Modern Vespa

Progress: my friend found a source for rentals.at a reasonable monthly rate. You get a SYM instead of a GTS, but proper Vespas seem so expensive and hard to find that this might be the best option.

The same friend thinks there's a good chance that red zone restrictions will return to Italy after August's high tourist season wanes, but doubts anyone will stop me if I try to come back to the States when that happens. He says there's usually a week of transition time after the color announcements are made, but to make sure there are still flights available if I'm on the wrong side of a quarantine.

Hey I live in central Italy, East coast - Ancona is my town.
Whatever you need, if I can help, just count on me

That would be awesome but how much time do you have? I drove essentially the entire country, from Bellagio to Sicily, in a car in three weeks. It was fun but one regret is not enough time in any one place.

grazie mille! I have the same concern, having had a similar experience riding from SF to Crater Lake and back over two weeks.

Our return-to-office date is currently late October, and likely to be moved again. That gives me at least two months. I can stay up to three on a Schengen visa. The other unknowns, of course, are weather and coronavirus restrictions.

My current plan is to book a 2 month trip for mid August, and leverage coronavirus flexibility if I need to make changes. I might ride around the Italian Dolomiti and Swiss Alps first, and then wander down the coast through Amalfi. From there, I can decide how I want to make it back to Milano for my flight home.

I've got a flight booked for Thursday, and an Airbnb for the weekend. Everything else, I'll figure out when I get there.

One thought that just popped in my head: my HPE usually gets ridden every day; I don't think it's ever been alone for more than a week. I expect I'll be away 2-3 months. Some friends have graciously volunteered to garage my Vespa while I'm riding another overseas. Do I need to worry about the battery?

No, not much but it would have been better to remove it from the clamps.

If you ship a scoot internationally by air freight, do you have to drain all the fuids - fuel, oil, water and battery acid?

w00t! Where are you starting? Any particular direction? Clockwise or counterclockwise? So many questions! Putting it on a battery tender is probably a good idea.

I think that is good advice.

I am not familiar with the Italian legislation, but in Belgium it is possible to have a car registered as a foreign non-EU resident for a maximum of 6 months. I expect Italy probably has similar rules. I am not sure whether this is also possible for motorcycles.

We just finished getting our passport photos taken for renewal. We were talking about how soon and where we might travel internationally. Scooter touring Italy sounds fantastic. Can't wait to hear more about how this works out for you.

The irony is that I need a vacation so badly that the act of planning a vacation is already more stress than I can deal with right now.

All I know so far is that I'll stay in Como for the weekend, and I'm meeting some friends in Tuscany the following weekend.

I haven't been to Venice since I was a teenager. I think it'd be fun to ride out to Venice, up to Munich, and back through the Alps. I've also heard the Amalfi Coast is gorgeous. It might make sense to ride up into Munich at the end of August and then down through Italy in September to optimize for weather. The other constraint is which friends I'd want to see and when they're available. And of course, there's the issue of where do I get the Vespa (/do I get one for a few months, or do I split the trip into regions and skip the long distances with a train).

So the present plan is to pack as if I'm going on a moto tour, show up to an Airbnb this weekend, and figure out the details from there. From what I've read, you can leave enough in it that you can ride to a gas station when you land to fill back up. I decided the travel situation is too uncertain right now to ship mine. I'd hate to find out everything is shutting down, and have no way to ship my Vespa home. Thanks for the reinforcement! I must admit that, at $40, I'm a little surprised that the battery tender is still significantly cheaper than just replacing it if it dies.

I'll have to find out if there's a power outlet near where I'll be parking. If not, my friends have a couple Kymcos. Maybe I could jump it off one of them and ride it home/to a shop from there. If that was true in Italy, this trip would be so much easier. The only shop I know has a GTS in stock wants 1200€ per month, plus 20¢ per KM after 1500. It's a well rated shop, and at this point I'll probably do it, but it seems silly to spend that much money knowing I could buy one with the same budget if I had the right paperwork.

On this point, I'd like to offer a word of advice. Not specifically about the scooter, but about coping with adversity in Italy. There are going to be obstacles, and things that seem broken, or just unnecessarily complicated. The best thing you can do is to perform the Italian National Salute whenever you encounter one of these obstacles:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In other words, just shrug it off and move on. Trust me, you'll be happier.

Because I was bored, I've codified the shruggie into the BBCode supported by the forum. Just type: And it will be translated into a shruggie:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I understand your timeframe is very short. I am afraid renting will be the only feasible option. An alternative for a GTS 300 is a Piaggio Beverly 300, having the same drive train. Second hand they seem considerably cheaper than the GTS. Maybe also in rent.

Your point of mayby using trains too sounds actually quite good - there are many good connections and splitting the trip with train travel could both give you some rest in between and more flexibility to the schedule.

Won't take anything away from the adventure, trains are fun!

Safe Travels Mayorofnow!
Take lots of photos and keep us as posted as you can!

Tenere il lato di gomma verso il basso...

First day, first of these moments:

TIM was randomly closed, Vodafone and WindTre don't allow roaming into Switzerland, and Fastweb won't make a SIM for an American.

I happened to walk by a TIM that was open, and they got me sorted.

I was given to believe that these days eSIM was the way to go, assuming your phone supports it. There are a bunch of companies that are happy to sell you an eSIM online for wherever you are.

Last time I was in Italy, I opted to just pay AT&T $10 per day for unlimited data on my existing US number. It was somewhat expensive, but significantly less hassle than the other options.

Where are you now?

🤦‍♂️ I forgot about eSIM. Como

I asked the woman at the front desk what her favorite place is in northern Italy. It's Lago de Braies in the Dolomiti.

Searching for it led me to a blog documenting moto trips all over Italy.

I had thought I was going to ride from Como to Venezia and then north to Munich. However, the recommendations I've found on the blog so far have all been in the mountains north of Garda. So I'll have to decide if I want to detour down into Venezia (where I haven't been since I was 15).

I am curious if there's an upper limit on how many days of gorgeous riding through beautiful lakes and small towns is fun by myself. Looks like I might find out…

Progress report:

A friend is going to come meet me in September to ride around Italy, so I'm going to try to sneak in the Dolomiti in the next couple of weeks. The spas in Germany and Italy have limited services and mask requirements, so I'm thinking about skipping Munich, spending some time in Venice and the Dolomiti, and then having a spa day in Switzerland before my friend arrives in two weeks.

I've found a handful of options:

One shop has unlimited miles: 30€ per day for a pre-HPE GTS. 45€ for an HPE. 10€ per day for insurance outside Italy. They'll include a windshield and fresh tires too.

One shop is also 30€ per day for pre-HPE, but 40€ for an HPE. No windshield and a 2200km limit, with 25€/100km over.

I haven't looked at the insurance for either yet, but they've both disclaimed that it's not "kasko," which I think means I'm low-key fucked if they get stolen or damaged while I'm away from the shop.

The final shop has pre-HPEs with windshields and fresh tires for 40€ per day (but I think I can swing a 5€ discount). Only 1500km included, and 20€/100km over. They have stations in the major cities, so I'll presumably have more support if something goes wrong, and no additional fees for days outside Italy.


I'm leaning towards the first shop for the unlimited mileage and a location convenient to a train station, although I'm annoyed that the HPE is 50% more for a 10% increase in acceleration and some better lighting. They seemed like a reasonable place that I was looking forward to visiting until they firmly replied with that price when I asked for an HPE. Feels like if I hadn't asked, I might have lucked into an HPE for the original price, since they don't differentiate on their website.

I've never ridden without a windshield or HPE, so I don't know how insistent I should be on those, but from what I've read, I'd like to have both.

Ultimately, none of this matters: doubling the KMs of the most restricted shop would only be another 300€, and the HPE is a 450€ upcharge per month from the unlimited shop. On the scale of vacation prices, neither is a dealbreaker.

I should probably take the HPE with the windshield and not look at the invoice. It just sucks to feel like you're getting milked.

In positive news, I suspect I'll be in Venice with a Vespa by the end of the week.

My 2 cents: get the pre-HPE. You don't need any more speed than a GTS provides. I've ridden the autostrada on a GTS with no issues.

Curious which shop you wind up with and how it all works out.....I'm thinking of some sort of riding arrangement there in the future. From my internet searches it seems like there aren't a lot of locations with great rental options on much of the Continent. Or at least where I was looking....

... if nothing else, you won't have to worry about checking the engine oil level often ...

I've realized that if I spend this weekend in Venice, that only gives me a week to get back to Lombardia to meet my friend. Furthermore, it looks like it's only as likely to be rainy in October as it is now in August.

Therefore, I'm thinking a better course of action is to explore the Dolomiti this weekend. Gives me time to see life in Switzerland and maybe Lago Maggiore without being in a rush back.

The Swiss seem surprisingly relaxed about coronavirus, which is a blessing on some levels, but their vaccination rate of 50% is a month behind their neighbors and many months behind California. Here's hoping I don't regret heading that way. 🤞 I can always check the data next week and loop down into Venice if it's scary. Oil and tires were two of my maintenance concerns for a long rental, so that's a good tip!

Even after choosing a shop and making a reservation, picking up the Vespa was a six hour ordeal (a story that I'll save for another time), but it was successful! I think I've put about 900km on it in the last week. I ended up with the HPE and no windshield (since they only had the tall one, and I'm here for the scenery). The deciding factor was that the 30€ model was a 2015 that didn't have ABS. I figured driving in another country is enough without learning to ride without safety features I take for granted back home.

In many ways, riding in Italy is a treat compared to California. Most of the roads don't even have lines paint on them here in the Dolomiti, but drivers are very attentive and accomodating of one another. When there are lanes, drivers hug the right-hand side to make room for you to filter forward. I feel safe passing traffic here in situations that would be quite stressful with double yellows on mountain roads back home (where there's always that one guy who decides the speed limit should be 15mph and that the turnouts don't apply to them).

I have no idea how many traffic fines I already owe. It could be nothing, it could be thousands. The speed limits are incredibly poorly signed and many villages have speed cameras on main street. Speeds through town are 30-50kph (19-31mph), and the 5kph grace factor is only 3mph. There are also ZTLs - districts with inscrutable permission sets (if you aren't a local) that will fine you if you cross an imaginary line. I've crossed at least one.

The fastest speed limit I've seen is 90kph (56mph): a speed that, with narrow lanes and no wind protection, is honestly faster than is comfortable (and I hit the 82mph governor with some regularity in California). Given that traffic seems to move at 70kph (and lower through towns), 900km in a week is silly. I have a friend coming out to ride next week, and I wanted to squeeze in the Dolomiti before the weather turned, but it would have certainly been more enjoyable with more time.

So far, I've overnighted in Verona, Bolzano, Villa Ottone, Trento, and Bormio. You could sneeze and hit Austria in Ottone, but I didn't cross the border. Looks like I'll get about 7 miles of it today en route to Flims. Then I've got to decide whether to weekend in Lucerne or somewhere closer before meeting my friend in Italy.

My favorite passes so far have been Monte Baldo, Passo Gavia, and Passo Sello. Monte Baldo and Passo Gavia are basically long driveways that meander through the mountaintop pasture, dotted with cheesemongers, and shared with herds of livestock. The views from Passo Sello are unreal, but that's true of most of Trentino. Lago di Braies isn't a mountain pass, but is still worth of mention for how gorgeous it was.

I don't want to spend too much time on my phone, so I'm cutting this short. Today, I'll cross Passo Stelvio, Passo Resia, and Flüela.

I'm getting an error posting photos (no post mode specified), so I'll try again in separate messages.

Monte Baldo (the photos that will post)

Lunch at a baita (which apparently means cabin, but is what a lot of the mountainside lodges are called)

(So far two photos cause that error)

Nice scenery, great to hear you're having good time!

How is the food?

Thanks for sharing! It sounds like such a great trip!!

The "no post mode specified" error usually means the file size is too big (must be under 5MB, I think).

I've ridden (bicycled) Resia. You're in for a treat! I read a few months back they had temporarily drained the lake and you could see more of the old village. Perhaps it has filled back in—looking forward to pictures!

Insanely jealous of your adventure, Mayor. You get my vote!

Traffic in Italy has a bad reputation but in reality it is really quite OK.
I like driving there.
Furthermore there are so many scooters everywhere that people are very accustomed to them in traffic.

I realized after I booked my hotel last night that I should have broken up the ride to Flims. The rate was nonrefundable and I didn't see availability for my room a day later, so I let it be. Of course I ended up getting a 2:30 lunch at a super cool hotel restaurant in Glorenza called Flurin. I would have absolute stayed there given the choice, which would have given me time to chill in the park by the lake in Resia. I felt like I just stopped for a photo, which is not my vibe. Got to my hotel at 8, just as it was getting really cold outside, and sure enough they do have availability this weekend. 🤦‍♂️ Trentino food is too Germanic for my liking: lots of gamey meats, gravys, that sort of thing. But I have still found places I really liked, like Flurin. It was a gastronomic experience. Dessert was chocolate goat gelato wrapped in some sort of flavored cream, and topped with charcoal meringue.

I am suddenly less envious.

I suppose you're one of those sheep gelato snobs.

Hang on. Are goat gelato and goats milk gelato the same thing? Because I was imagining something different.