Places to go and things to see in Italy and near Maranello

So my wife and I are travelling to Italy in July to go to the factory and do some speccing. It will be our first trip with a child, our son will be nearly 1 year old at the time of the trip, so we're not really sure what to expect on that front but we will soon find out!

We have been to Italy and the factory before and are trying to decide if we go with the known quantity and go to the same places (Florence, Lake Como etc) or go a bit further south and try new places. We have roughly 1 week between when we will get in to Italy and when we need to be at Maranello and then we fly out shortly after.

So my questions are:

1. Is it worth flying in to Naples, seeing the Amalfi coast for a bit, then heading up Italy on our way to Maranello? We would both like to see the Amalfi Coast, Capri etc and especially Pompeii but we are concerned about covering long distances in the car with a little one. We used to cross great distances on road trips but we are thinking not any more!

2. Would we be better off flying into Zurich or similar and heading down the shorter distance via the beautiful lakes like Como etc?

3. Does anyone have any hotel recommendations in the north of Italy around Milan (where we fly out of), the Lakes etc?

4. Does anyone have any good hotel recommendations within a suitable drive of the factory. There doesn't seem to be much right close to Maranello but I will be leaving my wife and son at the hotel on spec day so I am happy to drive a couple of hours each way for the visit so that we can stay somewhere nice for our time in that area.

To give people an idea of the budget we'd be based around 300-400 euro per night, willing to pay a more if the place is worth it or happy to pay a less if we can find a good deal.

 

You are travelling with a 1 year old and make plans I would call ambitious for adults. Your baby will determine your trip
July is already holiday season in Europe, so expect the roads to be full. Mailand - Naples is 800km, more than 8hrs by car. By plane it would also cost you some hours, a lost day.
I would stay in Northern Italy. Zurich Mailand is 300km, 4hrs driving. You will have to go through the Gotthard tunnel or over the pass.
There frequent traffic jams at the tunnel. You can easily loose 1-2 hrs. Otherwise the route is very scenic. A joy to drive. The pass is also very nice -if you have passengers with a stable stomach.
I would stay at one of the lakes. When we went to see the Mille Miglia we stayed at Lake Garda. Even in May, traffic on the road that is directly at the lake can be a nightmare. You have to go through a lot of little towns where the streets are congested. A short distance to the next autostrade is advisable. The good thing about the lake is that ferries connect a lot of the towns. There are even car ferries that take you from one side to the other side.
From Lake Garda it's only a 90 min. drive to Maranello.

 

Traffic will bw a PITA, as is traveling longer distances by road/rail/air within Italy generally in July-August. If it t’were me, I’d pick a spot on Lake Como and stay there for a week, using the boats that ply The lakes to visit other places. Not that I’m biased — this is where I live now. Have fun, whatever you choose!

 

Portofino is beautiful. Tuscany too

 

Ok it seems like the general consensus here is that we are best not to try to cover too much ground then. Does anyone have any decent hotel suggestions in the rough area of the factory/northern Italy?

 

Not sure what you'd like in a hotel, but suggest you check internet sites, and soon, as they tend to get booked for July/August quite quickly.

 

Re a hotel near the factory, there are serviceable ones right near by of course. But I'm presuming from your question you want something nicer?

A frequent visitor to the factory mentioned he likes the Grand Hotel Majestic già Baglioni, in Bologna. Its less than an hour drive to the factory. I've not been, so this is merely what I heard from him - although he has fine taste, so I trust his opinion

Re "somewhere to go" before the factory visit, I think your idea of Amalfi/Capri sounds great (I love that area, its where my gf and I met). Go someplace new, especially if that place is the Amalfi coast! A full week to get there, enjoy it, and make your way to Maranello area is perfectly reasonable.

I would take the train (or a car service) from Rome down to Amalfi and then take the train from there to Bologna. Rent a car on Factory day for you to get there.

Final comment - do a search and you will find many threads with great firsthand input from folks on where to stay, where to eat, etc when at the factory.

 

As suggested I’d sleep in Bologna. Baglioni being the best hotel in town. It is used by Lamborghini for their events.
Going north it is worth to visit Santa Margherita and Portofino that are really enchanting. Stay at the Splendido that has a breathtaking view.
If your wife wants to have some shopping come to Milan!
Let me know if you need help.

 

Florence obviously, it's stunning. So are Sienna and Lucca. Portofino is beautifull, tiny but a great location for a nice lunch down by the harbor.

Pisa was a disappointment compared with the above.

 

Ok so we have ended up ignoring most of the things here (typical forum move) due to a number of constraints we have on our time, where we could fly to etc. We are going to go into Venice, spend some time there, then to Lake Como for a bit and then to Milan. I will be driving from Milan and back on the day. Obviously that's not a short drive but I can manage. We would have loved to go to Florence or even further south but not this time sadly. Still looking forward to it though.

 

Wow, that’s ambitious - Milan to Maranello is 2 hours on a good day.
Leave early, and good luck !!

 

Yes it will be a long day that's for sure. I am just praying for the traffic to be ok. Thanks

 

Traffic on A1 is alway terrible my friend