It's easy to tell.......any bloke will tell you....you know they're ladyboys when their k**b is bigger than yours.....simples!
The Museum is free and you don't have to book - only the Factory tour needs to be booked.... and if you are a DOC member you get a discount.... take your DOC card with you if you have one. Agree with the comments above, particularly re the shop, but there is a large ducati Store just down the road...
I really really want to make the trip. Just other things always come up first. Are they open during the winter months for tours ?
I went to the museum tour last week. I had to book on the website. You have to request 3 options of days and times and they reply if they are available/not available. I was staying near Lake como and decided to check it out the week before. Got the negative reply the day before I left so emailed back and asked if anything at all was available next week. Checked email on the Monday and had a booking for 3pm on the Wednesday. It was quite a trek from Lake Como to Bologna and back in the fiat panda hire car (700km round trip) but pleased I went. They have not been allowing factory tours since the earthquake earlier this year. That's the excuse but I think it could be something to do with Audi. Museum was good and the lovely ladies (Yes, ladies) showing us round were very knowledgable and spoke very good english. I took loads of photos so may post some later. They did let you wander around after the tour for 20-30mins and visit the giftshop (which was a bit shit anyway). I expect it would be easier to buy merchandise from the website. I felt good when asked 'who here is a ducati owner' and I was one of only 3 out of the 16-17 there. The other 2 guys, german and dutch owned 12 between them I think.
Thanks for the update Wellesley - annoying, but not suprising, that they're still not doing factory tours. It's not a made up excuse about the earthquake - Ducati put a post on their official website a few days after the 2nd Emilia Romagna earthquake that due to the earthquake they'd suspended factory tours until further notice, as I was looking just before I set off for World Ducati week. Gift shop actually in the factory/museum building isn't great, and has been closed both times I'm there. You really need to head across the other side of the main road (the other side of the big roundabout) to the factory outlet/service centre place if you want to buy the Ducati branded clothing etc - very wide selection there, new stuff, and some bargain bin items. Having done the day trip from Gallarate (between Varese and Milan) down to Bologna in a hire car (not a Panda, a boxy Doblo thing) a couple of years ago, I can empathise. The only thing that makes the motorway slog bearable is the excellent cappuccinos at the motorway service stations. Having had a Panda as a previous Italian holiday hire car, must say it was a pleasant surprise - it actually handles, unlike every other hire car I've driven!
Went a couple of weeks ago, factory still closed due to earthquakes??!! outlet shop good but believe it or not I got biggest bargains at the Ducati store in the Airport!!
