Riding in Italy!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Living4now
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Rome needs to be seen, but you'll really like Tuscany, Pisa and Livorno, Bologna if you can fit it in. Florence is something and Venice is like no where else on earth. Don't let the "skip the tourist crap" crowd sway you, if its your first trip the touristy stuff needs to be seen. You will save a small fortune by getting 3 blocks away for a tourist site to eat/drink, the price drop is astounding. Food is very important to the culture and good food is not hard to find, you may find you pay more for water than house wine at some places . Like everything else, the driving is a art not a science , think organized caos. We found the further south the more civilized the traffic, Sicily was just fine. Taxis in Milan are like a carnival ride. Every darn village has a special dish and claim to be the best at it, don't argue just try it, unless your in Rome , they love tripe, have the pizza.
 
Really excited now but thinking it might be better to try and get one of the locals to let me 2up with them.
 
Heck no. Just ride and be aware of your surroundings. Ride on the outer edge of your lane instead of "blocking position". Don't turn right if there is a red traffic signal. Read the booklet that you get when you apply for an international driving permit (and make sure your IDP correctly reflects your motorcycle endorsement). It's not hard to get used to and the differences are mostly for the better.
 
A few years ago I drove from Switzerland to Monaco via Milan and driving on the highway was terrible. The Italians drive just as fast as the Germans but without the discipline or skill. You will need to keep your head on a swivel for sure.
You feel safe driving at 200 km/h in Germany because the drivers are excellent, they look so far down the road they anticipate what is going to happen a few minutes in advance.
Driving on the highway in Italy it seemed as if everybody was looking about 5 feet in front of them. You know the driver on the 401 that darts in and out of traffic and just winds up getting nowhere because he isn’t looking far enough ahead to find a hole big enough to fit into or a clear path in traffic? That’s how I remember nearly EVERYBODY driving on the highways in Italy. In town it was much better but the highways were horrific. Also, I was only in the north so the south may be better.
 
Ok Boys, I'm looking for hotel recommendations for Rome, city centre! Four Stars or more please, unless they're awesome.

Thank you! :)
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