gapxfire

My good friend and I are making our first trip to Italy at the end of March. We will be piggybacking this trip onto a business trip that has us starting in Salzberg, AT and gives us only a week to experience Italy. We are both in our mid-30s and single and would have just a few 'definite' things we would like to see/experience on our trip.

1.) Being car guys we would like to visit both/either the Ferrari and Lamborghini museums in Maranello and Santa Agna

2.) We would like to visit some of the better wineries and do some tastings and possibly a 'food and wine excursion'

3.) We would like to visit one or more of the larger metropolitan areas like Milan, Venice or Rome but not all of them

4,) We would like to meet some beautiful Italian women!

I figure we would get to Italy from Austria via Plane or Rail and then would rent a car once in Italy. At the end of the week we would fly out of whichever city we end up in.

Any recommendations would be very appreciative. We are both American do not speak any Italian. We also have limited funds and unfortunately will have to be watching our wallets, so 5-star restaraunts and decadent hotels are out..

Thanks in Advance!

kybourbon

>>>4,) We would like to meet some beautiful Italian women! <<
>>We are both American do not speak any Italian. <<

You better learn some Italian.

For budget flights in Europe look at www.whichbudget.com or www.skyscanner.net.

You will need an International Driver's Permit for Italy which you can get at your local AAA office.

Paul1950

With only a week in Italy and the 2 car museums being must sees, I think you would be best served staying in northern Italy. So, if you are looking more to party than to visit art museums, historical sights, architecture and such, I would stick with Bolgna and Milan. Milan is easy to fly out of.

Of course, the jewel city of northern Italy is Venice--it is a unique world treasure and my first choice of places to visit, but not much of a party town.

But if you're into road trips, you could meander as far south as Rome if you wanted to and fly out of Rome. It just depends on your interests and travel styles.

stepsbeyond

Sounds to me like the city you'd most enjoy is Torino (Turin) home of Fiat and its automotive museum plus being the captital of Italy's legendary food and wine province, Piemonte, home of Barolo wine (and other great, great wines) and the "slow food" movement, plus EATITALY -- all those good and tasty things.

And full of beautiful Italian women in its lively bar and caffe culture. Some might be thrilled to teach you Italian. And it has the most delightful movie museum on the planet, where you can lay on a big round bed and watch kissing scenes from movies on the ceiling. (Bring a date!)

You actually could do it all by train, although as car guys, you might want to rent a car. Convenient airports for your itinerary are Bologna, Milan and Torino.

Have a great trip!

stepsbeyond

Ooof! I just checked: The main auto museum in Torino is closed for renovations!

I would still recommend Torino, given your interests in food and wine as well, and there is a second museum of automobile design inTorino;

http://www.pininfarina.com/

and here is a website with info about all the car museums in Italy, including Ferrari and Lamborghini:


http://www.italiantourism.com/auto.html

You could go to Milano instead of Torino (for its Alfa Romeo museum and nightlife) but I tend to think you'd have more fun in trendy Torino. This is a very good website with lots of up to date information about Torino.

http://www.comune.torino.it/torinopl...nightlife.html

You could do a loop that included Torino's automotive museum, plus the museums in Modena -- either beginning in Torino and ending in Bologna or vice versa. If you can train or plane to Milan, you can reach Torino without by train, and enjoy the town without a car, and then rent one to head for Modena, taking a swing through Piemonte's wine country first. Fly out of Bologna (or even Florence). Several options.

Or you could fly to Bologna, rent a car, head to Modena, see the museums, head for the wine country in Piemonte, drop of the car in Torino, finish up your trip and fly out (Milano).

stepsbeyond

PS: Carla Bruni, now Mrs. Nicolas Sarkozy, hails from Torino. Beautiful women (but be careful!)

gapxfire

Thanks for all of your assistance! We are definitely thinking the northern area would be the best to visit with Milan and Torino. We just found out a vendor of ours is also located in northern Italy and we will add that to our excursion.

One last question (maybe I should be posting this seperately), are there any good forums/chat sites where you can talk with Italians in the area and strike up friendships? I had alot of luck meeting locals this way on my last trip to Dublin.

stepsbeyond

Since you don't speak Italian, you might start here and see where it takes you:

http://my.lifeinitaly.com/

gapxfire

stepsbeyond.. you truly live up to your handle! Thanks a bunch!!

TheAntiquesDiva

BUONGIORNO! Since you're planning to stay in Northern Italy - you my friends are going to be in the land of the best of wine of the world: Piedmont (Italian: Piemonte). If you're looking for a budget accomodation with an excellent innkeeper - I'd recommend Hotel Langhe Piemonte. It's a tad out of the way for those without cars, but the rooms are very nice with great views and the innkeeper is one of my favorite Italians! We've stayed here a few times when visiting Piedmont for stocking up our cave and he's given us sensational advice for out-of-the-way vineyards (or vineyards with perhaps less pedigree, but sensational punch for the price). When you arrive he'll offer you refershements in the lobby or garden and you can pick his brain on all to see and do. His recommendation for dining in the nearby town at the restro Sogni d'oro (Sweet Dreams) has been the best meal I've eaten in Italy - and that's saying alot, I go to Italy often - 3 times last year alone! Breakfast is always an event - his cheese course tempts me beyond my willpower and his cappucinos are made to perfection.

Have a great trip!