Maranello and Modena don’t mean much on a map, but to anyone who cares about cars, this stretch of Emilia-Romagna is close to hallowed ground. A Ferrari driving experience here puts you behind the wheel in the region that built the car, on roads chosen for exactly that purpose.
This guide covers what the experience actually involves, how the format works, and what to expect from a private, tailor-made version of it, rather than the fixed-ticket options most guests find first.
Is there a Ferrari driving experience in Italy?
Yes. Maranello, Modena and the surrounding hills, often called Motor Valley, are where Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati were all founded, and the region has built an entire ecosystem around driving these cars properly: museums, tracks, and a genuine culture of car enthusiasm that goes well beyond a photo opportunity.
Most visitors encounter this as a fixed-format ticket: a set number of laps on a closed circuit, booked online, delivered to a schedule. That version works well for a quick, self-contained thrill. It is not the only version available, and for guests already planning time in Italy, it is rarely the most rewarding one.
What a private Ferrari driving experience looks like
We design bespoke supercar driving experiences around the guest rather than around a fixed package. A few formats come up most often.
Half-day drive. A concentrated session on a carefully selected route, long enough to actually settle into the car rather than rush through it. This suits guests adding a driving experience onto a broader Italian trip, without giving up a full day to it.
Full-day road experience. A longer day with multiple driving sections, scenic stops, and time to properly experience the region rather than a single stretch of road. This is the format we recommend for guests who want the Motor Valley drive to be a genuine highlight of the trip rather than a brief detour.
Tailored private experience. Built entirely around your location, preferred car and schedule. Some guests want a road drive through the hills around Maranello and Modena. Others want to combine driving time with a visit to the area’s museums, arranged around the car rather than instead of it.
All three formats include a curated route, a proper handover briefing, and support throughout the day, not just access to the car for a set number of minutes.
What to expect on the day
A typical Maranello driving experience starts with a proper handover: a walk-through of the car, insurance and route details, and time to settle in before setting off. From there, the shape of the day depends on the format.
A half-day drive covers one main route, with a stop roughly midway for coffee or lunch and a chance to switch drivers if there is more than one guest sharing the car. A full-day experience adds a second driving section in the afternoon, often shifting from open countryside roads in the morning to the tighter hill roads around the Apennine foothills later on, when the light and temperature suit that kind of driving better.
Throughout the day, we remain reachable for anything that comes up, from a change of plan to a question about the next stretch of road. The aim is a day that feels seamless from the guest’s side, whatever is happening behind the scenes to make it that way.
Maranello, Modena and the roads around them
The appeal of Motor Valley is not only the cars. It is the roads they were developed on.
The hills around Maranello and Modena rise into the Apennines within a short drive, with the kind of elevation change and cornering that suits a Ferrari or Lamborghini far better than a straight run down a closed track. A well-planned route through this area mixes open stretches with tighter sections, giving a fuller sense of the car than a fixed circuit lap ever can.
The towns themselves are worth the visit independently of the driving. Maranello is genuinely built around Ferrari, down to the road names, and Modena adds a wider motoring history along with some of Emilia-Romagna’s best food. A driving experience here naturally has more texture than one built around a generic test track outside a city with no connection to the car at all, and our local team’s insider access to the roads and timing that work best in this area shapes every route we build.
Which car for a Maranello driving experience
Ferrari. The obvious and, for most guests, the right choice given where you are. A Ferrari Portofino suits open, scenic roads particularly well, with the kind of immediate, top-down character that makes a half-day drive feel complete rather than rushed.
Lamborghini. For guests who want a sharper, more dramatic drive, we arrange a Lamborghini Huracán Spyder through our specialist local partners in the region. It rewards the tighter sections of road around the Apennine foothills more directly than a Ferrari built for comfort over distance. Our Lamborghini driving experience guide covers this pairing from the other side, for guests who want the full picture before choosing.
We talk through the route and the car together before confirming a booking, since the right pairing depends on the roads planned for your day as much as personal preference. Browse the full fleet to see the other cars available for a Motor Valley experience, or ask us about pairing your day with a Lamborghini through our partner network.
How much does a Ferrari driving experience cost
Fixed-format track experiences in the region are typically sold as tickets, often starting in the low hundreds of dollars for a short circuit session and increasing from there depending on car and duration. That model works well for a self-contained, one-off drive.
A private, tailor-made experience is priced individually, based on the car, the format, the length of the day and the level of support included. We quote every experience specifically rather than publishing a fixed rate, since a half-day road drive and a full tailored day with museum time built in are genuinely different products.
Best time of year for a Maranello driving experience
This region rewards the same shoulder-season timing as most of Italy. May, June, September and October bring comfortable temperatures for a full day in an open-top car and less traffic on the hill roads outside the towns, while July and August bring higher temperatures and considerably more visitors to the Ferrari and Lamborghini museums, which can extend arrival times if a museum stop is part of the day. Winter experiences are possible and often quieter, though a shorter day and cooler temperatures make the half-day format the easier choice.
Practical notes
International Driving Permit. For any self-drive format, US citizens need to bring an International Driving Permit alongside their home licence. It’s a quick AAA process before you leave, and worth doing early.
Parking around Maranello. The town centre is compact and busy around the main Ferrari sites, particularly during museum opening hours. We factor this into route planning so the driving sections of the day avoid the busiest congestion rather than sitting in it.
Where the day starts. Depending on the format, a driving experience can begin in Maranello or Modena directly, or at a hotel elsewhere in the region, with the car brought to you. We confirm the most practical starting point once your accommodation and dates are set.
Booking a Ferrari driving experience with us
Our supercar driving experiences are private and built around your schedule rather than a fixed departure. Tell us your dates, preferred car and how much time you have, and we shape the route and format accordingly.
One guest who booked a Maranello-area drive described it simply: it felt effortless, with the arrangements handled smoothly enough that the day itself was the only thing that mattered. That is the standard we aim for on every booking, whether the experience runs half a day or a full one.
Guests planning a longer Italian trip can also combine a Maranello driving experience with a multi-day driving tour, including our route through Emilia-Romagna and the Italian Riviera, rather than treating the two as separate bookings.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Ferrari driving experience in Italy?
Yes. Maranello and the surrounding Motor Valley region offer both fixed-format track experiences and private, tailor-made road drives. We arrange the private version, built around your car, route and schedule.
How much does it cost to drive a Ferrari in Maranello?
Fixed circuit sessions are typically sold from the low hundreds of dollars upward. A private, tailor-made experience is quoted individually based on car, format and duration, since it is built specifically for each guest rather than sold as a standard ticket.
Can I choose between Ferrari and Lamborghini?
Yes. Ferrari is part of our own fleet, and we arrange Lamborghini driving experiences in the same region through our specialist local partners, matching the car to the roads and format you have in mind.
Do I need a special licence to drive a Ferrari in Italy?
A standard driving licence valid in Italy covers you here too; there is no separate licence for a Ferrari. US citizens should also carry an International Driving Permit alongside it.
Is a Ferrari museum or factory tour worth combining with the drive?
Many guests find it adds real context, particularly in Maranello, where the official Ferrari Museum sits close to the roads themselves. We can help arrange museum time alongside a driving experience for guests who want both.
Can a one-day experience become part of a longer trip?
Yes. A Maranello driving experience combines naturally with a broader Italian driving tour, including routes through Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany or the Dolomites, rather than standing alone.
How long does a Ferrari driving experience in Maranello last?
Half-day experiences typically run three to four hours of driving time. Full-day experiences extend that across the whole day, with time built in for stops, a meal and, where relevant, a museum visit.
What is the difference between a track session and a road driving experience?
A track session takes place on a closed circuit, usually sold as a fixed-length ticket with set laps. A road driving experience covers real roads through Motor Valley, at a pace and length built around the guest rather than a fixed lap count. We arrange the latter, and can point guests toward track options separately if that format is what they are after.
Plan your Ferrari driving experience
Let us know which car you would like to drive, where you are staying, and roughly how much time you can give it, and we will put together the format that fits your trip.