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Grad trip for son- cars and food

We are starting to throw around ideas for a high school grad trip for our son, late May/early June 2026. He is very interested in the high end car manufacturers in the Bologna area and all things food. He plans to study engineering and enjoys being outside…but hiking should not be a main activity.
I am roughly thinking about a week, with Rome, Bologna, and Naples. I am open to any and all other ideas! He is a reluctant traveler, but cars and food have him motivated to give it a go. He also enjoys history but doesn’t want to go to a bunch of museums. I’d like to outline a rough plan so we can sort out budget and start saving up. We are coming from Alaska so travel takes nearly two days on each end.

For context, I took my daughter on an incredible trip for her grad last year, and it was completely opposite of what he wants. We hiked our way through Switzerland and Cinque Terres with stops in Venice and Rome. My son greatly enjoyed Puerto Vallarta (stayed in the old town, lots to observe about local life), and also enjoyed Iceland. No hiking, yes to food and cars and cool history are on the menu this time around.

We would like to use trains where possible. Thanks for any ideas you may have!

Posted by
3001 posts

I was thinking with interest in engineering he might enjoy Venice. I am not an engineer (or even close) but Venice is really an engineering marvel.

It is much closer to Bologna.

Do you have a week altogether? If so three places is too many. But maybe you mean a week for each?

Posted by
6 posts

@bethfl I think about 10 days total. I agree, 3 places will be too much for that timeframe. We like to stay 3 nights in one place to settle in a bit and enjoy. Rome would be just arrival and departure, with probably the final day touring the big sites before leaving.

Posted by
1693 posts

So, not including the travel days, about 6 nights in Italy? I'd want to fly into Bologna or Venice, and spend the whole time between those two (they are an hour and a bit apart by train), with daytrips to car places and food places from Bologna. Plenty to do in both cities without entering a single museum or church. A visit to a cheese factory is always interesting. Stay away from the heavily touristed parts of Venice and maybe go on a boat tour. He might enjoy taking a vaporetto to Torcello, walking along the canal to the oldest part of Venice, climbing up the belltower (i.e. not riding in an elevator like other belltowers) and possibly even seeing the lurid mosaics in the church (scenes of the last judgement). How normal life is carried on in Venice without motorized land vehicles is fascinating --- how goods are delivered, how garbage is picked up, what funerals and weddings are like, the markets, etc.. I bet he would enjoy a session of learning to row standing up with Row Venice (my husband has done this three times now). There is also a working gondola yard and a ship museum and a small boat museum (in Cannaregio --- you arrange a private tour).

Posted by
582 posts

For food and cars and technology Emilia-Romagna is perfect for visits. The only problem is that the most of museums and factories and places are located far from the center, without train connections. You must rent a car to go there or hire a car with driver.
Some suggestions:
- factory tours: Lamborghini, Ducati, Pagani. Ducati and Lamborghini have a different kind of chain assembly method, so both could be interesting. Pagani is a little producer (50 cars per year) of top technology high exclusive models; looks like an atelier than a factory.
- car museums: Ferrari museums (both are interesting), Ferruccio Lamborghini (is not the museum of the factory but the one of the family, are shown not only the cars, but the whole range of products made and is good to note how much a company could change in years), Dallara (near Parma: they design the Indy cars).
- food producers: Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Parma's ham (both are good even to see how technologies can be used to keep a product traditional, safe, simple, tasty), Traditional Balsamic Vinegar. Maybe some winery. If will be opened again for visits: Majani chocolate factory!
- other museums: Industrial heritage in Bologna: https://www.museibologna.it/patrimonioindustriale/schede/some-information-for-visiting-the-museum-of-industrial-heritage-of-bologna-3001 . MAST: https://www.mast.org/ . Both could be interesting for people who like history, art, technology.
- other places: since not everybody like only cars and technology, the days can be filled with some more historical place. Beginning of June is cherry season and in Vignola (middle way between Bologna and Maranello, there are even several paths for hiking/biking around in the middle of the cherry orchards) the first two week ends of June there is the cherry festival (big market, music, a lot of traditional foods); in Vignola there is even one of the best preserved Middle Age castle in Italy: https://www.fondazionedivignola.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Fondazione_Folder_2020_UK.pdf . For castles lovers I suggest even Torrechiara and Fontanellato near Parma: both wonderful! For hike and art I suggest you the Masone maze: www.labirintodifrancomariaricci.it

OPS: too many suggestions. You need 10 days to do everything.

Posted by
318 posts

Bologna is lovely and walkable. We enjoyed the clock tower and renting bikes. There are lovely churches to pop into, an air conditioned Apple Store and movies in the main square.

Rent a car for a few days and go to the car museums and factories. We are currently on the Amalfi Coast for my daughter’s grad trip. Enjoy!