# Northern Italy



## DubPaul (May 10, 2005)

This is motorhome unrelated but you are all so helpful and I know you won't mind!

It's my 10th wedding anniv next July and I want to combine something my wife would like, a trip to Italy, with something I would like, driving to Italy. Not in the motorhome but in this 8)










Anyway I don't want to put 5000kms on it so the plan is to drive from Holyhead to Dover, Eurotunnel to Calais and then stick the car on an overnight AutoTrain direct to Nice.

This is where you guys come in! I need help on good things to do around Northern Italy. Any and all comments welcome!!

My current draft plan is the following:

- Nice to Florence, coastal route about 4-5 hours. Florence because A Room with a View was filmed there. I can stay in the hotel but apparantly the scene of the room with a view was not filmed there, which I'm still researching! Can also do Pisa
- Florence to Venice, about 4-5 hours
- Venice to the Stelvio Pass 8)










- Stelvio Pass to Lake Como or Garda
- Back to Nice

I have never been to Italy except for a few days Rome. I need to keep the mix more towards seeing things rather than driving everywhere, but it is my holiday too and I want to drive around in the Alfa in Italy!!!

So, any nice towns, restaurants, things to see, routes..... anything!!!

Thanks!!

Oh forgot to say that we probably only have 7 days from Nice-Nice


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Hi Paul;

Lovely car! You sure you want to take it to Italy with all those mad Italian drivers :lol: 

Seriously, we've not long returned from Sardinia (in the van) and spent a bit of time around northern Italy on the way there and back.
I can recommend a stop off at Lucca, a beautiful walled city well worth a visit. Pisa was OK, but very touristy as you'd expect. Florence was lovely but choked traffic wise. You could also visit the cinque terre villages near La Spezia, we planned to visit but didn't have the time.
As you're into lovely cars, might also be worth popping up to Maranello and a visit to the Ferrari museum, well worth a visit.

pete


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## DubPaul (May 10, 2005)

Wow the cinque terre villages look perfect and are on my proposed route! Thanks!

Maranello is also on the Florence-Venice route but with limited time and the Stelvio pass already included I'm not sure my wife would approve!

To be honest I'd rather spent time in the Roman countryside than in a car museum!!!

Thanks.


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## Blueflag (May 16, 2007)

You will love Northern Italy especially driving "una bello macchina" such as yours!
Bologna is also a city worth a visit, we normally stay at a beautiful B&B in the countryside a few miles outside. As a biker I DID enjoy the FREE guided tour of the Ducati factory and Museum. (very reasonable cafe there too!)
A night at the opera at Verona (spectacular arena) is good if you get the time. Also Venice is every bit as beautiful in the flesh as in the photos.
Si, mi piace Italia!
Ciao!
Mike
(Yes, for any Italians on the forum, I know my grammar and spelling is cr*p but I love the language!)


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## DubPaul (May 10, 2005)

Thanks. Bologna could be on... as it might be possible to get a train to there from the Netherlands... still researching that one!

I would really like advice on possible places to stay that are characterful and yet not overly expense. Always have to watch the pennies unfortunately!! but can't been seen to be scrimping on hotel rooms.

I'm not into places where you feel you are living with a family but small-medium guesthouses etc would be fine

So around the cinque terre, venice, stelvio, lake como or garda. 

I know this is hard ingo to get when you are all staying in motorhomes but i'll take any info going!


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Italian*



Blueflag said:


> You will love Northern Italy especially driving "una bello macchina" such as yours!
> Bologna is also a city worth a visit, we normally stay at a beautiful B&B in the countryside a few miles outside. As a biker I DID enjoy the FREE guided tour of the Ducati factory and Museum. (very reasonable cafe there too!)
> A night at the opera at Verona (spectacular arena) is good if you get the time. Also Venice is every bit as beautiful in the flesh as in the photos.
> Si, mi piace Italia!
> ...


Hi Mike

No comments on the grammar from me, but teh fact that you try - and love the language - will win over many an Italian heart.

My grammar is shocking - but I am always understood.

Russell


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## Yeti (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Mike
I live and work for the most part of the year in La Spezia and would definitely recommend a visit to Cinque Terra,
There are some good small hotels around that area especially in Portevenere.

Enjoy!

Dave T


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

Hi DubPaul, what a good idea for an anniversary trip.
If you plan to do Nice - Florence, then it would make sense to do Nice - La Spezia, and then 5 Terre by local train from La Spezia. Then La Spezia - Lucca, Lucca - Pisa, Pisa - Florence. If you want a 'Giulietta' drive North from Firenze to Bologna, then forget the motorway and take the old Futa pass road. Bologna - Modena is definitely the right area for motoring enthusiasts as already mentioned.
Further north is really 'foreign' territory to me, so I'll leave the advice to others more competent.
saluti,
eddied


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## 102045 (Dec 8, 2006)

hi
slightly off the topic but were thinking of heading down to southern italy for a couple of months this winter..looking at puglia and the heel and toe in particular and poss the islands..has anyone got any advise re sites and aires open?
Winter weather in that region??
Any help gratefully received


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