Advice on holiday to Italy
DanG - 19/8/12 at 08:06 PM
Me and the wife are looking at spending a week on holiday in Italy, part of that week will be visiting Ferrari and Lamborghini.
The rest of the week will be spent by a pool/shopping/sightseeing.
Having never been to Italy we have no idea where to start.
Please can anyone who has done this trip offer any advice on places to stay (with pool)/ places to see and any do's and don'ts
macc man - 19/8/12 at 08:25 PM
We went during the world cup Italy v France a few years back. Very freindly folk in general. Away from the main cities you will need a phrase book as
not so many speak english. Menues often in Italian only so you might struggle to find what you want.
I realy enjoyed the holiday. We stayed in a timeshare appartment which was excellent. Driving can be interesting as everyone drives at full speed or
stop! Best of luck.
daniel mason - 19/8/12 at 08:26 PM
id liove to drive to marinello. through france and mont blanc tunnel! did st tropez last year but would love a week in italy next year! hope you
enjoy. also for referance we did ste maxime last year (gulf of st tropez) and it was amazing. 30 degrees all day every day and beautiful area, takt
the mnr and do your sight seeing on the way.
RK - 19/8/12 at 08:57 PM
Two words, already mentioned: Phrase Book. As long as you attempt a bit of Italian (outside big cities), you will have a great time. Don't be put
off when they respond with very long, unintelligible sentences. They mean well.
If you ever wanted to learn another language, that's the best place in Europe to advance, because people talk constantly. Small villages =
friendlier = less English, if that makes sense.
Russell - 19/8/12 at 09:00 PM
quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
id liove to drive to marinello. through france and mont blanc tunnel!
I've just come back from doing exactly that last week in an MX5. Loads of fun except for the 40 Euro toll to use the tunnel 
but I work on
road tunnels so I enjoyed it in a busman's holiday sort of way (the Gotthard tunnel is fun too!). Maranello is OK, not a lot going on and VERY
hot in August. The Ferrari museum was excellent and not too costly to enter (buy family tickets even if you're not a family - 9 Euros each).
Driving in Italy is NOT relaxing. It's common to have people driving a couple of feet from your rear bumper at 130km/h and even more so in
towns. Truck drivers and bike and scooter riders are mostly nuts with a death wish. Having said that, we only saw one accident in 3 days there.
I'm glad I did it but of the 8 countries I went through I would return to Switzerland for scenery, hospitality and great driving roads.
mangogrooveworkshop - 20/8/12 at 05:48 AM
https://www.facebook.com/MangoDoesRustToRome
eddie99 - 20/8/12 at 06:08 AM
Straight after donnington in 10days time, im driving down to tuscany for 2 weeks. As above, stay somewhere away from big cities and then go on day
trips into the cities.
Personally having spent alot of time in italy, yes they drive faster but i think are more disciplined than in the UK in terms of outside lane drivers
etc.. And as above, i've seen few crashes out there.
With regards to route, make sure you visit some of the passes over switzerland etc... The majority are quite frankly Brilliant!!!
britishtrident - 20/8/12 at 06:21 AM
Southern end of Lake Garda Sirmione, Bardolinio, Lasize or Garda town. Loads of good hotels.
The fantastic Mille Miglia Museum is not far away in Brescia and Modena and Millan & Monza are within driving distance.
There is however a lot more to see in the area than car museums
A lot of the better hotels in the area tend to be small boutique hotels that have been in business for more than a hundred years so many
don't have pools but have sunbathing and swimming "lidos" or jetties on the lakeside.
If really must have big hotel facilities then the Parc Gritti in Bardolino which is part of a German hotel chain is a very good hotel.
If you want the best Italian hotel experience then the smaller historic hotels offer something really special, I have used both the Hotel
Kris in Bardolino and the Hotel Catullo in Sirmione more than once and know them both to be truly excellent.
The Hotel Catullo in the medieval part of Sirmione is something really special, and I know is used by VSCC people when doing Mille Migla
revival.
[Edited on 20/8/12 by britishtrident]
zilspeed - 20/8/12 at 07:16 AM
Handy thread for me this.
Thinking of Peschiera Del Garda next year.
Anyone been ?
DanG - 20/8/12 at 08:09 AM
Thanks for all your replies.
Looks like we need to pack a phrase book then.
I think we would like to spend the first few days on the coast and then travel inland to visit the Ferrari and Lamborghini factories and anything
else.
Alternatively, we could spend the first few days at Lake Garda and then travel down.
britishtrident - 20/8/12 at 10:11 AM
quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
Handy thread for me this.
Thinking of Peschiera Del Garda next year.
Anyone been ?
Not the best choice on the lake although it is a historic town and resort it's main function is as a service town for the other
resorts so you get builders yards, shipyards and council depots, in particular avoid the golf resort a few miles out of town it is in an
awful location in a bend in the river.
The resort towns of choice in the south eastern part of the lake are north to south Garda, Bardolino, Lasize, Sirmione, further north
Malcesine.
On the western & northern shores Limone and Riva or for water and mountain sports Torbole.
Personally for a first visit to the lake I would suggest Bardolino although these days I holiday in Sirmione because I have found a small
hotel on the shore medieval walled town that suits us perfectly.
To add -
Most of the big tour operators ( Thomsons, Crystal and Inghams) have a wide choice of hotels in the area and fly twice weekly using Thompson air
flights from all the more major local airports to Verona.
Smaller tour companies (Barrhead Travel, Semple travel) use budget airlines to Bergamo or Brescia.
[Edited on 20/8/12 by britishtrident]
zilspeed - 20/8/12 at 11:17 AM
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
Handy thread for me this.
Thinking of Peschiera Del Garda next year.
Anyone been ?
Not the best choice on the lake although it is a historic town and resort it's main function is as a service town for the other
resorts so you get builders yards, shipyards and council depots, in particular avoid the golf resort a few miles out of town it is in an
awful location in a bend in the river.
The resort towns of choice in the south eastern part of the lake are north to south Garda, Bardolino, Lasize, Sirmione, further north
Malcesine.
On the western & northern shores Limone and Riva or for water and mountain sports Torbole.
Personally for a first visit to the lake I would suggest Bardolino although these days I holiday in Sirmione because I have found a small
hotel on the shore medieval walled town that suits us perfectly.
To add -
Most of the big tour operators ( Thomsons, Crystal and Inghams) have a wide choice of hotels in the area and fly twice weekly using Thompson air
flights from all the more major local airports to Verona.
Smaller tour companies (Barrhead Travel, Semple travel) use budget airlines to Bergamo or Brescia.
[Edited on 20/8/12 by britishtrident]
Great info, thanks very much for taking the time.
It's certainly south east we were looking at.
We have a 10 year old and Garda Land is a fact of life from which I cannot escape.
I had already checked out the travel options from here and as you say, it's Verona or Bergamo.
One thing I would add it this BA do a very reasonably priced flight to Verona.
Thanks again.
Regds
JF
britishtrident - 20/8/12 at 01:05 PM
One thing to watch is airport transfers can get expensive in Italy if not buying an inclusive package see if the hotel have arrangement.
This one of the reason I would recommend booking with Inghams or Crystal
For the theme parks - there are several closely grouped Lazise is the nearest resort but it quite small and very quiet. Stylish relaxed
Bardolino is only a couple of miles up the road and is bigger and has more variety to offer. Both Bardolino and Lazise have great ferry
and bus link.
In the other direction at the end of the long narrow Sirmio peninsula lies old town Sirmione is a fantastic place it is a walled town
that you enter via a draw bridge with a proper castle and massive Roman ruins. On the downside it gets very busy with day trippers, the
bus and ferry links are a little less frequent and Michael Schumacher has large house with a helipad a few hundred meters from the town walls.
With Bardolino make sure you get a hotel on the lakeside path, this is likely to be more difficult in Lazise.
With Sirmione the desirable hotels are within the old medieval town.
With any hotel in the area use Google Street view to be 100% of the exactly location and preview the area.
nick205 - 20/8/12 at 03:37 PM
Only been for work before to Ivrea north of Turin.
People seem friendly enough and the food is good.
Driving takes some concentration as they do like to push on at all times! Good fun though once you settle into it.
pewe - 20/8/12 at 04:33 PM
If you are going mid-Sept check out GP Nuvolari linky It's a bit like the Miglia Mille but more
spectator friendly and you can follow them on the roads which remain open to the public (amazing how a modern Mr Hertz can keep up with old
racers!).
See you there?
As above Mille Miglia museum just on the Eastern outskirts of Brescia is good.
There's also the small Nuvolari museum in his home town Mantova - worth a detour though not a major expedition. There is a tourist ferry service
on the lake for a bit of sight-seeing.
Find a piece of road just North West of Vignola which Ferrari use during the week for testing their road cars - but you need to be patient.
Google Strada Pedemontana, Vignola for location. You'll know you're in the right place by all the broad black lines down the road!
In most towns and villages off the tourist trail they'll treat you well and provide food and drink which you could only dream of eating in
England.
Bear in mind Venice is a day trip away. The train station is right in the heart of Venice proper and train fares are exceptionally well priced
compared to the UK.
Enjoy.
Ciao, Pewe10
britishtrident - 20/8/12 at 07:06 PM
The ferry services are great we used to use a lot but in recent years the prices have become a bit too expensive.
One of the must sees on the lake lies above the town of Gardone Riviera, it is a crazy art-deco house, car and aero museum, garden, war
memorial, amphitheatre and much more. Il Vittoriale degli italiani (The House of Italian Victories) was built for Gabriele d'Annunzio who
was an Italian war hero poet, aviator and right politician in UK terms think of a mixture of Kipling, Lawrence of Arabia, Oswald Mosley,
Fitzroy MacLean and Count Dracula.
The house and gardens is like a mixture of Dracula's castle, Port Merrion in Wales, the Glasgow School of Art and a mad fascist theme park,
it is barking mad funny beautiful, jaw dropping and sinister. The really surprises are in the fantastic garden a WW1 Italian Motor
Torpedo exhibited in a swimming pool and a 1900s era Gun Boat built into the hillside a few hundred feet above the lake.
britishtrident - 1/9/12 at 09:40 PM
Just back from the Lake Garda area, If anybody wants to see just how stunning this area is I put a few photos in my photo archive
Link to archive
Here is a sample of North Italy
Hydrofoil ferry docking at Limone in the north of Lake Garda ---- Hydrofoils are ace ;-)
Hydrofoil ferry at Limone
Harbour at beautiful stylish relaxed Bardolino.
Bardolino Lake garda
Massive Roman villa at Sirmione
Roman Villa Sirmione
Hotel Catullo Sirmione Garden
Sirmione Hotel
Lake Garda Ferry Andromeda
Lake garda ferry
View of Sirmione beach lido Lake Garda
Sirmione View
Village of Borghetto sul Mincio
Borghetto
Malcesine Castle
Malcesine Castle
[Edited on 2/9/12 by britishtrident]
britishtrident - 2/9/12 at 06:37 AM
2008 and 2009 trips showing the 1000 Miglia at our lakeside Hotel in the historic centre of Sirmione
My hotel from previous trip
Migla 1000 at our Hotel 2009
The Hotel Catullo in Sirmione is a very good reasonably priced small hotel in the heart of beautiful medieval Sirmione.
The walkway on eastern side of Sirmio peninsula
Sirmione 2009
[Edited on 2/9/12 by britishtrident]
zilspeed - 2/9/12 at 08:43 PM
Saw your pics.
I've been trying to nail down travel and accommodation that would suit us.
We're not picky, but I've not managed quite yet.
TGR-ECOSSE - 2/9/12 at 09:36 PM
If you are going to Ferrari and Lamborghini it's worth visiting the Pagani factory as its in the same area but you might have to book that in
advance though. I was there in 2010 but i think they have moved to the new factory since then. I didnt book the tour i just turned up at the factory
on my way to Lambourghini , googled the Pagani phone number then called the number asked if anybody spoke English and luckily someone did and i just
asked if i could come in for a look. I couldnt believe my luck when a guy came out opened the gates and let us in and introduced us to Horacio Pagani
who showed us round the factory. I still smile thinking about that day. I've been to the Galeria Ferrari in Maranello a few times and its
definitely worth a visit but while you are there head to the outskirts of Maranello to the Ferarri test track where you can sneak through the hedge to
see the track and my final tip is drive round to the back of the Ferrari factory where you can see some interesting things in the back gates. You will
love Italy and the way they drive 
britishtrident - 3/9/12 at 07:54 AM
quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
Saw your pics.
I've been trying to nail down travel and accommodation that would suit us.
We're not picky, but I've not managed quite yet.
Only problems with Sirmione and vast numbers of day trippers ensure it is very crowded during the day and as it is the end of a very long
peninsula is a little cut off however for us the Hotel Catullo makes up for that. The Catullo is run by a great guy called Fabio Barelli and the
hotel reflects his personality. The Fabio provides a couple of free or subsidised outings for guests every week usually a free Speedboat
tour of the local area and an amazing value 15 euro combined sight seeing wine tasting trip excellent. These trips get quickly get booked
up.
Bardolino is much more spacious and relaxed, we used to go to the Kris Hotel in Bardolino --- also very good run by the Lonardelli family
they also operate another hotel the Aida as an annex of the Kris but although the rooms in the Aida are fine they don't have AC only a
ceiling fan.
For peak season bookings you would need to book the hotel at least 3 months in advance.
The bus route through Bardolino stops at the Gardaland and some of the other theme parks.
Some links
Hotel Catullo Sirmione if you email Fabio Barelli at the Catullo
he will book airport transfers at a special rate.
Hotel Kriss Bardolino
Parc Gritti Bardolino
I picked up brochures for the Theme parks and other local attractions if you u2u me your address I will post them out.
Andy M
[Edited on 3/9/12 by britishtrident]
britishtrident - 5/9/12 at 12:39 PM
A few more
Gun Boat Gardone
Gardone Gunboat
MTB Gardone
Gardone MTB
Hotel Catullo Sirmione
Sirmione Hotel Catullo
Sirmione
Sirmione
britishtrident - 12/9/12 at 03:37 PM
Village of Borghetto sul Mincio betwe den Verona and Peschiera del Garda
Borghetto sul Mincio
[Edited on 12/9/12 by britishtrident]
zilspeed - 12/9/12 at 04:15 PM
Booked up for just between Bardolino and Lazise.
Having a 10 year old means a campsite really does suit us best.
We do however look forward to the day when a lovely boutique hotel is an option available to us.
Will take you up on offer of blurb from local attractions.
U2U to follow.
Thanks again.
RK - 12/9/12 at 04:38 PM
Camping is way more fun, and will be more memorable for the pup, I am sure.
zilspeed - 12/9/12 at 06:00 PM
quote:
Originally posted by RK
Camping is way more fun, and will be more memorable for the pup, I am sure.
I'll tell her you said 
ian locostzx9rc2 - 12/9/12 at 08:07 PM
Stayed at malcesine on lake garda a month ago never been to italy before loved it best holiday we have ever had lovely place. Hotel prima luna half
board excellent will be booking up again for next year was very hot heat wave high 30s and 40 deg couple of days. Didnt find italy overly expensive
either...
[Edited on 12/9/12 by ian locostzx9rc2]
daniel mason - 12/9/12 at 09:26 PM
just looked at primaluna and seemed to be already fully booked late july early august next year? looks like the sort of place id like.
britishtrident - 13/9/12 at 02:01 PM
Yes it really is a very special place and the standard of hotels in that part of Italy is generally pretty good and the very good ones are
amazing without being too expensive, they have the knack of giving good service without being over formal.
A couple of years back I stayed in a very good hotel in Sorrento it was only spoilt by the fact it was over formal to the point the maitre d'
dressed up in a comic opera uniform and ran the restraunt staff on military lines.
britishtrident - 13/9/12 at 02:10 PM
quote:
Originally posted by zilspeed
Booked up for just between Bardolino and Lazise.
Having a 10 year old means a campsite really does suit us best.
We do however look forward to the day when a lovely boutique hotel is an option available to us.
Will take you up on offer of blurb from local attractions.
U2U to follow.
Thanks again.
Yup --- know the camp site there are two or perhaps three between Bardolino and Lazise all right on the lakeside path.
There are a couple of supermarkets not too far away at the south end of Bardolino and there are cafe's at Cisano. There is also a very
good pizza place/beer garden on the lakeside path very good piazzas.
The path goes through the most amazing boatyard ---- beautiful pristine classic Riva wooden speed boats and some top end modern boats.
[Edited on 13/9/12 by britishtrident]
zilspeed - 9/7/13 at 04:14 PM
Holy thread resurrection Batman !
Just back.
It was magnificent.
Pics to follow.
With thanks to BT for the great advice.
We'll be back :-)
britishtrident - 10/7/13 at 10:23 AM
For anybody interested in Lake Garda travel info
Bardolino Wikitravel Link
Sirmione Wikitravel link
inkafone - 10/7/13 at 11:46 AM
We've stayed HERE a few times. Ideal if you like walking,driving on narrow roads and sightseeing -
he also has a flat to rent in Lucca which is well worth a visit.
