1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Italy

Discussion in 'General' started by rd400racer, Jan 13, 2022.

  1. YamahaRick

    YamahaRick Yamaha Two Stroke Czar

    Not necessarily true at all locations.
     
  2. ibidu1

    ibidu1 Well-Known Member

    Every rental car I rent, I rent a lot! Regardless of country or company! I always take a thorough quick video while the rental agent is inspecting, a quick walk around up and down, pointing at scratches, windshield, wheels, interior, gas level etc. Only take 2-3 min but it has saved me a couple of times.
     
    rd400racer likes this.
  3. phelan77

    phelan77 Well-Known Member

    Just back from Italy in April 2022. Spent 3 nights in Venice, 3 nights in Florence and 2 nights in Milan.

    Having done that, I feel that two nights in Venice is sufficient (1 day sightseeing, 1 day island hopping). Four nights would be good for Florence ( 2 days sightseeing, 1 day countryside, 1 day Outlet Mall). There is nothing much to do in Milan except for visiting the Duomo and shopping (Florence is better for shopping due to the Outlet Mall). I traveled between cities via express train, in Business class.
     
    G2G likes this.
  4. rd400racer

    rd400racer Well-Known Member


    We're doing 3 at Lake Garda and 7 in Florence. Cars while in Garda, then take the cars back to Milan and train to Florence, then excursions in different directions everyday in Florence. Come back to Milan for one night.
     
  5. ibidu1

    ibidu1 Well-Known Member

    Why not rent a car, and drive throughout Italy. We loved it, and so much better then dealing with trains, and getting paranoid of getting pick pocketed. I would drive from Milan to Lake Garda go see verona at night, next day if you like them parks theres Gardaland pretty cool, and cheap tickets. I would travel north from there and go see Lago di brais, Merano that parts of Italy is old Austria, the people speak Austrian. If youre going to head down south Laspazia beach is amazing, make sure you travel to the tip of the island. Lots of topless hotties
     
  6. Robin172

    Robin172 Well-Known Member

    There is an old Roman amphitheatre just outside Florence, I think the place is called Fiesola or something similar. It might be worth a look, I went there on a school trip back in the early 70's. Saw a 750cc Ducati V twin for the first time on the same trip.
     
    Yzasserina and rd400racer like this.
  7. Trainwreck

    Trainwreck I could give a heck

    Wife and I are flying out to Italy this weekend. I think we have a rental car for just a few days. Spending a few days in Rome, a few in Florence, going to the Mugello GP round, and then heading back home. I'm pretty excited. I've never been outside of the country. Hell, I've never been on an airplane long enough to take a piss even.

    I'm excited for the food.
     
  8. rd400racer

    rd400racer Well-Known Member

    I guess it's simply that I don't want to screw with cars once we go to Florence. I love traveling by train. We'd take it to Garda but it just doesn't work with the house we rented there. And yes, we plan on heading north from Garda one day, may even get into Austria. My wife and I have been all over Europe but our kids haven't, so trying to get as much in a s possible. I'd love to drive all the way to Munich because it's one of my favorite cities, but we have to pace ourselves.
     
    ibidu1 likes this.
  9. motion

    motion Nihilistic Member

    Rome and Florence are tourist traps, so please please please try to get away from the crowds and eat where the locals eat. The food will be much better! Have a blast at Mugello.
     
  10. Boman Forklift

    Boman Forklift Well-Known Member

    We had our best Pizza, in my life, in Napoli. Our driver took us to Pompeii, and on the way back, said he would take us to the place he and his wife eat pizza at. It was upstairs with plastic chairs and a couple of long table tables. Not fancy at all, but it was amazing.

    I guess if he was paid off by tourist traps he would have taken us to one. What is the best way you have found to get the good places the locals go to?
     
  11. motion

    motion Nihilistic Member

    I msg my Sicilian chef buddy :) No seriously.... just start walking away from the tourist areas. Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to find real neighborhoods. A good giveaway are the prices... you shouldn't spend more than 11-12 euro for pasta in Italy, or 7 euro for a pizza.
     
    Boman Forklift likes this.
  12. tzrider

    tzrider CZrider

    Trains a great in Italy. Once you figure out the destination and the hub to hub system, it's pretty straightforward.

    The biggest freak in Italy is those cafeterias where you need to pay first and then grab your grub. Not something we're used to.
     
    rd400racer likes this.
  13. Sabre699

    Sabre699 Wait...hold my beer.

    Find the right cabbie.
     
  14. tecknojoe

    tecknojoe Well-Known Member

    I'm curious about renting a motorcycle for an afternoon for a 2 up ride. Lake Como, Balogna, Genoa, or Turin. Anyone done this? We're doing a loop around the northwestern part of Italy in May. Considering reaching out to Balogna for the ducati factory, is it something that only ducatisti would get all bonered up about?
     
  15. rd400racer

    rd400racer Well-Known Member


    I vaguely looked into it and for our situation it wasn't worth the trouble for just a day. Yeah, there was plenty of places to rent around the bigger cities but we had too much going on to screw with it. But a visit to the factory in Bologna was a highlight of the trip. My wife had fun touring around the city while the rest of us went to the factory/museum...everyone was happy.
     
  16. Gino230

    Gino230 Well-Known Member

    I've ridden a motorcycle over there, the only problem is navigation. I would almost go with a scooter instead, you can park them anywhere. I drove all over the northern half of the country when we went to Mugello this year, in a Fiat 500. Parking sucks in the big cities, even with a little car. And if you have women with you, the suitcases are a real problem. Navigating is a pain, even with the iPhone. It's just a tick slower over there and it will say "make a right." Fine, but there's a 150 degree right, a 90 degree right, and a 45 degree right all at the same intersection. By the time you figure it out, you're going around the block again like Chevy Chase in London. I also got 4 tickets in 20 min (showed up at my house 6 months later) apparently some of those little streets in Milan are not for cars. :crackup:

    @Trainwreck if you go to Scarperia, the little town at the exit of Mugello, try to get a meal at Anna Trend Cafe. It's a little local place and a lot of the teams go there after the day is over. Legit local Italian food and house wine is like 6 Euro for a liter! I like the Spaghetti Carbonara.

    @tecknojoe I went to the Ducati factory, but it was in 2008. It's like a mini museum with all the cool bikes there dating way back. Also, it was pretty cool to me to watch them hand assemble the engines. Things may have changed since I was there last. Lake Como is great, especially if you can get to one of the towns outside of Como- Como itself is a tourist trap.
     
    motion and rd400racer like this.
  17. rd400racer

    rd400racer Well-Known Member



    Factory sounds about the same as it was this summer. We had all kinds of different plans regarding cars before we left and finally said screw it, we'll do everything by train or bus, and it was the smartest thing we did. There was not one time we said wish we had a car, and we hit probably 10-12 different cities.
     
    Gino230 likes this.
  18. motion

    motion Nihilistic Member

    It takes quite a long time to get out of the cities, so you're not going to make much distance in an afternoon. If you grab a bike from HP Mottorad in Milano, you can head north to Como, ride right on past the city of Como and start exploring the smaller towns along the lake. But be warned, the traffic is awful, so you'll spend your time splitting down the middle of the road. If you have the bike for 24 hours, you could stay along the lake somewhere for the night.
     
  19. motion

    motion Nihilistic Member

    I think you gotta be a ducatista to get excited about the factory tour, especially when you learn that they only manufacture, I think, 2 parts at the factory. Everything else is shipped in from suppliers.
     
  20. rd400racer

    rd400racer Well-Known Member


    Not following your logic. I could care less where the individual parts are cast, I enjoyed seeing the process of everything coming together and the true passion of the workers I spoke with. Maybe it's due to the fact that I was damn near born into factories due to my families involvement, therefore I found it absolutely fascinating. Even my 27 year old daughter loved it.
     
    Gino230 likes this.

Share This Page