Seeing Italy in Style – Ferrari Style!

Imagine touring Italy and having enough time to fit in everything you want to do and seeing everything you’ve dreamt of seeing. What if you were to discover all these wonderful moments while driving in a Ferrari as part of a tour package with a well-versed, personal guide from the region? Does that sound too luxurious to be true? It isn’t! That’s exactly what Ferrari Luxury Tours has to offer.

Countless travel destinations afford relaxation and rest for vacationers who just want to leave their real world behind. But some travellers expect more, seeking out an adventure and  experience that surpasses the common vacation – a once-in-a-lifetime event. By special arrangement, Toronto-based Victours International makes the Ferrari Luxury Tours experience available to us right now. The Ferrari Luxury Tour is designed for the traveller with a love for the open road and for seeing and experiencing a country rather than just passing through. With that said, these trips are not just for the luxury car enthusiast. Stops along the way allow patrons to indulge in spa treatments at some of the finest spas in the country, to shop and to eat at leisure. Then, of course, they jump behind the wheel and roar off into the countryside.

Here is the scene. You can tour Italy on your own for five, six, eight or as many days as you wish. All the arrangements on the ground are made as you glide from place to place in a Ferrari F430 F1. Maybe you prefer a F430 F1 Spider, or the 599 GTB Fiorano F1 … or perhaps the 612 Scaglietti? Whatever vehicle you fancy, it is available. Not only that, but five-star accommodations are arranged at every stop, as is luxury dining in some of the finest restaurants. You even have the option to visit the Ferrari headquarters in Maranello.

Soon you will be zipping  through the exquisite, lush Italian countryside, visiting historical centres such as Rome, Florence, Val d’Orcia, Siena, Pisa, Montepulciano, Montalcino and of course, the aforementioned Maranello. When your trip is over, you will not just have experienced the epic visual splendour of Italy, but you will have done so in a way that matches the contemporary Italian lifestyle.

Since experienced guides personally lead you through these tours, you have plenty of time to stop in the towns and villages to shop and experience the art and culture of the region.

Even if you are not a racing fanatic, I recommend a stop at Maranello for its sheer beauty and historical significance. Maranello is a small town a few kilometres from Modena, with a population of just 15,000. It has been the Ferrari headquarters and the home of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One Racing Team since they were created by Enzo Ferrari. When someone says Ferrari, this place will certainly come to mind.

The tours are well-organized. Having spent a great deal of time on Italian roads, I can tell you that for the untested to attempt this kind of tour on his or her own would mean getting lost almost instantly. On your Ferrari Luxury Tour, your personal guide precedes you in a sleek Alfa Romeo.

Let’s take a closer look at the four-day Ferrari Luxury Tour. Day One begins in Rome. Day Two takes you through southern Tuscany, Pienza and Montepulciano. Day Three includes Siena, San Quirico d’Orcia and Bagno; then on to Vignioni and Civitavecchia. This includes a stretch through the magnificent vineyards of Chianti. Day Four finds you back in Rome for your departure home. Along the way, you spend time at three of the most luxurious hotels in the region. First, in the heart of Rome, is the five-star Hotel de Russie, between the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo. Among its other rich offerings, this hotel boasts one of the best health clubs and spas in Europe. Next, the Fonteverde Spa and Hotel in Siena. Truly magnificent, it was built by Grand Duke Ferdinand I as a Medici residence. Each suite is uniquely decorated with antique furnishings and fine art. Next, you will be treated to La Posta Vecchia Hotel, a wonder of architectural improvisation. Originally built as a post office in the 17th century, it was converted into a luxury hotel in 1990. The suite terraces afford guests a breathtaking view of the sea.

Since experienced guides personally lead you through these tours, you have plenty of time to stop in the towns and villages to shop and experience the art and culture of the region. You will have a full experience – not just a fast drive across Italy. The guides on the Ferrari Luxury Tours, who speak perfect English, are known for their charm and wealth of knowledge about the areas you visit. Your guide will act as a sage who answers all your questions along the way, not just with information and facts, but with historical perspectives and colourful local anecdotes that will deepen your understanding of the places you visit and make your trip more meaningful.

When your journey is over, you will have driven the Ferrari just under 1,100 kilometres: 200 km  on the first day, 250 on the second, 400 on the third and 100-plus km on the final day. All this comes with a price tag of just under $6,000 US.

Cecilia Rossos, general manager and owner of Victours International, describes the impetus to secure the rights to arrange the Ferrari Tours here in Canada: “It was the demand for luxury travel and unique vacations that drove us to search for the ultimate experience for our clients. This is what ultimately connected us with the Ferrari Luxury Tours.” Victours does have a record when it comes to custom-designed luxury tourism. Rossos has been in the travel and tourism business since she graduated from the University of Toronto in 1970, and brings her wealth of experience and expertise to each tour package arranged through Victours International.

Established in 1977, by president and founder Mary Vecchiarino, Victours has grown in size and stature. The company has become internationally recognized for being at the forefront of travel with its custom-designed itineraries for extraordinary and unique vacations in Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Portugal and South Africa.

Because of its wealth of experience in unique European travel, Victours International and Ferrari Luxury Tours are a natural fit. Having driven through Italy for 10 days, a few of which were in a Ferrari, I can attest to the fact that travelling this way not only dazzles your senses, but also makes your heart race a few beats faster than usual.

Since Ferraris are sleek and built low to the ground, the speed and high-pitched hum of the powerful engines will vibrate through your body, making you feel as though you’re flying across the country on a magic carpet.

The food and wine of the region are nothing short of heavenly. Why Manet painted here is no mystery and why Lord Byron wrote epic poems here is no enigma, either. The beauty and wonder of the region is nothing short of inspiring. Those who have participated in the Ferrari Luxury Tour have declared that the moment the tour is over, they yearn to repeat it. As one patron said, “I wanted to let this experience sink in first, because it all still feels like some kind of wonderful dream that went by too quickly.”

If there was ever a way to truly live la dolce vita, the Victours International Ferrari Luxury Tours’ drive through Italy enables you to feel it, taste it and indulge in it.