20 August 2026
Florence
Let’s say you are a motorcycle enthusiast. The vintage type, the kind you might see in a city or in the hills around Florence, the ones that make you feel like a film star, the ones with a name and a brand - Vespa. Let’s say it’s September, when the temperature in Florence is perfect for exploring on two wheels without baking in the heat or needing a windcheater. What do you say? Perhaps that it’s a nice idea but you no longer own a Vespa? No worries, you can hire one for a panoramic tour of Florence! The best way is to decide on a central starting point, say at Palazzo Castri, and then hire a Vespa with a vintage look and modern driving technology. And hey presto, the city is all yours, you can take your loved one for a ride around the city and the hillside. It is so easy to drive that you can even take turns, you just need the necessary driving permit. It is important to do up your helmet carefully, drive prudently and not get distracted. If you like company when driving a motorcycle, you can even join guided tours. Once the group has been put together you all start off in single file. It will feel like being a young person in the 1970s, off along the roads in the hills exploring vineyards and wine and food tastings. And if you need to relax the tension in your shoulders on return, you can book a personalised massage in the spa here at Palazzo Castri. Our therapist Ines has magic hands, and will make sure you are refreshed and ready to hop back on your Vespa for a romantic tour of Florence by night.
DIY Vespa Tours
There are various “rent a scooter” companies in Florence that rent Vespa 125s, the ideal Vespa for a city tour for one or two. If you want to travel around the hills and your driving licence permits it, you can hire a more powerful Vespa. It all depends on your driving skills and experience and the length of the tours. The hire company will be able to offer you the best advice, including on the type of helmet you need. Some tour companies have produced a special Vespa tour map for touring the sights inside and outside of Florence, as well as in Fiesole, Chianti and San Gimignano, or Pisa and the Livorno coastline and beaches. With wings on your feet, as in the song by Cremonini.
Exploring in a group, like in Easy Rider
If you want to enjoy the atmosphere of an organised trip, a group of Vespa riders on holiday, then you can! Basically you can choose between two different routes. The first, which is a sort of trial route, takes a couple of hours and explores the story of Michelangelo with a trip to the historic cemetery of the Abbey of San Miniato in the Florentine hills. The view from above from Piazzale Michelangelo is breath-taking and not to be missed. In September the colours are still bright and warm with summer memories. If, on the other hand, you are committed to an adventure on two wheels, you can spend a whole day on board your vintage Vespa and leave in a “swarm”, respecting Covid rules, to explore the Florentine hills. Your group will be guided by radio by a leader who will send directions directly to your helmet. The tour explores food and traditions, roadways and landscapes, on the way to vineyards nestling in the Tuscan hills, where the grape harvesting and winemaking take place in September. An excellent idea both for tourists travelling by themselves, who will be in company, and for couples.
We go the extra mile!
Palazzo Castri goes the extra mile for you, thanks to its ultra-convenient central location surrounded by services, and for the care lavished on guests. Here you will find so much more than just an excellent room. You will also be able to enjoy a series of ad-hoc services ranging from the gym to the hydromassage pool, sauna and massage service, to reinvigorate the vintage Vespa driver that is buzzing within you!
