guzzi factory trip from U.S.

[Guest parvo]

I want to do a trip from Denver to Italy to tour the Guzzi factory. When I check Orbitz there are about twenty airports in Italy. What is the closest major airport to the factory?

 

I'm not familiar with Italy, is the factory close to any other landmarks? If I was going to go for a week or less, what else would I have time for?

 

Can you ride rental bikes year around? Or would I be better off renting a car? I'd kindof like to go in the off season to save money.

 

Thanks for your help.

[G.POLEGATO]

Hi Parvo, Mandello del Lario is a small town at less than 70 miles from Milan. Is possible to rent car or motorbike but i think not in Mandello! In Italy is too expensive rent a vehicle. I think also is better a car. Good travel #60

[jrt]

Fly into Milan. When Sonya and I went, we rented a motorcycle (a BMW fer chrissakes) from http://www.biancoblu.com/. You can rent Guzzi's from Agostini's in Mandello, but that wasn't available at the time. I liked biancoblu- they were great to work with.

Things to see? Personally, I loved driving up around the lakes regions and through the Dolomites. We stuck to small roads and small towns and had a blast. There are places to stay called 'agrotourismo' that are like weird bed-and-breakfasts (tourismo), but they are obliged to feed you from their farms (agro). A super one, in an old Monestary, is in Sotto il Monte Giovanni (bunch of Roman numerals) (west of Bergamo), it's called Casa Clelia.

Some nice places- go north to Verenna, cross the lake to Meanggio, and go to Lugano, then down to a forest caled Campo dei Fiori. The road from Cernobbio to Brienno/Menaggio (SS340?) then west to Porlezza, Lugano, Ponte Tresa, Ghirla, then south is nice- that's a full day's drive.

Como is where the Museo di Volta is, if you like electricity.

 

By the by, the Guzzi factory is open very limited hours. 1-3 on weekdays, or something like that. Call or look into it before you go.

[Orson]

By the by, the Guzzi factory is open very limited hours.  1-3 on weekdays, or something like that.  Call or look into it before you go.

92652[/snapback]

I think the museum inside the factory is open on weekdays from 4:30 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. or some such odd hours.

 

Definitley a must see

 

Bellagio is a beautiful town across the lake from Mandello. Another favorite town of mine is Merano in the Sud-Tyrol region. It used to be part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and most of the people there are fair-haired. Beautiful town and it's on the way to Passo di Stelvio.

 

The Cathedral in Milan is worth a walk-thru.

 

Hotels near Mandello?...I couldn't find any and had to go north along the lake another 10 kilometers before I found a little hotel near a ferry landing in the town of Varenna.

 

Lots of gas stations close down for lunch from about 11:30 to 2:00 P.M....even though their signs say they're open...be sure to top off your tank before lunch! They are getting more modern convenience stores that stay open 24 hours but don't count on finding one when you need it

[jrt]

Lots of gas stations close down for lunch from about 11:30 to 2:00 P.M....even though their signs say they're open...be sure to top off your tank before lunch! They are getting more modern convenience stores that stay open 24 hours but don't count on finding one when you need it

92677[/snapback]

 

 

Oh, right- good call. I forgot this. Drove me nuts.

Some stations take either visa or cash during lunch (automated). But mainly- just fill up before they close or do like we did and go visit a coffee shop.

[felix42o]

Resurrecting an old thread here, but I am going to be in Bellagio for the next week or so, and am going to obviously visit the Guzzi factory across the lake. Anyone here know anything about the current hours it's open, or maybe have a good phone number? I haven't had much luck finding anything on the Internet. Worst case, we're just going to spend the day in and around mandello, but I'd like to gather any information I can. Of course I'll post pics afterwards. The wife and will be on the lake for the next week, then we head to Croatia. So good to be on vacation...

[Remo]

Resurrecting an old thread here, but I am going to be in Bellagio for the next week or so, and am going to obviously visit the Guzzi factory across the lake. Anyone here know anything about the current hours it's open, or maybe have a good phone number? I haven't had much luck finding anything on the Internet. Worst case, we're just going to spend the day in and around mandello, but I'd like to gather any information I can. Of course I'll post pics afterwards. The wife and will be on the lake for the next week, then we head to Croatia. So good to be on vacation...

 

 

From the web:

 

Museo del Motociclo Moto Guzzi

 

Via Parodi 57

 

23826 Mandello del Lario (Lecco)

 

tel. 0341 709269 - 0341 709111

 

h 15:00 - 16:00 mon - fri, sat and sun only booking a visit.

 

 

[felix42o]

Resurrecting an old thread here, but I am going to be in Bellagio for the next week or so, and am going to obviously visit the Guzzi factory across the lake. Anyone here know anything about the current hours it's open, or maybe have a good phone number? I haven't had much luck finding anything on the Internet. Worst case, we're just going to spend the day in and around mandello, but I'd like to gather any information I can. Of course I'll post pics afterwards. The wife and will be on the lake for the next week, then we head to Croatia. So good to be on vacation...

 

 

From the web:

 

Museo del Motociclo Moto Guzzi

 

Via Parodi 57

 

23826 Mandello del Lario (Lecco)

 

tel. 0341 709269 - 0341 709111

 

h 15:00 - 16:00 mon - fri, sat and sun only booking a visit.

 

 

 

Thank you! Of course, as luck would have it I have to leave for Venice Friday morning. I suppose the tour will have to wait until our next trip out. We will just make do with pictures of the exterior and the surrounding area. I still plan on ferrying across tomorrow and exploring that side of the lake. I will keep the information on the museum as well.

[RHIP]

My daughter is getting married in Varenna on June 16th (you are all invited,of course). I was in Varenna 10 years ago, took a cab to the factory, and they were closed. This time, I'm getting in! Felix, let us know how things went for you.