Going to have to keep the non-Ducati members (yup- married her when I was into Jap bikes)in my party busy while on a 9:00 am tour of the factory. Anything near-by the factory good to do for an hour or so? CHEAP shopping?
Read everything on the "old site", Mr. Moore's(& others) info was excellent, just wondering if anyone has anything additional.
Thanks!JP

PS: that old site(names not mentioned -so I won't get banned from here) gives me panic attacks.

Pfffft no one will ban you from here for Mentioning the DML, the Ducati Monster List or an derivations.  If they did, then they would be as bad as teh VS admin and totally ruin thier own efforts to create this new board...

Stuff to doooo.. um.  She ride?  Like to drive?  If so send her over the Futa pass.  If she's looking for touristy stuff - I'm no help

Balogna has great shopping/food if that's her thing.  Honestly though- the tour doesn't take that long.  You'd spend more time trying to coordinate your hookup afterward than just dragging her through the tour.  You just have to make sure not to spend too much time in the museum afterward. 

Bring her on the tour. It just may convert her!

+1 on Bologna.  Great city, excellent food (Bologna is known for tortellini bolognese).  Just have them hang around the university campus area and the Piazza Maggiore.  There is a place in that area that makes homemade pasta and is supposed to be one of the best, they have a lunch-counter style setup where you go through the line and pick what you want.  I ate there and it was spectacular (and cheap) - it's where the locals eat lunch.  I can't recall the name.  Also had the best coffee i've had in my life, it was a cordial-style espresso with nocciolo (hazelnut).

She will not be disappointed! 

P.S.  This is memory from 4 years ago so I may be slightly off. 

Do you have a hotel yet?

If not, stay at the Hotel del Borgo.  Ask for the DOC discount, tell them Vicki referred you (she is the bigwig for the American DOCs).  We paid â,¬60 last time we stayed in April 07.

There is a bus that picks up right down from the hotel on via Marco Emilio Lepido, which will take you directly into downtown Bologna.  From there you can walk everywhere.  There are also publicly available bicycles you pay a euro to use.  It is â,¬1 to ride.  If you take a car, which I would, it is an easy drive and the town is easy to get around in.

The hotel is behind the factory, it is about a 5 minute walk from the hotel to the guest lounge. 

Restaurants are hit or miss.  Lots of touristy places.  Osteria al 15 is good as is Postiglione Taverna.   Find the places that looks like a dump with a lot of people in it.  There are several off the main square in downtown.  Food is not pricey.

Bologna is a college town and that is most of the people there throughout the year.

Imola is a 30-40 minute ride down the road, so you so see the autodroma if you can, that is Enzo Ferrari's racetrack.  If you go check the swap meet schedule and you can find stuff for your bike CHEEEEEEAAP especially if you are into old bikes. 

I don't know your plans, but Bologna is right on the A14 and the E35 (highways).  You can go directly to Rimini (A14) or Prato (E35) and both are fun (prato more so, nice museum)

Also, there are a bunch of small towns along the way from Roma to Bologna (i.e. Pistoia, where the pistol was invented)

If you drive, also stop at the Autogrills!!  We love those.  Awesome cheap food.

Also, Moto Morini and Malaguti are in Bologna.

As mentioned in a previous post, just take the s/o with you.  The tour through the factory and museum is fairly quick.  Downtown isn't but a 5 minute taxi ride away though.  Plenty of sites and shops to check out.   

Quote from: ducatizzzz on May 25, 2008, 03:09:43 PM
You can go directly to Rimini (A14) or Prato (E35) and both are fun (prato more so, nice museum)

Rimini is definately a fun party place right on the beach!!