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20470 S Hidden Creek Lane

Colton, OR 97017

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AROC Goes To Italy
June 5 - 15, 2023

Please Note: This tour is produced for the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC). You are required to be a Club Member. You can join by contacting AROC.

Welcome to our 2023 and sixth fabulous visit to Italy. Following our five previous and very successful programs, we are gearing up for 2023. We’ll be including most of the highlights from past trips and have added some new additions. Again, we’ll experience car manufacturers, museums, designers and, of course, incredible food. Highlighted are extraordinary days, including the new Alfa Romeo Museum and the ‘send off’ day at the Mille Miglia in Brescia. Sandwiched in between are visits to manufacturers and showrooms like Lamborghini, Ferrari, Ducati, Maserati and naturally, Alfa Romeo. We are including some outstanding visits to private collections. The hotels and locations mirror the quality of this program. We’ll be repeating visits to a couple of superb wineries and enjoying some of the finest lunches and dinners Italy has to offer. The tour was originally conceived and formulated by AROC President, Cindy Banzer. “We wanted our members to have a real Italian experience, one that will introduce the history of the country’s amazing car industry, but also one surrounded with private visits and cloaked with great fun and camaraderie.” Once again, the tour has been carefully planned and scheduled in collaboration with Steve Austin’s Great Vacations. Steve is well known for his Classic Car Tours to Monaco, the Mille Miglia, Le Mans, the Goodwood Revival and Festival of Speed.
The program is inclusive of all transportation, accommodations, visits, and tours. All breakfasts and dinners or lunches* are included. Arrival and Departure airport is Milan’s Malpensa Airport. The tour price does not include air transportation to or from Italy. Along with Cindy Banzer, Steve Austin will accompany the tour and act as organizer and guide.
*The main course for the day may be a Lunch or Dinner (3 lunches, 7 dinners). Please note, Lunches in Italy are big, very much main courses. Ladies! There are no side tours planned for individuals. However, there are two or three days, where one can easily split from the group and enjoy a relaxing day at the hotel, shopping, or whatever.


Flowers Museum Red Car AROC Logo Beach

TOUR DATE: June 5-15, 2023  (Air not included.)
TOUR PRICE: $5,390 per person based on two to a room. (Single Room Supplement - $1,650)
DEPOSIT: $2,000 per person ( refundable up to January 12, 2023 minus $200 cancellation fee )
BALANCE DUE: February 15, 2022


Itinerary

June 5 You will be met at Malpensa International Airport and transferred by private coach to the Como Barchetta Hotel on the Lake Como waterfront. This afternoon, relax at the hotel or explore the bustling waterfront. This evening, welcome drinks and dinner at our hotel, Hotel Barchetta, 4 star, 2 nights.

June 6 A day on Lake Como. A ferry takes us from our base at Como to the lovely and popular village of Bellagio. A beautifully located restaurant offers one of the finest lunches on all of the lake. There will be plenty of time to explore the little hamlet of Bellagio, so be sure to take your camera and flat shoes, it’s hilly! The late afternoon and evening is at your leisure in very lively Como.

June 7 This morning we head for Modena. En route, we visit the Enzo Museum which is dedicated to the life of Ferrari and his contribution to Italian automotive industry. We then head to Maranello and a visit to the Ferrari Galleria. There will be plenty of time to visit the many Ferrari and F1 shops. Mid afternoon, we head back toward Modena for a visit to the unique Parmaggiana Cheese Factory, where strangely is housed the historic Maserati Collection. Later this afternoon we check into the Real Fini Hotel, 4 star-2 nights. Dinner tonight at our hotel.

June 8 This morning, we tour the Lamborghini factory and museum. Our all time most popular lunch venue is a small family restaurant in the Emilia Romagna countryside, where we might be lucky to get a pasta making demonstration. Our final highlight of the day is a remarkable visit to the Righini Collection, one which has to be seen to be believed. Mario Righini’s amazing collection is housed within the grounds of a medieval palace, the symbolism quite obvious. Dinner at your leisure tonight.

June 9 Today we depart Modena for Turin. First, we visit and tour the Ducati factory and museum. En-route to Turin, we visit the Lambretta museum, arguably the finest collection in the world of motor scooters and early pedal bikes. Mid-afternoon we continue on to Turin and our four star hotel housed in the ‘Lingotto’, the original Fiat factory, which now houses a multitude of stores and restaurants. Upon our arrival, we have the opportunity to go up onto the roof of the Lingotto which was originally the test track for Fiat. Also, the fine art display of the Agnelli Art Gallery is bound to impress. NH Lingotto Hotel 4 star—2 nights. Dinner tonight at our hotel.

June 10 A morning visit to the Museo dell ‘Automobile Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia’, one of the finest auto museums in all Europe. It houses the largest collection of historic cars in Italy. One of our special evenings is at a magnificent winery south of Turin in the Alba region. The short ride takes us through beautiful countryside. As this tour prides itself on the great food of Italy, we can safely predict you are going to be amazed. The effort and presentation of our appetizers, meal and accompanying prize winning wines is consistent with the finest restaurants of Europe.

June 11 Today we depart for another major lake, Lake Garda. Enroute we drive to Milan. Most important is our visit to the Alfa Romeo museum—the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo. The museum was reopened in 2015 to universal applause. You can choose to join our group, led by a guide, or roam the exhibits at will. Either way, you will be impressed. We also have a special visit to an Alfa dealer who has collected, over the years, all the models produced by Alfa Romeo. It was a special “find” from our last trip. The family is very involved with the original Mille Miglia as well as annual participants in the new Mille’s. This afternoon, we check into the lakeside Grand Hotel Gardone, one of our top hotel destinations. Grand Hotel Gardone 4 star—4 nights. Dinner this evening at our hotel.

June 12 A chance to take a deep breath. The beautiful setting of our hotel is also supplemented with an attractive village and a particularly classic garden. Today, we leave for your own exploration or relaxation at the hotel. Ferries run from the hotel to the lakeside villages, just a five minute ride or a twenty minute lakeside walk or even further. There is also a famous Classic Garden just steps away. The ambience and amenitites at the hotel may well attract you. Dinner this evening is at the lakeside restaurant.

June 13 This morning, we head across Lake Garda to the eastern shore. Today’s visit is to the Alegrini Vineyards. This gorgeous setting is in the heart of the Valpolicella region. The once `tavern wine district’ has become a major renaissance for Italian wines. One of the leaders of this has been the Alegrini family. The vineyard surrounds a stunning 16th century medieval ‘palazio’. Our visit includes a wine tasting followed by an ‘Italian lunch’, something to remember. The return to our hotel is by the lake ferry service, that crosses the lake and very obligingly drops us right outside our hotel. Dinner this evening at your leisure.

June 14 Today, we make an early start for Brescia, and our first glimpse of the Mille Miglia. First we visit the town center where all the cars are registering and preparing for the afternoon ‘off’. At lunchtime, we head for the Mille Museum. All the entrants journey from the center and are staged here before the official start this afternoon. We’ll be able to watch the cars as they head out on the Mille course amid enthusiastic support from the crowds lining the route. Later this afternoon, we return to Lake Garda. This evening we have a special night with appetizers and champagne on the hotel terrace overlooking the lake. For dinner, we retreat to the beautiful Giardino dei Limoni (Lemon garden) for another superbly prepared dinner and live music.

June 15 This morning, following breakfast, we head back to Milan and Malpensa airport, and conclude our 2023 tour.


Booking

Booking Information

$2,000 deposit is due upon booking. Deposit refundable up to 
January 12, 2023 minus a $200 cancellation fee. 
Final balance is due February 15, 2023

Cancellation/Insurance Information
$2,000 deposit is refundable through January 12, 2023 minus a $200 cancellation fee.
Full refund of monies paid will be made if written cancellation is received 180 days prior to departure. Cancellations between 179-160 days prior to departure will be subject to a cancellation fee of 30% of the tour cost. Cancellations received 159-120 days prior to departure will be subject to a cancellation fee of 50% of the tour cost. Cancellations received within 119-90 days prior to departure will be subject to a cancellation fee of 75% of the tour cost. Cancellations within 89 days of departure, there will be no refund.

Cancellation insurance is available and suggested. Steve Austin's Great Vacations does not provide cancellation insurance. We recommend you use a company you've used in the past, or you could contact an independent provider, Stephanie Warrington, at World Travel via email stephanie@wtpdx.com

If you are not paying by check and prefer to use a credit card, we will contact you for your credit card information once we've received your booking.

(503) 824-4079 Business Phone
(503) 349-8769 Steve's Cell

Please Note: This tour is produced for the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC). You are required to be a Club Member. You can join by contacting AROC.