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Travellers' questions that don't fit anywhere else This is an opportunity to ask any question, and post any notice you wish that doesn't fit into one of the other sections.
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 17 Mar 2005
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Vespa-ring around Italy
Hi all. I'm a long time fan of this site. My wife and I are planning to travel around Italy in August/September this year. I've looked on the net but can't find anywhere to hire a Vespa for an extended period (about 5or 6 weeks). Does anybody have any hints. We are considering taking ours over from NZ if we can't find one to rent. I hear buying one in Italy or France is a hassle.Any info would be greatly appreciated.Cheers.
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  #2  
Old 17 Mar 2005
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sorry, can't help with your question. but have you read " Eating Up Italy: Voyages on a Vespa"?

the isbn number is 1841153478

good luck....

Doug
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  #3  
Old 17 Mar 2005
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Google: rent hire +vespa +italy

Ciao,
Peter
(returning to NZ by road, starting this year)

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  #4  
Old 17 Mar 2005
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Quote:
Originally posted by DougieB:
sorry, can't help with your question. but have you read " Eating Up Italy: Voyages on a Vespa"?

the isbn number is 1841153478

good luck....

Doug
Thanks, no I haven't but I will try to get hold of it. Ta.
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  #5  
Old 17 Mar 2005
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Quote:
Originally posted by beddhist:
Google: rent hire +vespa +italy

Ciao,
Peter
(returning to NZ by road, starting this year)
Thanks, it's been quite a productive day. I plugged that in and got onto a few more sites. Good luck with the trip.
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  #6  
Old 17 Mar 2005
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If you can't find a suitable/agreeable rental outfit, I'd have thought that it would be cheaper & easier to buy a Vespa in Italy than ship yours over? You could try selling it back to the dealer when the trips over?
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  #7  
Old 21 Mar 2005
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Get hold of Pete Moore's 'Vroom with a view'... he travelled tound italy on a 'Vep

http://www.petermoore.net/vroom/vroom.htm

With regard to buying a Vespa in italy... I think there's some sort of law that prevents foreigners doing just that. I think the way around it is to get an Italian chum to buy it on your behalf and then borrow it. Good luck... I envy you, I love Vespas (I have two!)



[This message has been edited by Zygmunt (edited 21 March 2005).]
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  #8  
Old 23 Mar 2005
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Cheers. I've read the book and you're right. Ciao.
Quote:
Originally posted by Zygmunt:
Get hold of Pete Moore's 'Vroom with a view'... he travelled tound italy on a 'Vep

http://www.petermoore.net/vroom/vroom.htm

With regard to buying a Vespa in italy... I think there's some sort of law that prevents foreigners doing just that. I think the way around it is to get an Italian chum to buy it on your behalf and then borrow it. Good luck... I envy you, I love Vespas (I have two!)

[This message has been edited by Zygmunt (edited 21 March 2005).]
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  #9  
Old 23 Sep 2005
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I think there is an outfit called Happy Rent

http://www.happyrent.com/homeeng.htm

I haven't used them. I bought my own but it was very difficult to get registered/insured (via the UK). Info on my trip (with tips) below:

http://www.internetscooter.com/europe/
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  #10  
Old 3 Jan 2009
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What option did you take?
Quote:
Originally Posted by scooterman View Post
Hi all. I'm a long time fan of this site. My wife and I are planning to travel around Italy in August/September this year. I've looked on the net but can't find anywhere to hire a Vespa for an extended period (about 5or 6 weeks). Does anybody have any hints. We are considering taking ours over from NZ if we can't find one to rent. I hear buying one in Italy or France is a hassle.Any info would be greatly appreciated.Cheers.
Scooterman,
Wondering what option you finally went for. Did you rent in Italy or decide to ship your bike over? My girlfriend and I are planning an extended trip to Italy starting off with a tour around Tuscany or the Amalfi coast at the start for a week or two. Rental prices mount up quick but buy-a-scoot option is convoluted, as mentioned elsewhere. I have a scoot I could ship but initial costing looking a little scary.
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  #11  
Old 8 Jan 2009
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Hey Scooterman and Scootertutor

I am also doing the same in March/April 09.

My Q is the same; what option did you take?
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  #12  
Old 10 Jan 2009
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Vespa-ing Italy....
An update so far...

On the inspiration side there are a couple of other books to consider. On the travel adventure side there is another book from Peter Moore - Vroom by the Sea available now in Aussie and NZ and the UK in April.

From a gastronomic angle is Matthew Fort's second book Sweet Honey, Bitter Lemons (2008). More about food than life on the road but a good read if you're a foodie.

Have a look here at a list of rental companies offering scooters in various regions and cities in Italy (How's your Italian?). Only problem is that they don't seem to rent Vespas!?

Only thing I've come across are guided tours on Vespas which are pricey (2,600 Euro for a week) but include accommodation and other bits and pieces. There is another outfit too here.

Not having much luck yet so far... I've contacted an air freight company for a quote to ship my scoot over. If their quote in not 'out of the ballpark' I might consider taking that.
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  #13  
Old 15 Mar 2010
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Hey... have you had any luck finding a Vespa(s) to use?

Cheers,
drew
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  #14  
Old 16 Mar 2010
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Gee, I had forgotten about this post. No, I didn't come up with much in Italy to hire. A lot of places hiring out Taiwanese and Chinese scoots now.......
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  #15  
Old 18 Mar 2010
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Sorry it didn't work out, as you probably did find out in the end, buying is just stupidly difficult here in Italy, since a residence permit is required before you can buy and register a scooter under your own name. Plus the prices of classic vespas are incredibly high right now.

On the more positive side, LML scooters, (totally identical to PX series Vespas), are now very common in Europe. Outside Italy, it's perfectly possible to buy, register, (or even temporarily register for export) ,and presumably it's possible to come up with a buy- back agreement from a dealer.

I don't think there are very many rental outfits in Italy who have classic style vespas, and the only ones I've seen (in florence), actually rent LML scooters , and only appear to organize tours, as you said.

If anyone is thinking of doing something like this in future, I'd be glad to give any advice. I'm Italian, living in Slovenia by the way.

Ciao!
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