Day Trip to Maranello Recommendations

Hey gang, looking for suggestions on a day trip from Florence to Maranello in October. Originally, I was thinking about doing a private tour. I came across a couple that would pick me up in Florence and take me around. But this option was a little pricey and I think I can accomplish what I want to do on my own – which is go there for the day and visit the various museums.


I saw a YouTube video where someone visited both Ferrari museums (the museum at the factory and the Enzo Ferrari Museum not too far away) and both Lamborghini museums (like the Ferrari museums, evidentially there’s one at the factory and a Ferruccio Lamborghini museum not too far from there). I’ll probably rent a car. Has anyone else done this from Florence? Do I need to book museum tickets in advance or can you get day-of? It would be on a Saturday in late October. I know the Ferrari factory is not accessible unless you’re sponsored by a dealership. Isn’t’ there a popular restaurant near the Ferrari factory? I assume I would need reservations?


I also saw a few services that allow you to drive a Ferrari for anywhere from 10 minuets to an hour. Are there a few companies that do this? If so, which are recommended?


I assume many of you have done a very similar day-trip. Would love some tips and recommendations. Thanks!

 

That's fantastic! I think that's the direction I'll take. Rent a car and just travel there for the day. Great pictures! I'll be traveling with my family for the whole Italy trip but they have no interest in this day trip so it'll just be me.

 

Thought I’d give a recap on my Maranello day trip in the event others are planning to do something similar in the future…


I spent a week in Italy this past October, including two nights in Florence. I don’t know when I’ll get back to Italy, so I had to make my pilgrimage to the factory! Even if it was just for a day. Florence seemed to be the best location for me to take my day trip to Maranello. I rented a car and drove from Florence to Maranello. The drive was about an hour and a half. Once I got out of Florence, it was all highway driving and not too bad (although it poured rain all day! ☹). One side note, when I picked up my rental car the agent asked to see my international permit. I’ve never heard of this and wasn’t aware that I needed such a thing (I booked the rental through Expedia and there was no mention of the need for an international permit). I had a moment of panic thinking my day trip was not going to happen. But then the rental agent told me I just needed to pay an extra security fee (which I think was round 60 euros).


My goal was to hit both the Ferrari Museum at the factory as well as the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena. I also wanted to see the Lamborghini Museum at the Lambo factory as well as the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum. All four were about a 25-minute drive from one to the next. I was traveling with my wife and two daughters for my Italy trip, but they had no interest in seeing these museums and stayed back in Florence and I was on my own. So, being by myself allowed me to make the most efficient use of my time.


First stop: Ferrari Museum. It was a Saturday and, as I mentioned above, rained all day. The museum was busy, but I had purchased my tickets in advance. You still had to pay to park in the lot! However, the lot was right at the museum, so it was at least very convenient. I’d seen a number of pictures and videos of the museum, so it was pretty much what I expected. But super exciting, nonetheless. Not a large museum and, unless you stop to read every caption, you and see everything in about an hour or two.


I have no dealership connection and, therefore, did not have any way to arrange a tour of the factory itself. But got my obligatory selfie in front of the entrance.


Second stop: Enzo Ferrari Museum. When I purchase my ticket for the Ferrari Museum, I had the option to bundle it with a ticket to this museum as well. What an amazing venue! I hadn’t seen as many pictures or videos of this museum. It’s very impressive. Large and modern. And there wasn’t a parking fee so that was a plus! A nice variety of historic and one-off models to see at this location. There’s also a nice café if you want to get a quick bite.


Third stop: Lamborghini Museum in Sant'Agata Bolognese. Like the Ferrari Museum, the Lamborghini Museum is at the Lamborghini factory. It felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. Parking was confusing. There’s a lot out front but it was closed off. Unbeknownst to me, on weekends, visitors are allowed to park for free in the employee parking lot across the street. I ended up parking on a side street which, according to one of the museum employees was probably not too safe. Oh well… Luckily the rental car was not disturbed.


The Lamborghini Museum looked more like a large, high-end dealership showroom than a museum. It’s two levels with lots of cool cars including a very early green LP400 and a gold LM002. They also had a 50th anniversary Countach on display. You can make your way around this museum pretty fast. Not as much in the way of history or artifacts.


Fourth stop: Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum. Each museum was less crowded than the last. By the time I arrived at this stop late in the afternoon, it was virtually deserted. In fact, I thought it was close until I went up to the door and looked in. The museum itself looked like it was in a strip mall! I believe it was a former dealership or garage (or both). And I believe Ferruccio’s children were involved in its creation? I could be wrong on all of that (feel free to correct me). In addition to several historic Lamborghini cars (many more than what you’ll find at the factory museum) there were Lamborghini tractors and other related items (boat, helicopter!). It was dimly lit and had an industrial vibe. Felt kind of eerie! Especially given how empty it was. But a very neat museum in its own respect.


Obviously, you can get a lot more info on all these museums on the web, YouTube, etc. In fact, a few weeks prior to my visit, I came across a video of someone who hit all four museums in a day, which is what sparked my interest in seeing them all.


I’m first and foremost a Ferrari fanatic but am also a lover of Italian sports cars in general. So, I found all the museums to be fascinating in one way or another. It was a great adventure and a must for any lover of Italian sports cars!

 

A few more pics of the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum...
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