Recommendations for Italy???

[redsky49]

Going to Italy towards the end of July, accompanied by my wife and two daughters. Plan to travel mostly by train, and have a couple weeks of travel during which I would like to squeeze in some fun time for Dad.

What are the not-to-be-missed "motorcycle-centric" attractions between Rome and Venice (Tuscany region) - aside from bringing home a new Ducati ? I do plan to visit the Dainese outlet store in Rome.

One of the things I would live to do is rent a bike and ride the Stelvio Pass, though time probably will not allow it. Don't know how I would carry all the ATTGAT paraphernalia either.

Any experienced travelers have some suggestions? Pizza and grappa we already have covered.

 

[32232]

I don't know what your budget is, but for Venice it is much less expensive to stay in Campalto on the mainland and take the bus into town.

We were in a rental car and I was green with envy of all the bikes that passed us going through the Stelvio pass.

Lake Como is a beautiful area that your family would enjoy, and home to the wonderfully old-school Moto Guzzi factory for you.

I've owned a Duc and a Guzzi, and I'm more of a Guzzi guy.

 

[RIK]

Don't know how old your daughters are, or if your wife rides, but scooter rental is easy and a Tuscan day on a scooter with a picnic might be fun for the whole family. Look into booking before you go. www.tuscanyvesparental.com

 

[39520]

I did the Stelvio a few months ago on an F800ST. Also did some much hairier passes that made Stelvio look tame. I took full ATTGAT leathers, helmet, and boots as carry-on on the plane, which was kind of cumbersome

I stayed in northern Italy in Bolzano, in the South Tyrol province. On previous trips I had not been north of Milan. The Bolzano area is interesting because both German and Italian are spoken, and even the traffic signs and schools are bilingual. At times I heard a lot more people speaking German than Italian. Good German cuisine as well as Italian.

My understanding is that South Tyrol was once part of Austria until Italy annexed it after WW2 as a spoil of war.

 

[Semper_Fi]

I don't know what your budget is, but for Venice it is much less expensive to stay in Campalto on the mainland and take the bus into town.
......

Can not agree more strongly with this statement - if we had the chance to do it over again for the Venice portion it would have been a quick day trip

Note that the gondola trips are 80 Euro - right......

 

[redsky49]

Can not agree more strongly with this statement - if we had the chance to do it over again for the Venice portion it would have been a quick day trip

Note that the gondola trips are 80 Euro - right......

80 Euro... Ack...

Guess we will just take some pics of the Gondolas.

Will look into Campalto.

Good suggestions!!

 

[22600]

I did the Stelvio a few months ago on an F800ST. Also did some much hairier passes that made Stelvio look tame. I took full ATTGAT leathers, helmet, and boots as carry-on on the plane, which was kind of cumbersome

I stayed in northern Italy in Bolzano, in the South Tyrol province. On previous trips I had not been north of Milan. The Bolzano area is interesting because both German and Italian are spoken, and even the traffic signs and schools are bilingual. At times I heard a lot more people speaking German than Italian. Good German cuisine as well as Italian.

My understanding is that South Tyrol was once part of Austria until Italy annexed it after WW2 as a spoil of war.

Nice pic of Passo dello Stelvio...I rode it 32 years ago; it looks the same. Who's the old guy in the pic?

RedSky49, you did ask for suggestions. I think you should leave the wife and kids at home and ride your Ducati on the Passo. Just a suggestion, don't beat me up.

 

[redsky49]

Nice pic of Passo dello Stelvio...I rode it 32 years ago; it looks the same. Who's the old guy in the pic?

RedSky49, you did ask for suggestions. I think you should leave the wife and kids at home and ride your Ducati on the Passo. Just a suggestion, don't beat me up.

Now you tell me.....

I am going to figure out a way to make it happen. Looks just too good to pass up.

 

[kantuckid]

+1 on northern Italy-by far my favorite part is the Dolomite/Alps portion, to include Bolzano. I'll give you a different take on the Stelvio, as I am one of those that's asstounded by it as a scenic area but as the many!!! tight curves slow you to a crawl , plus there are lots of buses,cars & bicycles doing the same curves and as you are in competition with them for the space , I'd rather drive it in a car and save the curves for a scoot in Tuscany-as was already suggested.Riding through a curve @ 5-10 mph what with lots of traffic is not my idea of great MC riding but it IS a neat place! Italy is expensive as is Venice. I'd give it a night & parts of either day of that stay. We stayed in a small relatively affordable hotel there-Tripadvisor is your friend. The historic hill cities are neat and can also be very touristy and hard to find a place to park & so on. We used a hostel outside Rome on the water(old Parochial school) to save & took the commuter train into whatever we were after each day. If you go to the S. I'd give Pompei maybe 3-4 hours-it too is very touristy but once inside it's so large you get spread out from others. Florence has much.
Amalfi. Go there and stay in town , up the street from the main church. Yes, like most of Italy it's still touristy but a neat place non the less.One of our sons has spent a lot of time in Italy & has sent several people there as THE place for a honeymoon . Eat up that same street(it's on the left walking away from the water) at the small trattorio -best food in the whole country. Thats saying a lot as we found it harder to get good food there than Italian we eat at home-FWIW, my wife is a top tier cook & we eat like kings here. Tuscany is nice but not my favorite part of Italy. To get a non-Hollywood version: lot is worn out ground that has been plowed up for God only knows how many years and is actually very poor in many areas. The Lake area re. to above,while it's scenic it is very expensive to stay there & we used a hostel there too for that reason, enjoyed the scenery but a drive through for me.
Best parts= NORTH(not north industrial part in the west) & certain historic hill cities. Rick Steves book might help you. We flew into N Italy & out of Rome to save travel.

 

[39520]

Who's the old guy in the pic? .

It mystifies even me sometimes...

 

[pffog]

Buy some regional maps from Michelin or the Italian Motor club, and get off the main drag if you are going to have a car for a while. Lots of GREAT roads, villages, restaurants etc to experience. Also in the Tuscany region, lots of small towns that one can wander and see what OLD is (stuff over 1000 years old)

Even with the train, get off in some of the smaller villages and just walk around, lots to see and experience. Eat at small places, that are generally run by a family and take a lot of pride in what they serve. And 2 wheels are great, but you can experience a lot on 4 wheels too.

You listed all the "tourist places" which is common, but think about an Italian family coming to the US and planning on visiting, the Statue of Liberty, Hollywood, Disney world, Niagara Falls, and the Grand Canyon. Would you say they really visited America, and got a sense of what we were all about? I wouldn't

I too have heard Venice is a 1/2 day trip at best and a BIG tourist trap. I know more people that were disappointed in there visit, than Awed.

And forget the Grappa, Lemoncello is where it's at, just make sure it is chilled well!

 

[kantuckid]

You want to see touristy as you mention , then just go to the home of the lemon stuff-it's just N. of Amalfi(which also has many tourist but worth the time) & comes on like a cruise ship shopping area(not that I cruise). Grain alcohol & lemon gets you the same Danny DeVito alchy drink-yuk. Far better to cruise winery tasting tables acting like your going to buy one of each.

 

[ricochetrider]

First Thing:

Buy yourself an Italian Phrasebook from Lonely Planet-
IF you're not fluent in Italian.

It'll help you tremendously. In the bigger urban areas many people will speak some English, but in situations where folks DON'T speak your language, a little help goes a LONG way. I have a handful of Lonely Planet Phrasebooks- sometimes the entertainment value alone is worth the retail cost. Mine are all small enough to keep in a pocket, which makes them really handy.

 

[Peter_Krynicki]

I was in Florence a few years ago in case you are passing through and need some suggestions.

 

[jnrugg]

We were there last summer and drove Stelvio.
Beware of the people on bicycles!
Look far ahead and stop to enjoy the view.
Might be better if you go during the week instead of the weekend.
We experienced damp rain in the morning when we were in the mountains and hot very dry in Tuscany.

We went to the Ducati factory and museum.
You have to make an appointment to get in. We lucked out in that a group didn't show up.
IT IS WORTH IT even my wife liked it.

Wish I was going back.....

 

[jnrugg]

We stayed here overlooking Florence.
It's tough to get to without a car.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...Casale_Fontibucci-Bagno_a_Ripoli_Tuscany.html

 

[redsky49]

Thanks all!

 

[JavaD]

Lived in Italy for 2 years, didn't know how much I miss the culture until I left.

Dolomites, Venice, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, and the Adriatic beaches are all very good. Tyrol region was apart of Austria until annexed after WWII, the best food I've ever had was in the Tyrol.

In Venice, you could consider taking a boat to Murano Island. Get off the boat and hang a left to one of the glass factories. Watch them make some fancy glass stuff, then ask the director for the special pieces. He'll take you to some nice ones, but ask for the REALLY special pieces. he should take you through a back room, under a large chandelier (all of glass), up some stairs, and into the top-floor showroom where the glass artisans make the once-, twice-in-a-lifetime pieces. There's some real impressive pieces there, all well worth the price.

 

[globalrider]

Also did some much hairier passes that made Stelvio look tame.

Such as?

Just checking to see if I missed any.

 

[EZ RT]

I'm heading to the Tuscany area in the near future. I plan on renting a motorcycle for a day and was wondering if paying a tour guide is a must, it's pretty expensive? Also, if I do not do the guide thing how are the Italian Police in the area and are the roads well marked for map riding?