resort, if ever Rome was sacked and he had to flee for the Vatican.

Today, the city is a great chance to enjoy a classic hill town, with more than its share of

sights, activities, and taste treats.

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