Going to Rome this summer...

[dbakes13]

Hey everyone-

I have been fortunate enough to fall into a deal that is going to let me spend a cheap week+ in Rome this July. I was wondering/hoping that some of you may have some input on a couple of questions.

1. Is it worth is to make the 2 hour trip from Rome to Bologna to see Ducati's home?

2. Since packing my Monster in the overhead compartment is out of the question, what's the likelyhood of being able to rent a Ducati for  day or two to over there, kind of like Harley dealerships do over here? Would my US-issue moto license even be valid to let me ride?

3. Feel free to pass on any advice about Rome in general if you have it... as of now I'm planning on spending a lot of time seeing the standard sights/landmarks/museums/booze purveyors.

Thanks in advance for any help!
Dusty

[ducpainter]

I think this thread has enough moto content to be in the general forum.

Move it if you like.

[Johnny OrganDonor]

I like to stay in the area around Campo di Fiori it's cool area to wander through with a daily market and an easy walk to most of the attractions without being touristy.  Hotel Campo di Fiori and Hotel Teatro di Pompeo are both nice places to stay. 

You might want to get the feel of Roman traffic before diving into it.  It's fun but them Italians show no mercy.  Sunday mornings are pretty quiet and might be a good time to test it out.

[ducatiz]

Hey everyone-

I have been fortunate enough to fall into a deal that is going to let me spend a cheap week+ in Rome this July. I was wondering/hoping that some of you may have some input on a couple of questions.

1. Is it worth is to make the 2 hour trip from Rome to Bologna to see Ducati's home?

100%  Rent a car and drive it, or better yet, a bike.  Take the A1.  Stop at a few of the Autostradas and enjoy the food.  I would also stop at Pistoia and Florence (Firenze).  Then again, I would spend 2-3 days MAX in Roma and the rest taking the scenic route. 

You can see the coliseum in 2 hours along with the arch of titus.  If you want to see some of the churches, you might spend a half day or a day walking to and from.  I don't mean St Peter's.  Half day for the Basilicia, 2 hours for the cupola (which is TOTALLY worth the horrendous climb if you ever saw La Dolce Vida)

I like the churches in Roma (and I'm Jewish).  Several of them have relatively famous statues in them (such as the San Petro in Vinculo which has a Michelangelo of Moses).  The Basilica obviously is a must.  Esp if you are Catholic, my religious RC friends have said it was quite uplifting.

There is a lot of walking and busing in Roma.  Plenty of good restaurants, absurdly many especially if you like Italian faire (no shit).. there are two places that are on my "die and go to heaven" list (well, 3) but I don't have their exact names handy, one is a tiny little shithole in a piazza near the jewish quarter that is run by some old lady and has been open for like 60 years, she still cooks (she has help of course) and I don't think they take reservations.  I'll derby the name later.

Taking the A1 to Bologna is a lot of fun, there are a bunch of small towns and most are worth seeing at least as a drive-thru.  I forget the turnoff, but there is a point where there is a parallel track thru the mountains, which would be GREAT on a bike, just take it easy and try to go slowish, the curves make up for the speed.

Florence is good for at least 2 days, of course you have the Uffizi which has one of the biggest collections you'll ever see.  The building itself is worth seeing.

For my money, I would go stay in Pienza or Rimini for hte bulk of the trip.  You will enjoy Roma for a few days, but get tired of the lines and walking. 

Hit me up for restaurants, wifey has them all written down.. Plus a few in Bologna.

Seriously, the food there is amazing.  And go to Super Ibercoop and buy booze, there is no tax so you can get wine for like 3 euro a bottle that costs you about 30-40 bucks here.

2. Since packing my Monster in the overhead compartment is out of the question, what's the likelyhood of being able to rent a Ducati for  day or two to over there, kind of like Harley dealerships do over here? Would my US-issue moto license even be valid to let me ride?

yes, you can do this.  you need an italian DL rider, which most rental places can issue on the rental, it's a flat fee.

3. Feel free to pass on any advice about Rome in general if you have it... as of now I'm planning on spending a lot of time seeing the standard sights/landmarks/museums/booze purveyors.

rome is good for 3 days max, maybe 4.  if you LOOOOOOVE art, then you have 4-5 days there.  I love history, and after 3 days, i am good.  we've been to italy a dozen times in the last 10 years and you still want to see some things even after seeing them once.  I really like the view from the cupola.  i've done the climb 4 or 5 times, i forget..

[djrashonal]

I agree, those guys are ballsy when it comes to driving. Quite intense. there are places you can rent scooters and some small motorbikes but im not too sure about a Duc, i would stick to a scooter though, unless you're gonna be roaming the countryside on a new multi or something

[goldFiSh]

I like to stay in the area around Campo di Fiori it's cool area to wander through with a daily market and an easy walk to most of the attractions without being touristy.  Hotel Campo di Fiori and Hotel Teatro di Pompeo are both nice places to stay. 

I'd totally agree with this. Hotel Campo Di Fiori also has apartments around the piazza they rent, which we stayed in - nice to have a living room, but we didn't use the kitchen other than making some bruschetta and the like for an afternoon snack - picked up all the produce every day down in the market (as well as bierra Morretti or Peroni!).

Our days went something like this - up early to the local cafe for a stand up milk coffee and brioche, then out for the way walking Rome (we didn't fine the need to use a train or a bus in Rome), then back to the apartment for an afternoon siesta and snack - the out ot might for food and more exploring..

As for driving - like I said we didn't drive in Rome, but we did in Florence, and in fact all over Tuscany and Bologna (Emila Romagna). Be careful in the cities - there are definite no go zones in the cities (where they fine you if you enter), and we found it best to park in one of the many parking stations which are just outside of these zones.

You definitely need to go to Bologna. You can drive, or catch the train, which is a very good, hassle free and cost effective option.. You ride a Ducati, its not an option if you are there! Both the factory tour and the museum are awesome. Search here, there are many threads about visits to both.
 

[ducatiz]

Sora Margherita ... that's the hole-in-the-wall in Rome.  It is awesome.  Margherita is the owner!

[mookieo2]

Gelato, Gelato, Gelato!!!!
I have a list of the best Gelato in Rome, and Florence. I ate it 3 times aday some days making sure I hit every spot. 

We did Rome in 3 days. Its art overload after a while.

You can`t have a bad meal there. I think it`s impossible. (rubs belly)

The driving in Rome is organized chaos. They are really good drivers. Very rarely an accident but I wouldn`t take the chance driving there.

Trasteveri area is a cool place to go to at night.( I think thats what its called, next to a river, its like a small fair every night where you can drink and walk around. All the locals hang out there.

Take the high speed train to Bologna and then to Florence. 

[Raux]

don't forget to pre schedule your visit

[NorDog]

When in Rome you should check out the Ducati Cafe.  I saw it from the car one day during my visit last summer, but when I tried to go back a few days later to check it out, I couldn't find it.

http://www.ducaticafferoma.com/en/coffee.html

[IZ]

Yes, it's worth the time going up to Bologna.  Go up for an overnight.  Spend a few hours at the Ducati factory/museum (3-4 is all you need), the Duc shop across the street and then the center of town.  At night, take the road to the top of the big hill in town.  There was a little bar at the top the 1st time we went back in '04.  A day in Venice and Florence is enough as well.  Venice is out of the way anyway, so save it for the next time!   

I believe you can rent a Duc from the factory?  A scooter in Rome would be better than a Duc IMO.  I rode in Rome with the WPM in '06.  We had local riders blocking traffic for us.  It was a great ride but since you won't have that, like everyone has already said..driving/riding in Rome crazy!

3 days in Rome was good both times I went to Italy.  It gives you enough time to see the Colosseum, The Vatican, Sistine Chapel and many other places.  Don't wait in lines (except for the previous mentioned places).  There is SO much to see that's free!

[jetpuff716]

If you want to rent a Ducati while in Italy, check out  http://www.ducatitours.com/    Your US motorcycle license is all you need.

Ducati Tours runs tours of course or you can just rent a bike from them.  They're based in Lucca (very charming place) and very close to Pisa (about a two hour train ride from Rome).  I was in Italy for 10 days last summer and rented a Hyper 1100S from them.  It was perfect for carving up the mountain and coastal roads and also for city driving.  I rode from Lucca to Nice and back.  

The outfit is run by some Brit ex-pats.   They have a fairly wide selection of bikes including a Streetfighter, M11000S, ST-3...  They hooked me up w/ a GPS too!I would strongly advise getting one.  Finally, if you want to do it, book early.

BTW- the Italians bring a new meaning to lane-splitting.  

Have fun!

[ducatiz]

BTW- the Italians bring a new meaning to lane-splitting.  

yes, cars between the lines, bikes ON the lines!!  stop lights are crazy!!

[il d00d]

I liked the Colosseum (easy to imagine gladiator battles), St Peter's (HUGE - the next largest basilica fits inside St Pete's), but the Pantheon is my favorite Rome landmark.  It is an engineering marvel - they still don't know how they poured the concrete for the ceiling to make it more dense at the bottom and more porous at the top (it is one continuous pour).  In the portico, there are wood support beams we were told were original to the building which is about 2000 years old.

I will rent a scooter next time I go.   It is total insanity, and it looks like a lot of fun.

Have a good time, looking forward to factory tour porn

[pennyrobber]

We took the train up to Bologna from Rome. Nice ride through the country side. Bologna kind of sucks without wheels though as it doesn't have the solid public transportation of Rome (It took us an hour via bus to get from the train station in Bologna to the Ducati factory). I would say it is worth the trip. Rome is great though. We spent about two weeks there and didn't even come close to seeing all that we wanted. Have fun.