Italia bucket list--next June visit, tips, ideas?

[lucydad]

All,

Ok guys, my retirement clock is ticking down:  May, 2016 I pull the trigger, dial the knobs, turn the big wheel, and change my life style.  What makes sense to me is to mark the huge life change with a trip to northern Italy.  Bucket list item.  Peered across the border several times from Switzerland and France when we took trips there while living in Tunisia. 

Likely I will bring the entire family,  Ms. LD of course, and our two daughters living in NYC (both in early twenties).

Been thinking fly into Florence, and see the art and the old city.  Then I want to get into wine country and eat and drink our way thru several areas.  Then into the Como area, and Alps and yes Mandello.  Is there a place to rent a V7 small block?  I would love to ride a day there while the girls shop for shoes, etc. 

I am thinking at least ten days, likely more for Ms. LD and I. Daughters probably will stay five days or so.

Ms LD wants to visit the Amalfi coast and since we lived on the Med for 3 years, that is a good idea too. Don't know if we can do both the coast and northern country in one trip, but retirement allows time for multiple trips. 

I am looking for ideas, tips, comments and such.

Please advise....

[malik]

Agostini Mandello rents out small blocks. Check their website.
 http://www.agostinimandello.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=72&lang=en

Enjoy,

Mal

[Testarossa]

You may be better off flying to Milan -- better direct flights probably, and better options on vehicle rental. Check this out: http://www.motorbikerentitaly.com/rent_moto_guzzi.html

[pebra]

I'm not sure if there are flights from the US direct to Firenze, but that doesn't matter.
If you absolutely need to see the artworks of Firenze and are confident it will be sufficiently rewarding to go on your own I suppose it'll be fine. I'd recommend to join a small guided group, though. Or better still if you'll be four, hire your own guide to show you the town for half a day.
Nearby Lucca is very charming, and Pisa is a must-see.
Most people want to see Venezia when in Italy, won't you?
Add Mandello and Como and the lake, maybe Bologna and Bergamo, and ten days won't be enough!

You'll need at least one week for Amalfi, Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento.....

[ritratto]

There is now the high speed rail ( Frecciarossa  hhttp://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=89ddbd6bc1abf310VgnVCM1000008916f90aRCRD ) that goes from Florence to Milan in an hour and forty minutes to what used to take six to eight hours on the standard rail. Booked from here well in advance can be very reasonable ( I paid $50 round trip last October). The train then on to Mandello is about the same amount of time. Yes, Agostini is the place to rent.
Car rental is alright for country driving, but parking in really old cities , like Florence and Rome , can be quite difficult. Especially in the historic center.
Como is beautiful beyond belief, as is Tuscany. Bring a longer belt for all that pasta and gelato.
Amalfi is the other end of Italy and a big tug on the wallet. Maybe a separate trip unless you have tons of time.
I have lived in Italy and know a lot if you have more questions. Also, get a phrase book and learn a few things. In the larger cities English is spoken well, but in smaller places maybe none at all.

[kirkemon]

I love riding through the Alps. Can't get enough of it. From Lake Como head up to Nauders, then to Bolzano. Great hotel there:
http://www.hotelcitta.info/en.html
From Bolzano you have many choice routes.

[LongRanger]

Anyway, my favorite riding on earth is in the Dolomites. My recommendation would be to home base in Bolzano or Val Gardena for a few days and enjoy the passes in the Dolomiti (looks like Kirk and I were writing the same thing at the same time). It's a quick trip from there to Venice, so you could get stunning scenery and magnificent culture in one convenient bite.

[nunzio]

If I was going to Italy anywhere around May this would be First on my list to see.

Mille Miglia...it's not motorcycles,but,WOW!!!!!

 http://www.1000miglia.eu/MilleMiglia/

[alanp]

+1 on flying to Milan. +1 on the Dolomites.
Don't try to do too much in one trip.  Relax and enjoy where you are.  Your plan is good.  See Florence, a little wine country, Como, Mandelo and the Alps is plenty for 10 days or so.

Do a search for "argiturismo" in Tuscany.  There are some fabulous winery/ olive farms that offer places to stay and serve as a good base for a relaxing tour of the area. 

Not to disparage any others opinions, but I have been to the Amalfi coast 3 times and love the area.   The traffic and narrow coast road are part of the attraction for me.  Seeing half the cars with their mirrors whacked off by buses, buses squeezing through town at at a fraction of walking speed with Italians standing around hand waving and giving directions, etc.  it's lively and fun.  We rented scooters and rode all over the hills, hiked the coast, took water taxis, etc.  Great fun IMHO, but not in the same trip with Florence and Como!

[LongRanger]

Alan, I think your points on Amalfi are spot on. In my case, we unfortunately weren't spending time there, we were simply passing through on our way to Pompeii. I think an overnight or two would be lovely.

[Dean Rose]

Tuscany

http://www.agriturismo.it/en/farmhouse/tuscany

Italy

http://www.agriturismo.it/en/


Dean

[alanp]

 

Alan, I think your points on Amalfi are spot on. In my case, we unfortunately weren't spending time there, we were simply passing through on our way to Pompeii. I think an overnight or two would be lovely.

Yes, just passing through is a different situation.  The main road is not one for making time, and would certainly be frustrating to travel.  But the scenery great and witnessing the buses squeezing through the towns is all part of the experience (if you aren't stuck in the traffic behind them).

[alanp]

http://www.agriturismo.it/en/farmhouse/tuscany

Thanks Dean, that is what I was talking about.  You are just not as lazy as I am.  There are some fabulous places to stay on that site and they are often a good deal and have some of the best food. 

[segesta]

Some friends of the family own this place, it's in Tuscany about an hour from Florence. A great "home base" for a lengthy trip. They actually purchased an entire medieval town and turned it into an enormous B&B / tourist apartments.
www.lupinari.com

Ten days is good to see the North. Next trip, get down to Sicily. Less touristy, better looking people, amazing food, and some truly beautiful places like Taormina, San Vito lo Capo, Segesta (ahem), Agrigento, and Selinunte.

[guzzitime]

Yes,  Make the Costa Almafi a habit. It is such a great area along with great food.  I was stationed in Naples where I learned about the region and Guzzis.

[canuck750]

On my trip to Mandelo two years ago I flew into Lyon France and drove to Alba for a couple days then down the west coast to stay in the Cinque Terra region, back up to Milan, Mandelo and then over to Venice.
Alba was a hidden gem.

[LongRanger]

 :1: on Sicily (especially Taormina). Next time.

[PJPR01]

Truly...trying to cram in all that in 2 weeks seems Lucycrous!  Pardon the pun.  Why not take a month at least and stretch it out, enjoy a few days in each spot.  You are so close to so many beautiful places to visit.  Just 1 day in Mandello?  Hardly enough to scratch the surface after a nice ride to Lecco, Bellaggio, maybe back around the bottom of the other leg of the lake and then back up.  A couple days of sauntering around, enjoying relaxing coffees, lunch at Al Verde in Mandello for sure, visiting Agostini's and the Museum, and tons of little hidden gems along the way as well. 

I've never understood why folks "rush" vacations...and particularly in Italy of all places!!

Lucca, Siena, Orvieto, San Gimignano, Carrara, Parma, all little jewels of towns beyond the common Pisa and Florence will grab your attention and make you want to enjoy each of them leisurely for a 1/2 to full day w/o rushing back!   Visits to the Dolomites (Bolzano - Ortisei, a run up the Brenner Pass to Innsbruck and back).  Houston will be here when you're back...go and splurge a bit and truly have a bucket list vacation!