Going to the factory in April-May and then doing a tour of the tourist sights for a couple of weeks .... Recommendations for car hire (non-Ferrari) , hotels and must sees (non-Ferrari or car stuff) Possible itinerary is Rome-Modena-Venice-Como-Cinque Terra-Florence-Pisa-Rome (I know I know, major tourist sights but need to do it )
When in Modena, go here. https://www.osteriafrancescana.it You might be lucky and get a table. No 1 restaurant in the world as per the Michelin guide. They are booked out 3 months in advance, and only release reservations one month at a time. I’m actually going to try to get a reservation at around that time , so whom knows, the stars may align
For Christmas my wife bought us flight tickets and a couple entry tickets to Ferrari museum for later this year. So sweet of her! So now I’m also keen to know about car hire in Italy. I’ve been there a couple of times, once on a high performance motorbike (in my youth) and another time more recently in a mid to top end hertz car , but I’m thinking it would real nice to cruise around in a decent high performance car. Is it ridiculously expensive to hire a Ferrari for a few days? I imagine it is. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
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I’ve hired cars there a couple of times. First time drove from Venice to Naples over a few days, second time when I did the factory tour we drove around for a few days then dropped it off in Milan at the start of the GP. Both times I recall getting a pretty good deal. I’ll see what I can find re who we used, but might be a bit difficult while I’m here in the US for the next few weeks. Surely Gary would have the answer!
Thanks mate ..... you're back on the invited list for the F111 flying in SA Enjoy the US dude...... avoid the bullets
JM we did the Italy drive last summer....We booked a hire car months in advance but it never turned up. We never got a refund either and couldn't do a charge back on the CC as the time had elapsed with the advance booking.....Jules just went to Hertz at the airport there after the first one went pear shaped.....It was easy and cheaper to do it on the spot....The months you are going won't be a problem....July August are the busiest.....Speak to WRX Mike about being carful driving through some of the old towns...You need special permits and I think he has copped some fines in the past....
I'm going to use Tours by Locals web site. It looks like you could customize anything, perhaps even just a car service. Check it out , it has been useful in my planning.
I have booked many times in Italy via www.rentalcars.com Never had a problem, usually get a Fiat Punto, gutless but easy to park. Avoid leaving a car parked outside with your luggage or anything of value in it. The rental car pick up area at major airports is also risky for petty thieves. Think about getting a train from Rome Airport to Bologna or Perugia, then driving from there. Roads everywhere are very busy, it's not the glamorous driving experience that TopGear would have you believe...
I will agree with Ian, use trains as much as possible, driving a car over there is expensive. When I went to Italy in September last year I drove from Florence to Maranello and back in a rental Fiat 500x diesel, paid close to EUR40 in tolls and another EUR20+ for fuel alone. Get Trainline EU app on your phone, you can buy train tickets within the app and show them to ticket inspectors on the screen.
Also make sure you use Amex to pay for car hires, they will go to bat for you in any disputes (which are not uncommon regarding fines, previous damage etc etc). Arrange pick ups / returns etc from airport or outer suburb locations to avoid the city centres.
Thanks everyone, I had a mate get in a minor accident at the airport when he was leaving and had monumental grief getting on the plane in time and then had to fight the issue from Oz ..... don't want that
I called for a reservation, and no luck. I called again and said I was in Modena leaving tomorrow, and an hour later I had a table. They have a lot of no show from foreign visitors, so worth trying when you get there.
And if you hire a car, take lots of photos before you leave , and get any damage doesn't matter how small marked off on the form. Otherwise, they are complete sheisters. when you return it.
Are you returning the car from where you will rent it, or a one way rental? I used Europcar, they had the best rates, google is your friend! Buy fuel before going on the autostrada [if you are going to use autostrada] as fuel is miles more expensive on the autostrada, same if you are hungry, resturants are miles better and cheaper near the autostrada exits/entry. Autostrada is expensive but the other roads are crowded, slow, bad condition etc. so you dont really have much choice. You need to buy fuel with cash/notes, @ self service in towns, and note fuel stations Italy shuts @ lunch time no change given so you have to guess before you slot in the money, they do give you a credit voucher though if you over-paid On the autostrada you can go as fast as you want, [speed cameras are called "Tutor" and "Vigilis" they are on the overhead gantry so slow down for that and then speed up again ], got the little honda jazz up to 185kmh, not bad for a 1.3L, be that as it may you are going to alarmed at how close they tailgate at these speeds, a little insane with a big trust factor. Don't be alarmed if you get stopped by the carabiniere, just give them your passport and drivers lics., speak in English they will get bored, giggle, try and figure out why you have a Italian name with Aussie passport, and send you on the way Parking is free in the white coloured parking spots, pay with blue coloured lines [refer the signs] Pisa is a really hot spot for ratting into rental cars and stealing luggage, so if you get a hatchback, leave the back cover off and glovebox open [and empty] they will do somebody else vehicle I drove to all the CinqueTerra towns, [but one] it is a very narrow and challenging drive, not recommended drive, so its why i did it, going there by train is better. Another thing is in the "Centro" center of old towns, they have "ZTL" zone with cameras only locals can enter with cars, or you will be booked and fined, they have parking lots [cheap, unlike here] outside the ZTL zones So get a burner credit card use it just for the rental car an cancel it when you leave, lets see them charge a cancelled credit card See you there, ciao!
Those Tutor cameras are average speed ones, and stretch for miles. So be careful if you are belting it between two posts.
http://www.vittoriale.it/ Visit this place on the western shores of Lake Garda, beautiful and fascinating, read up on Gabriele d'Annunzio before you visit, so that you get the full impact. We also stayed a few days in Mantova, hometown of Tazio Nuvolari, his little museum is worth a visit but the place itself is a magic UNESCO heritage place sufficiently off the tourist trail but only an hour North of Modena. We stayed at the Hotel Palazzo Gonzaga in the medieval centre, not expensive, but really an old Palazzo. Lots of radar and they are merciless, €59 for 97 in a 90. Lots of cameras in areas where you shouldn't be in town centres as well, we got lost once, and realising it did a U-turn but the camera got us, another €59. Not like the Italy I remember, they have discovered camera revenue !!