Driving Milan Like a Local: Routes That Let Your Ferrari Stretch Its Legs

Driving Milan Like a Local: Routes That Let Your Ferrari Stretch Its Legs

Pick up a Ferrari from a luxury car rental Milan offers, and you quickly learn the city is designed to slow you down. Between the Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTL) cameras and weekday gridlock, people often waste their rental day crawling over cobblestones.

Over the years, I discovered that if you leave before the gates wake up and aim for the right roads, you can still give a supercar room to breathe. This guide shares five drives I’ve tested that do that perfectly.

Know the Rules before You Roll

A relaxed blast starts with knowing what not to do. Here’s what I check every time:

• ZTL timing – Milan’s Area C congestion zone operates Monday–Friday 07:30–19:30. Area B, the wider low‑emission zone, follows similar weekday hours. Outside these times and on weekends, the gates sleep. Plan your pick‑up and drop‑off so you don’t trigger a camera.
• Speed & enforcement – Speed limits are 50 km/h in town, 90 km/h on secondary roads, and 130 km/h on motorways. Italy’s “Tutor” average‑speed system checks your average over long stretches, so a single burst won’t help if your mean speed is high.
• Tolls & Telepass – Autostrade are tolled. If your rental has a Telepass device, take the yellow lanes and cruise through. If not, take a ticket, pay by card or cash at the exit, and avoid the yellow lane.
• Fuel & parking – Use 98 RON petrol and fill up before rural stretches. In towns, blue lines mean paid parking, white lines free (rare), and yellow for residents only. Multi‑storey garages are safest for low noses.
• Contract & bodywork – Keep your rental agreement handy and photograph the car before leaving. Contracts often forbid track use and ferries. Damage usually happens on splitters and wheels.

Quick reference

Route 1 – Dawn to Lake Como

The Lake Como loop only works if you beat the crowds. I roll out at 06:30, cross the ring road, and take the A8/A9 north. In less than an hour, I’m in Como. The SS583 hugs the water from Como to Bellagio.

The road is narrow and cambered. Trucks are rare before 09:00, so you can thread blind bends calmly. I park in Bellagio’s garage for a quick espresso. Instead of boarding a ferry with a low‑slung nose, I continue east toward Lecco. The road climbs, then tunnels through the mountains and joins the SS36 for an easy run back. Aim to be heading south by late morning.

Tips:

• Leave before the Area C cameras wake. Drive clockwise to stay on the inside lane and avoid the drop.
• The SS583 is scenic but winding. Expect roughly 220 km and four to five hours.

Route 2 – Oltrepò Pavese & Passo del Penice

South of Milan, the flat Po Valley rises into vine‑covered hills. I head down the A7 toward Pavia and cut inland to Varzi. From here, the climb to Passo del Penice begins. At 1,100 m, the pass rewards you with broad, sweeping asphalt.

Reviewers recommend visiting in spring or autumn. Some stretches have “perfect asphalt but challenging bends”. Slow for locals, enjoy the view, and carry on to Bobbio. After coffee, cross to Piacenza and rejoin the A1. Plan for about 270 km and six hours, including lunch.

Tips: Pick up a stick of salame di Varzi. Weekdays are quiet; Sundays are popular with cyclists. Explore side roads to Val Trebbia or Valle Staffora for fewer cars.

Route 3 – Valsassina High Valley

When the lakeside feels crowded, I escape to the Valsassina. Take the SS36 to Lecco, then climb the SP62 through Ballabio to the plateau at Barzio and Moggio.

The gradient is steady and the road wide, letting you settle into a rhythm. At the top, the air is cooler and the views sweep across the mountains. I stop at a rifugio for coffee, then loop back via the same road or cut to Asso and return through the Brianza countryside. The loop is roughly 220 km and takes four hours.

Tips: Temperatures drop 5–7 °C at altitude. Watch for farm vehicles. Surfaces vary, so adjust your damping if you can.

Route 4 – Ticino River & Certosa di Pavia

On a short day, I run south to the Ticino plain. Take the A7 or SS35 toward Pavia. Beyond the suburbs, the land opens into rice and corn fields, with quiet secondary roads tracing irrigation canals.

The highlight is the Certosa di Pavia, a 14th‑century monastery that rises from the fields. I park in the free lot and wander inside. The monastery lies about 8 km north of Pavia; it’s an easy 30‑minute hop from Milan by car. After visiting, follow the river north or loop east to avoid doubling back.

Tips: Avoid midday when the monastery closes. Obey village limits; cameras are common. Expect 150 km and three hours, including a tour.

Route 5 – Monza & Brianza Early Sweep

Track dreams must wait. Rental contracts ban circuit use. Instead, I enjoy the public roads around Monza before the commuters wake. Leave by 06:45, skirt Monza Park and head into the Brianza region.

Roads around Lesmo, Lissone, and Seregno are well surfaced and flowing, with roundabouts to keep you honest. I never push beyond 90 km/h. The goal is to feel the chassis breathe.

If you own a car and want track time, Monza offers sessions for insured vehicles; helmets are mandatory. Rental agencies forbid it, and fines aren’t worth it.

Tips: This loop is about 130 km and takes three hours. Leave early; roads clog after 08:00. Combine with breakfast in Monza’s old town.

Rental‑Savvy Checklist

After many trips, I keep this short list on my phone:

• Mileage & restrictions – Check daily kilometre caps and banned countries; many supercar rentals limit you to around 250 km.
• ZTL plan – Start outside active hours. Confirm pickup streets aren’t in Area C.
• Telepass or ticket – Know your toll device. If none, take a ticket and pay by card.
• Fuel proof – Use 98 RON and keep receipts; agencies often ask for evidence.
• Photos – Photograph the front lip, wheels, and diffuser before leaving.
• Parking – Choose staffed garages on town edges; attendants understand wide doors.
• Wash – A quick wash helps during inspection.