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Ferrari and other car tours

Hello,

It has been a long time since I have travelled, but my sons are in Italy (23 and 26). They have a car and I want to gift them some tours of the car factories in Italy. Does anyone have any experience with these and what would be the best city to stay in to save travel time. Unfortunately, the in car options seem to be a bit out of my price range, but the factories might be interesting for them.
I would appreciate any suggestions (they also like to eat and go hiking).
( I can't wait to be able to travel again soon!)

Posted by
3240 posts

Were it not for Covid, my in-laws would have visited the Ferrari factory and I would have some second hand information to share with you. With that said, this company looks promising:

https://livtours.com/

Since your sons like to eat and go hiking, they might enjoy the National Car Museum in Torino. The food and wine in the Piedmont region is wonderful.

Posted by
7328 posts

My husband and I were in Bologna last week, where Maserati started over 100 years ago, and it’s just south of Modena and several car museums and factories. We didn’t make it to any of them, but I’d bookmarked a thread from earlier this year with responses that addressed some of what you’re asking, in case we found the time and energy to visit any. Maybe this will help you and your kids:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/test-drive-farrari-and-factory-tours-of-ferrari-lamborghini-pagani-maserati-and-ducati

Posted by
501 posts

As factory tour my suggestion go to do Lamborghini and Pagani factories. Ducati factory tour hasn't started yet (due to Covid reasons) and Ferrari factory tour don't show you the production line.
I suggest to contact Italygate ( info@italygate.it ) to ask for a quotation for a tour for your boys: is a little TO located in Modena specialized in tailor made tour about cars, food and art.
Lamborghini factory tour: is probably the most interesting. The group is leaded inside the production chains and are shown all the steps. Is located in Sant'Agata, difficult to be reached by public transport. After the factory there is the museum where are shown the modern models produced by Lamborghini.
Ducati factory (when available again..): is another interesting tour because the chain is arranged in another way than Lamborghini. Are shown all production steps and there is the tour of the museum too. Is located in the suburb of Bologna.
Maserati factory: is an interesting tour when the factory is working, but sometimes the production is stopped for FCA economical problems. There isn't a museum, but only a showroom with the model in production. Is located in the center of Modena.
Ferrari factory tour: the last interesting, because you visit the factory without leaving the shuttle, so you don't watch the production chains but only the buildings from the exterior. Is interesting mainly if you visit Maranello by your own, because the guide provide several details about factory and Enzo Ferrari life and history. Is located in Maranello, difficult to be reached by public transport.
Ferrari museum. Located in Maranello is the bigger of the several car museums of the area.
Enzo Ferrari museum. Is located in the center of Modena (very close to the Maserati factory). Is smaller than the one in Maranello but sometimes are exposed very interesting cars.
Ferruccio Lamborghini museum. Is located in Funo, not so easy to be reached by public transport. For lovers of old car is very interesting because is dedicated to the history of the Lamborghini family, so sport cars but even other things produced along the years: of course tractors!
Maserati collection: is located in the suburb of Modena, not easy to be reached by public transport. Is a small car and motorbike collection (not only Maserati) owned by the Panini family. Mainly old cars.
Dallara museum and factory: is located in Varano de Melegari, near Parma, not so easy to be reached. They produce mainly Formula cars, at the moment specialized on the Indicar. Can be visited the small museum and on request the factory where the cars are produced.
Pagani factory: is a small producer of very exclusive cars (around 30 per years) located in San Cesario, not so easy by public transport. More an atelier than a real factory, cause all cars are hand made. Can be visited the factory and the collection/museum.

Test drive: can be done on normal road and on racetrack (at Modena racetrack). With not so expensive models on road is affordable for a special gift and the cost depends by the length (and the model). On a racetrack is safer and much funnier, but even much more expensive (you can estimate 100€/lap!) Almost all the Ferrari (and Lamborghini) rentals are located in Maranello, so is much more cost effective go there for the test drive. For insurance reason they require a valid driving license older than 1 or 3 years and be over 19 or 21 years old. For non EU citizen the Internatinal Driving License is required. On racetrack is enough a valid driving license and 18 years old.
In Maranello is plenty of controls on Ferrari rentals, so they are 100% legal and usually is impossible to do a test drive without fulfill the legal requirements.

Posted by
501 posts

About costs (if I remember good!):
Lamborghini factory tour is the most expensive and required, around 75€/person.
Maserati is cheaper, around 35€/person.
Ducati should be around 40€/person.
Pagani is around 45€/person.
Ferrari factory tor is 18€/person
The museum tickets are between 12 to 18€/person depending by the museum.

Posted by
32704 posts

ricky - that is a most excellent summary of the different options. By far the very best I have ever seen... Thank you. People may want to bookmark the thread.