Italian Grand Tour help/ideas

[FIFTY]

Hello everyone

Could I have some recommendations on places to go, stay, visit , eat, etc. for my honeymoon next year?

The plan is to drive in the 4200 to Italy via Chamonix hoping to find some nice roads on the way... do a tour of northern Italy and inevitably head home.

The tour will be around 2 weeks during the end of September beginning of October... I am thinking about driving as far as San Marino back via florence, Pisa or Genoa.... there are plenty of options for stops between these let alone Como, Milan or even visiting Neptune at Bologna

I guess there is the matter of how much we can fit in over two weeks... two days at each end will be traveling to/from Italy so I think a sensible number of destinations in 10 days is 3 stops as there are a lot of miles to get to Italy in the first place...

In short... what is the best of northern Italy for a driving holiday?

 

[allandwf]

After Modena, Centenary celebrations, we did Lake Garda, hotel Bellevue San Lorenzo, at Malcesine. Stunning, and covered parking for Bella We then drove back through Austria and Germany, stopped off to see "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang castle" stayed at Hotel Muller. Then did Luxembourg, Belgium, and home. Cleythil Hotel in Belgium was a good find, very car orientated. Enjoy the adventure, it's what the cars were made for.

 

[allandwf]

A taster of what to expect.

 

[Wack61]

We did 4 days late September this year , stayed in como , flew and rented a car as my wife has had enough driving by Stoke On Trent so I'd need to drug her to drive to italy

Spent 4 days just flitting about without a plan and enjoyed every minute , the weather was perfect , sun every day , english summer warm rather than hot.

Some of the roads were quite narrow and the drivers are crazy but the area is spectacular, really beautiful everywhere you look , and clean , Britain is a dump in comparison , didn't see any litter like you get here where people think a queue on a slip road is an opportunity to empty the car of rubbish

 

[safrane]

The outskirts of most norther Italian cities are mostly concrete industrial areas with just a historic centre. If you want to see Neptune you will need to check the current restoration plans as it is currently under cover.

Bologna Art Commercial Hotel is just off the main square and has secured parking.

Lake Maggiore is 1/2 the price of Como and just as pretty esp Isola Bella.

Avoid the well know passes in the main season unless doing them early or late in the day...full of camper vans and motor bikes.

The mosquitos can be a real issue near some lakes and like women at certain times of the month (honest)

The further south you go the quieter the roads outside of the city's and as others have mentioned city driving is a real experience.

Enjoy.

 

[philw696]

When I did my Italian trip in my first 4200 stayed at Baveno on Lake Maggiore and absolutely Stunning and would love to go back there again one day in an Italian Classic.

 

[MarkMas]

In May 2016 we stayed in Bellagio on Lake Como, at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni which was delightful (but VERY expensive). A bunch of Belgian Maseratis were visiting the hotel while we were there, which I think tipped us over the edge into buying one. The road from Como to Bellagio, however, is VERY narrow and full of nutcases.

 

[MarkMas]

 

[MrMickS]

I can recommend driving around Lake Iseo, we stopped in Pisogne but I'd probably look to stay around Lovere if we went that way again. You've then got the option of either driving across the mountains to Lake Garda, via Lake Idro, or down to Brescia for the Mille Miglia museum.

 

[FIFTY]

Thanks everyone Lake Maggiore sounds like a winner

What about heading further south to the coast? Genoa seems a bit hectic, Porto fino expensive and not car friendly. Any suggestions for the Italian Riviera?

 

[O37]

When you step out the car I'd suggest stopping at Lake Orta, a little quieter in summer.



Then onto Maggiore a hour or two away, whose highlight is a boat trip to Isola Bella, not to be missed.







If you go further east to lake Como, Bellagio is great base for a couple of days, with car ferry both east and west, on the west coast we visited the famous gardens of Villa Balbianello, for the geeks Starwars was filmed there, but have to agree with others the roads are too narrow for fun and you will stop start in high season.



So south from Maggiore you could stop by Portofino, to see someone famous but it's a pain to park and not that glamorous



Depending on time to drive, one interesting coastal place would be to visit the Cinque Terrre (World heritage site - 5 villages), would need to park up again and get the boat for the day, be aware it gets busy.



Experienced a great drive along the Amalfi coast, would love to do that again in the Maserati, but suspect a little far....

 

[FIFTY]

Thanks O37 some good info there. I think we will probay end up staying in Genoa where it's easier to get a hotel with secure parking and explore places like Portofino and Cinque Terre from there

Amalfi would be a dream but with 17mpg it's a bit too far.

We will be going over the last two weeks of September sp hopefully it will be a bit quieter at the end of the season

 

[safrane]

Thanks evunderground Lake Maggiore sounds like a winner

What about heading further south to the coast? Genoa seems a bit hectic, Porto fino expensive and not car friendly. Any suggestions for the Italian Riviera?

Hotel Dino in Baveno for lake Maggiore - great underground carpark for the Maza and next to a ferry terminal for the islands. Also has hottubs overlooking the lake and indoor and outdoor pools, gym and steam rooms. Bar and terrace on lake shore.

Try Rapalo near Portafino. There is a number of good hotels on the outskirts, we stayed in one that has its spa on the lake shore. The old town is nice and there is a ferry to Portafino which is nicer than the drive...and to be honest PF is nice to visit but a day and you are done...and it is wallet bashing expensive!

 

[safrane]

Ps I have done Italy a number of times in Sept, its perfect.

Schools are back so much quieter and it is not too hot that you dont want to move but still warm in the evenings.

 

[FIFTY]

Hey guys the plans have progressed and have been booking hotels and apartments for the trip its coming together quite nice.

Decided to avoid driving through France and go for it through Germany, overnight in Freiburg... down to Lake Como for a few nights then on to Florence where have found a nice villa between the main city and Pisa... will stay for 5 nights and go to day trips to Modena, Cinqe Tere, Pisa, etc.

Beyond that I decided to get a little more inventive and I thought we could go on to take the ferry from Ancona to Split in Croatia for 4 nights then drive back... Anyone have any experience of this crossing? Not planning on lowering the car before then so ground clearance won't be a problem hopefully!

Also driving down we will go through Switzerland, will they have a problem with my modified (loud) exhaust? I will have the GranSport valved backboxes and remote kit installed by then and hopefully working but it will still make some noise as I only have 2x 100 cell cats and an unsilenced x pipe

 

[D Walker]

I've not been to Croatia or Split since 94, but when there were roads, they were terrible, I assume that tourist places will be fine but outside of that I suspect they may not be to good.

I'm starting to plan for May next year for us so your thoughts and updates would be appreciated, all though I may ferry to Santander, Spain, Italy, Switzerland then either Germany or France to Holland and Home...

 

[FIFTY]

I have been pin dropping on Google Street view and it all looks like fairly new EU tarmac on most places.... especially the motorways and main roads leading to Split - likewise in Slovenia on the way back it is the same good tarmac - will probably stay one night in the Austrian lakes on the return journey and one night in Stuttgart before heading home

Trying to find a good holiday apartment in Split which can also accommodate the Maserati is tricky, seems to be a trade off between being close to the "old town" and potentially parking on the street... or staying a little further out in a newer development that has on site parking