Mille Miglia Race
 

My husband wants to go to Italy to view this car race. Has anyone attended the race and have recommendations on what to see/do?

Probably he saw the recent 2 hr Hi Def documentary on (hdnet?) TV, but if not then you must look for a repeat. What do you mean, "attend" when the race is 1000 miles across Italy without repeating any road? There are a few places where they stop (overnight in Rome? rest stop in Bologna? start/stop in Brescia?) all with their own flavor too complicated to explain based on how the race is organized and covered in the doc...

I thought that race had been banned back in the Fifties as too dangerous, no?

It was revived as a sort of nostalgic ritualistic procession. Do a google on it for it's own web site and stuff about it. Google "mille miglia hdthe" for the documentary about it; I guess it can email you notice of reruns. Weird... I was just about to cancel a trip to Italy that falls just during the race timeframe.

If I were to plan by memory of the documentary, I might view it from Brescia. It may be hard to see the actual start and finish there because it is somewhat exclusive and orchestrated for the rich and glamorous participants, but the preparations and wrap up parties might be interesting. And you can find someplace along the route to view, but be aware the driver/passengers seem to spend a lot of time praying for a stretch of no spectators so they can spend a quick penny so to speak.

Probably all hotels there and maybe Verona may be booked, but what I might do is stay on the gorgeous west coast of Lake Garda which has comfy direct bus service to Brescia from Gardone Riviera and Salo. You could spend a week there riding the ferry to various beautiful spots (also I think there is a M.M. museum in Brescia).

Theres a lot more I could recall from the documentary, but best if you educate yourself from online info and maybe comment here in more detail

Oh, I noticed several online tours that do what the documentary discussed; that is to sneak into or near the race (exiting before any official checkpoint) http://www.grandstandmotorsports.co....-car-race.html

They also mention hanging about before and after. It's not so much a race as showing off museum like convertible cars and the best plastic surgery money can buy (while keeping windblown hair photogenic and supressing their urge to urinate all day which could lose their place in the parade).

This is a driving tour for owner of select, classic cars. As mentioned above is a loop of 1,000 miles. In its original version it was a no holes barred, full speed race, on public roads. Like the Targa Florio or old Lemans. Spectator injuries happened. Finally, one or two dozen spectators were killed one year when a competitor went off the road.

So now it is event were the owners of some very rare cars get together for a 1,000 mile drive and some first class eating. There are lots of classic car rallys in Italy, there is also the Historic Monaco rally. If you could be in one of the town where the attendees overnight, that would also be fun.