Factory Tour........Yes!!!!!!!!!!!

Good Day All........Sometime before Chistmas '08 my wife faxed a request to the factory requesting tour. Months past and we heard nothing. She sent them a reminder this past August. On Thursday of last week the we got the response we were looking for.......We have been approved for a visit........Scheduled for Sept. 30th....2008!!!!!!!! In just 30 days we've got to put this thing together......HELP!!! We are looking for some advice on the best places to stay, eat, visit, the best city to fly into( we're leaving from Chicago O'hare ) Basically we just need some help from people that have been there/done that.

Jeff & Nancy

 

Hi Jeff and Nancy!

Congrats for your future factory tour: you'll love it!

Here's a thread that may help...

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=209673

 

Lucky sod and you will get ALOT of advice here, have a safe trip.

Gregg

 

Are you allowed to take photos? If so, bring back lots. Enjoy.

 

Fly into Milan, it is only a 20-30 minute drive...I dont know places to stay because I have family I stay with there...also you will not be far from the Alps or Switzerland...enjoy...contact me if you know more info

 

Bologna is also a good airport to arrive and it's a very nice city (beautiful hsitorical centre) and Maranello is about an hour away from Bologna. From Milan to Maranello it's much further (about 2 hours drive).

No pics allowed in the factory unfortunately, but at the galleria (museum) yes.

 

Milan Airport (Malpensa) to the Ferrari factory is around 230 km (around 150 miles)! If you can drive that in 20 mins you are averaging 450 MPH!

I agree that Milan is probably the best way from Chicago as I imagine you can get a direct flight and the drive is on Autostradas the whole way until you exit near Modena. If you are going into another city like London or Frankfurt, get a connection to Bologna which is around an hour drive to the factory.

Regarding hotels, the Planet hotel is right across from the old factory gate, which is where the tours enter. The Maranello Palace, on the other side of the factory, with a view of the wind tunnel and the new factory gate is a reasonable alternative. I stayed there in April and it was pleasant, clean and modern.

Regarding food, there is no bad food in Italy, unless you eat at an American fast food franchise. The Cavallino across from the factory gate and Planet hotel is famous but mediocre, but has and sells the most wonderful Balsamic vinegar for next to nothing. The Montana is much nicer. 15 minutes away in Modena there are literally dozens of great restaurants.

 

this is the best thread

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=197408&highlight=maranello+trip

 

+1 on the Creampuffs tour. That was the thread we used to plan the trip we took in June and it was spot on. Several of us posted our comments afterwards as well that helped. The good news for your trip is the new 8 and 12 cylinder production lines will be open. When I was there, they were very close but planned to transition to them in August and open them after holiday. Not sure if they kept to that schedule but I would think they would be done for sure by December.

You'll love it! Enjoy!!!

 

Nice one!

I'd love to go.

Have a good time & take lots of pictures for us to see please

 

Sorry...you guys are right...its a little further but less than 2 hours a least by motorcycle...(at about 200+ kph...LOVE italian highways)and I was thinking of Modena where we stopped at a rest area/gas station and where there is a sign for the museum...plus I think prices are better for Milano, try Kayak.com

 

Bologna to Maranello is a little less than an hour by cab.

I stayed at the Maranello Palace in July and it was very nice. It is on the wind tunnel side so you need to take a cab (or a very long walk) to the factory entrance which is on the other side.

This was the scene from the parking lot
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Try euroflyusa.com for flights especially going to Bolgna

 

Great! Good for you.

I went to Maranello for bussiness (not related to Ferrari) and stayed in the Domus Hotel by Best Western ([email protected]) it is in the main city plaza. Everyday I started my day with a walk, that took me in 10 - 15 to Fiorano and thru the Galleria. The is also like 15 minutes in another direction.
I went to the Planet hotel later to learn that Felipe and Kimi where there and already left! lucky me.

For a nice Dinner go to Ristorante da Pastaccino, the great Chef Pasticcino was a chef for the F1 teams and has served food for Alesi, Prost, Schumy...

As I told him that I was from México, he started remebering his time during the Mexican GP´s.

Il Cavallino and Montana is a no brainer, you have to go there.

I flew into Bologna, and it is not a long drive into Maranello, while in Bologna you can do a tour at Ducati factory and museum, you can set a free tour at the Duc website.

bring lots of pictures...

 

How long will you be in Italy and whether or not you've been there before can make a difference in your experience. My wife and I have been to Italy many times and have the advantage of relatives in Torino and Bergamo. Over the years we've been to every tourist attraction in Italy. So when it came time for the factory tour we just wanted an "in country" experience, off the beaten path. Try to place the factory tour in the middle of the trip, so you can relax and enjoy it:

- Milan Malpensa is a major International Airport serving the commercial center of the country (light on tourists). You should have more flight options than Bologna, a second tier city, especially if you have a problem with a return flight.

- Make reservations for 2 nights at a Malpensa airpot hotel .After a long overnight flight and checking through customs you would be looking at a solid 12-14 hours door to door. Make sure the hotel has an airport shuttle service. If you arrive at the hotel mid-day, have dinner at the hotel that night and get a good night's sleep.

- The next morning get up early and take the shuttle back to the airport and pick up your rental car(w/navigation). Go backto the hotel, pick up your wife and head to Lake Como and then to Monza. Return to the hotel that night and as for a local restaurant thet meets your needs.

-The next morning, check out (if you did not like the hotel, be sure to make reservations at another hotel with shuttle service before heading to the Autostrada Del Sole to follow your planned itinerary. The AutoGrille chain on the Autosrada is quit good.

- Plan to arrive in Maranello the night before the tour. I stayed at the Planet and was glad I did. Email Franco Fregni at the Planet and let him know you are an owner and would like a room with a view of the factory gate. Franco made my stay in Maranello a great experience. He is a true gentleman. They have secure underground parking.

- Ater the tour have lunch at Il Cavallino across from the factory gate, then go to the Galleria and the numerous shops in the area. The Ferrari Store is in the same small complex as the Planet. Have Dinner that night at Montana. Walk it or Cab it, but do not drink and drive. That go's for most European countries. You'll go straight to jail if stopped for a DUI.

- Continue on your planned itinerary

-Return to Malpensa late afternoon the day before your flight. Check in and let the front desk know that you are returning a rental car to the airport and will need them to bring you back to the hotel and book your shuttle trip for the airport the next morning.

http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/italy-in-september.html

http://www.barchetta.cc/all.ferraris/visiting-maranello/index.html

http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/int/tpl/hme/MaHomePage.htm

http://www.planethotel.org/


Pm me with a phone number if you want to. I'd be glad to talk you through more of this. I'm just getting tired of keying

 

Save some money for shopping at Hors Ligne and eat lunch here.
A great place for Itailan pizza and pasta is on via Abetone 2 blocks to the left of the Ferrari Store in a strip mall . On the lawn in front is the nose of a 360 Modena. Many factory workers eat lunch there.

RistoRistorante Pizzeria La Piazzetta (S.N.C.)
Piazza Unita' D'Italia,10
41053 Maranello

Tel.: (+39) 0536948044

 

I did a factory visit about 2 months ago and I'm going again on November
17th at 3pm....as I'm taking the Pilota Ferrari school.

Best place to fly into is NOT Milan. It'll take u at least 2.5+ hours to get to
Maranello from there.

BEST place to fly into is Bologna. I suggest you get a hotel in Bologna. If
you'd rather stay at a nice place, you can do so in Modena (Hotel Real Fini).
Modena to Via Abetone Inferiori (road where factory is located) is about
20 kms. When u are done with your factory visit MAKE SURE you go eat
lunch/dinner (OR BOTH) at Cavallino, which is right in front of the factory.

You cannot take pictures inside the factory. It's a great place. Enjoy!

- aLV

 

I lived in Italy.

Stay here: http://www.cortedegliestensi.it/ing/index2.htm

Eat here: http://www.ristorantemontana.it/locale.htm

Eat lunch at the Cavallino just to say you ate there. By Italian standards, it will be the most mediocre meal of your trip.

 

I did the tour with my boys earlier this year.

We drove from Florence to Modena and then on to Milan. We stayed at the Park Hyatt in Milan - great place!

 

Just my 2 cents but I would eat at Montana's long before Cavallino. Our meal at Cavallino was easily the worst meal we had in Italy. Maybe we just caught them on a bad day but the lack of crowd seemed to back up the issue. On the other hand, Montana's was packed. You need to visit Cavallino to check out some of the memorabilia (although it was half of what Montana's had) and Enzo's table but I wouldn't go out of my way for the food.

 

My 2cents. I'll keep it simple.
Dinner - Montana. Call now!!!!
Pass on Cavallino to eat, but go in to see it.
Hotel- stay at Planet Hotel, ask for room on top floor, facing factory.
Enjoy!!!!!!