visiting Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2016

I'm thinking about going. Never been there before, so tips are welcome for me as well.

 

Only the event on the Sunday at Villa Erba is open to the public. The Concours at Villa d'Esta is by invitation only.

Tickets for the Sunday you buy at the door. Get there early-ish, it's not a event that gets crazy full in my experience, but the earlier you are there the better for taking photos. Finding a parking spot also gets difficult later on.

We normally stay further up the lake about 20 minutes away and incorporate the Villa Erba event on our way home.

You will love it, they gather some really breathtaking cars for the event each year.

 

SUNDAY only is public day. No chance for Saturday (by invitation only). But if you want you can sneak into the gardens at VDE on Friday when the cars are arriving and being unload and scrutineered and then put into the VDE hotel car park. HOWEVER: Stupid as it is (because event organizers don't talk to each other), in the same week the Mille Miglia takes place from Brescia to Rome and back to Brescia, Thursday thru Sunday. So I suggest you do the Mille Miglia from Wednesday (scrutineering at the Brescia fairgrounds in the outskirts of the town), or from Thursday (departure in the City of Brescia) thru Saturday. And then on Sunday early morning drive from Brescia to VDE, actually to nearby Villa Erba, for the public day. And yes, parking is a MAJOR issue. Come by your own Riva, it helps.

Marcel Massini

 

Amphicars were popular the year I went !

 

I think Marcel gave you most of the info you need to know.

This year I went there on Sunday and it was far from crowed. You just buy your ticket on the spot, no big deal.

Parking near by Villa Erba can be a issue but you can park a bit further and take a taxi or bus to the Villa.

Marcel, what if someone just go the restaurant at VDE, would it be able to sneak in at the grand event also? :-D

 

Anything is possible, but the hotel is closed to the public for the whole time the Concours is on, and the week before (I think)

Easiest way to get in is to buy something bodied by Franay or Saoutchik and wait to be invited Perhaps Marcel helps with the invitations.

 

No way. VDE Hotel and entire area with gardens etc completely closed during all of those days. I have attended the VDE Concours since 1998 every year and believe I have some experience.

Marcel Massini

 

I was at the event many times. Marcel gave you all important basics. My invitation included always Hotel and Shuttle during the whole event to every location you wanted to go. Worked perfect. On the other side - the distances are not so long to walk between VDE and VE and the Hotels.

In my opinion there is only one possibility to get an invitation. You need very special connection to BMW.

 

I also would be interested to visit Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este next year. My father is working for BMW in Munich. Would that be helpful to get an invitation?

 

VDE and Mille Miglia are on the same weekend in 2016 (stupid date collision because organisers don't talk to each other). Better go to Mille Miglia in Brescia Wednesday thru Saturday and then early Sunday morning drive from Brescia to Como and go to see the VDE cars at Villa Erba (that's the public day). So you can do two things during the same weekend and you don't have to worry about access.

Marcel Massini

 

How is parking for visitors arranged on Sunday? I can't seem to find any big parking areas on Google Maps. I'm planning to arrive on Saturday evening so that we'll be at the gates as early as possible.

 

We just found public parking in the town and walked.

 

Hi,

There is an underground parking garage (Autosilo) nearby, but apparently not big enough.
I have been there a few times, and in the old days we could get a couple of invitations either via Swiss SS/Jaguar enthusiasts, or a fellow countryman who produces windshields and glass for the prototypes. But as BMW completely took over the organisation they also took over the power to decide who gets invited and who doesn't.

I have managed to "sneak in" once with a friend after we had found out our invitations hadn't made it. But I don't recommend it, booking early as a "friend of the concorso" and paying €500,- is an option I have used as well, but last time we just did the auction on Saturday and public day viewing on Sunday and drove around in our 456 GT. Not bad.
(I had booked accommodation with private parking in Cernobbio)

Certain hotels are part of the concorso and if you have invitations or special tickets there are BMW's and Phantoms giving rides to selected guests, if you happen to have a friend who's been there before that can make things easier. Timing is different nowadays, it used to be in April, which was easier for me, now the last weekend in May is much more difficult. But as MM suggested, when traveling from further away, it makes sense to combine things and visit other places and venues.

Cheers,

Pekka T.
Fin.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Don't forget to get up early on Sunday and watch the cars drive to Villa Erba. Was the highlight for me to see these cars being driven. Kudos to the SCG guys for getting the tail to move a little coming out the gate. I stood in the little Piazza at the top of the small hill and had a great time. Make sure you take some time to enjoy the lake. It is a lovely place. We enjoyed ourselves so much when we went last year we decided to move there to live after the summer.

 

Thanks guys, looking forward to the event. See you there!

Gr. Martin

 

For the Sunday latecomers I suggest the following as to avoid parking issues: have an early lunch at Vecchia Tavernola in Via Cernobbio 33 so that you can legitimately park in their premises, grab a pizza (not super but okay and the service is quick which is important) and walk to the entrance of the Concorso which is close by. Enjoy the exquisite cars and the setting in the afternoon . M.

 

Sorry I didn't see this sooner. If you want to go Saturday you can ask BMW for an invitation; send an e-mail to [email protected] and request an application form for Friend of Concorso. There isn't much to it other than asking and if they have room simply paying for tickets which were 550 euro per person last year. At this point all of that would have happened, but it doesn't hurt to ask if you can still buy tickets.

FWIW this is how I went last year on Saturday and have no connection to BMW, never owned one, and wasn't participating in the show. Simply applied and paid the 1100 euro for two persons, similar process to Quail. After the show we hightailed it out to get to Monaco Saturday evening to catch the Grand Prix on Sunday.

 

At it happens every year, I am already excited about next Sunday .
It would be good to meet-up with like-minded enthusiasts to exchange impressions on the rarities on display.
When are you planning being there?
M.