Italy·March 1 2024 - July 13 2025
Explore Milan and surrounding areas such as Lake Como or bobbio over the weekend.
Welcome to our Italy Short Stay Tuk-Tuk Adventure to Bobbio or to Lake Como– The ultimate combination of Italian adventure and cultural immersion! Experience Italy like never before as you take the driver's seat of an authentic Italian Piaggio Ape, a charmingly accented Tuk-Tuk. Our exclusive Tuk-Tuk weekend adventures allow you to craft your ideal Italian getaway, condensed into a delightful 2 or 3-night escapade, inspired by our beloved Original Tuk-Tuk Adventure. Embrace the wheel of a classic Piaggio Ape, exuding Italian flair and a touch of irresistible allure – a Tuk-Tuk that truly stands out from the crowd. Can you picture it? Excellent. Lake Como is a true corner of Italian paradise that attracts tourists from all over the world being the 3rd largest lake in the world in the midst of dramatic scenery. Bellagio is located right at the center of the Y-shaped Lake Como, boasting almost panoramic water views and a small quaint village feel. Bobbio is a coveted destination known for its history of art and culture, for nature lovers, and for its ancient monuments. The Piaggio Ape (Tuk-Tuk) is the perfect vehicle to assist you in the discovery of this idyllic location. Select a date during the inviting Spring and Summer seasons, and leave the rest to us. Begin your adventure in Milan with a brief yet comprehensive training session. Then, set off on your Tuk-Tuk expedition, steering your way to your captivating destination of choice for a memorable few days. Italy beckons – the open road, the allure of a Piaggio Ape, and the freedom to shape your own voyage.
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Training and driving lessons on arrival day.
Hire and use of 1 genuine, ready-to-roll tuk-tuk (Ape) for the duration of the Adventure. Third party liability insurance included.
Welcome pack (sim card, map, t-shirt, event bag, phrase-book, navigational sheets).
Accomodation for 2 people (2 or 3 nighrs) in double or twin rooms
Deliciously made breakfasts
Logistics & Legal – Route support, phone assistance, breakdown assistance, vehicle
Flights, visas, airport transfers
Fuel (approx. total £100 per team).
Day to day costs (lunch, dinner, drinks & gratuities)
Travel Insurance
Spare parts and repairs (approx. total £40-£120 per team).
Italian Adventure
Though naturally little more laid-back than our Sri Lankan, Cambodian and Indian offerings, the Italy tuk-tuk adventure will still test your wits, endurance, navigational skills and grasp of the Italian language to the absolute maxxx (yes, three x’s). What else is there to say? As far as we’re concerned, there are two ways to see Italy: in a tuk-tuk, or not in a tuk-tuk. And we’re going with one. Who’s coming?
Everything you would usually take on a holiday to Italy. Hat, shades and maybe sunscreen? Worry not, we will send you a more serious list of things we suggest you bring well before you leave.
We arrange all of your accommodation, your Tuk-Tuk and some delicious breakfasts. All you have to do is turn up, get in and drive the damned things. You won’t find another self-drive adventure like it.
Tuk-Tuks are unique vehicles that require careful handling and maintenance. While our team works tirelessly to ensure the safety and reliability of our fleet, it´s important to note that Tuk-Tuks are delicate machines that can experience mechanical issues or breakdowns due to improper handling or poor road conditions. We take great pride in providing our customers with an authentic and adventurous travel experience, and part of that experience is accepting the risks and challenges that come with driving a Tuk-Tuk. In the event that a Tuk-Tuk does experience mechanical issues we have mechanics on hand and, depending on the nature of the breakdown, it may be the responsibility of the driver to repair the vehicle at their own expense. We understand that this may be an inconvenience, but we believe it is a fair price to pay for the thrill and excitement of Tuk-Tuk travel. So, if you´re ready to embark on a one-of-a-kind adventure, just remember to drive carefully, follow our safety guidelines, and embrace the challenges that come with this unique mode of transportation. After all, it´s all part of the adventure!
The Leoni family, the owners of Hotel Du Lac and Hotel Bellagio, lay claim to a long tradition of hotellerie in Lake como, having been in the business for over 60 years and 3 generations.The Leoni Family acquired what once was “Hotel Roma” in 2003 and after a long winter of work and refurbishment the Hotel Bellagio was born and the doors opened on 16th of June 2004
For the past years the family has put heart and soul in this boutique hotel constately improve the services and make the guests feel at home away from Home.The Hotel is situated on a traditional cubbled staircase of Bellagio, to reach it there are 38 small steps, once you enter the hotel you will be welcomed from our friendly and smiley staff.
The experience of standing in a postcard with a 360-degree view of one of the most beautiful valleys in the world. Driving along State Road 45, which connects Piacenza to Genoa, once you reach Bobbio, after winking at the characteristic Ponte Vecchio, a short climb and Relais Sant'Ambrogio welcomes you with familiarity.
In a country silence often interrupted by the chirps, songs and calls of local wildlife, we offer hospitality in five bright rooms with panoramic views of the valley and the Town of Bobbio. All different from each other, the rooms are meticulously maintained and each has a private bathroom.
Special attention to the color of the walls and furnishings make the rooms pleasant to stay in.
Ah, the humble, Tuk-Tuk or “Ape” as they’re sometimes known as, is the original tin can on wheels. These are standard issue, Indian-made, Italian styled Tuk-Tuk’s. And they’re freak’n awesome!
They’ve got three wheels (don’t ask us why), an open frame, a canvas roof with drop down sides, a cabin for the driver and two seats in the back. Oh, and an engine: a 4-stroke beast that is probably slightly more powerful than 1 horse.
Tuk-tuks have a few advantages: they’re durable, easy to use and very forgiving. They’ll happily handle almost any surface, climate or level of abuse. Their cruising speed is a tasty 35kph (22mph). Their cruising altitude is about one foot.
Specifications
Driving induction and safety training session (this means you). You’ll get lots of time to practice before hitting the road. A rickshaw is a cross between a car and a scooter, so clutch control is key. If you´ve driven a scooter or motorbike before, it’ll be a breeze.
It’s worth remembering that the Italian Tuk-Tuk adventure is just that – an adventure. It’s not a race. It’s not like Cake’s seminal 90s hit The Distance. Speed should not be your priority. If anything should be, it’s probably fun.
A team is made up 2 people. Apparently, there is no ‘I’ in it. You get one Tuk-Tuk per team.
Yes, you’ve got to be at least 18 years old in order to participate. We don’t have a maximum age, but if you’re over 65 we definitely recommend checking with your insurer to make sure you qualify for the medical insurance you’ll need to take part. The Challenge is physically tough, but by no means extreme – we won’t sugar-coat it. You should really only take part if you’re in decent physical shape and your health is A-Okay.
Don’t stress, they’re very friendly. If you can ride a bicycle that has a clutch and an engine, you can drive a Tuk-Tuk. Besides, on the first day everyone gets mandatory Tuk-Tuk driving instructions and a chance to get used to your vehicle. You’ll have plenty of practice before hitting the open road. NOTE: We cannot teach you to drive like an Italian. Unless off-course, you are Italian.
To put it bluntly – not really. There will be an element of danger, if only because you’re sitting behind the handlebars of a three-wheeled Tuk-Tuk, on top of 200CC of raw power, and tackling unfamiliar roads in a foreign country. But don’t worry too much – if you’re sensible and cautious, you should be fine, and we have a fully trained crew to swing in if anything goes wrong.
Warning: Tuk-Tuks can easily roll and flip if not handled correctly. We take safety really seriously on these challenges, and you should know there are inherent risks involved, including potentially life-threatening situations.
Your humble steed will be handed over in a good road worthy condition and from then onwards it is your responsibility to take care of any repair costs. Our team of mechanics will be at your disposal throughout the event and will assist you with this at a cost. Otherwise you can turn to the locals to help you out. But don’t worry spare parts are not that expensive!
The cost of repairs depends on how each teams looks after their vehicle. Naturally there is a small amount of wear and tear on these type of events, but you will only be charged for parts that are damaged or need to be replaced. There will be a full vehicle inspection prior to handing over your ride. On average, the cost of repairs ranges from £40-£120 per team.
These wonderful machines are surprisingly fuel efficient, so unless you drive like a madman your wheels will do at least 30 km to the litre so you won’t really be spending more than £100 for the whole adventure (based on 8 days).
Whoa there, speed racer. These bad boys can’t really get over 50kph. The average speed should be around 35kph. Fast enough to get the blood racing, but not so fast you hit a Ferrari (that would not be good).
If possible, try not to do this. One of our registration requirements is to pay (or better block the amount off your credit card) a refundable deposit of £1,500 per team. This will (ideally) cover you for most touch ups and accidents, although if the rickshaw is a complete write-off the bill might increase. At the end of the adventure, we’ll inspect the vehicle, come to an agreement, and return any balance to you before you leave Italy. A pretty standard car-hire type system, really.
Emergency medical insurance is included in the trip price, however general travel insurance is not. We strongly recommended to protect against all the ways travel can go wrong.
Teams have used Campbell Irvine and SafetyWing in the past for this however please do shop around.
Third party insurance is included under the hire of the Tuk-Tuk. Scratch as many Ferraris as you want (please don’t actually do this).
Everyone who competes has to provide us with a valid International Driving Permit with a Category A stamp. It’s your responsibility to have the correct DL.
Definitely! We love to see teams going the extra mile to raise money for charity. Just be aware that the rickshaws we use have limited branding space (we take up some for our own branding purposes). If you need more info on this, just let us know.
Easy peasy. Here’s how:
Once you’ve done all that successfully, we’ll send you an email with lots of exclamation marks confirming your team’s availability.
Once your registration is locked and loaded, we’ll email you and ask you to provide us with:
We’ll double check all these docs on the ground in Italy, so please bring copies with you.
30 days before the Challenge.
Nope. If we camp we’ll provide the sleeping bags and the marshmallows as necessary. However it might be good to bring a torch.
Ah visas, our old nemesis. This really depends what tribe you are. You can find out how to apply, here.
We try to stick to the original route and accommodation as much as possible, but they can be subject to change from time to time.
Google: “Is it expensive in Italy?”
All our hotels will have internet connection, but the campsites not so much.
For more information please refer to our Booking Terms & Conditions.