Travel info request: Italian AF Museum

[StangStung]

All:

I have the rare opporutnity to visit this facility in a couple of months and have a couple questions for you all:

A) Those who have been: How easy is it to get to/from the museum from Rome?

B) Is there a restoration facility attached and how does one get in there? I've done some searching the web, but haven't found much in this respect.

C) Are there any other aviation related items in the area that are "must sees"?

I'll take any suggestions you may have about travel, as I'd like to avoid any pitfalls you may have experienced. Also, I'll take photo requests and post them here once I'm back.

Thanks in advance!

[Mike]

Train from Rome to Bracciano, then either walk the rest of the way (around 2 miles from what I remember) or if you're really lucky, a taxi. Their website gives Taxi phone numbers http://www.comune.bracciano.rm.it/flex/ ... Pagina/198

I didn't see an on-site restoration facility when I was there. However, the museum itself is certainly well worth a visit, and is undoubtedly one of the world's great collections. Where else can you see 4 bright red Schneider Trophy racers sitting in a row, including the fabulous MC.72 that JDK posted a thread about only a few days ago?

Museum website (in Italian!):

http://www.aeronautica.difesa.it/museoV ... Museo.aspx

[StangStung]

Thanks Mike!

Hmm...2 mile walk...I'll have to see what I can do about that, or it'll be a long time before the wife accompanies me to another airplane museum!

Looks like I'll definitely have to brush up on my Italian taxi vocabulary and perhaps try to have something pre-arranged.

[TonyA]

Vigan di Valle station is quite a bit closer than Bracciano - probably only a bit over 2km. Quite a nice walk down country lanes though probably not so good if its raining and almost no chance of getting a taxi.

Though the text on the museum website says to go to Bracciano the directions on their map actually show the route from Vigna di Valle.
http://www.aeronautica.difesa.it/museoVdV/PublishingImages/cartina-copybig.jpg

Either station is roughly 1 hour by train from Rome with an hourly service and the journey costs no more than a few Euros.

[StangStung]

Thanks Tony, 2km maybe a bit more manageable: "It's OK hon, aviation El Dorado is just over that next hill."

[LARGEFLYER]

I was there not quite 2 years ago. I spent most of the day at the Museum. There is lots to see. They do have a little place at the Museum to get lunch if you are so inclined. I rented a car and drove up from Rome and then stayed in Vigna di Valle for 3 days in a little bed and breakfast. The drive was nice and took a little over an hour from downtown Rome. Spent a day in Bracciano too - there is a neat castle there and a monument in the town square comemmorating the bombing of the town in WWII.

The Italian Air Museum is closed on Mondays. They do have some restoration facilities there on site but they were not available to the public when I was there.

Here is a website for more infomation on the Museum and a map:

http://www.aviationmuseum.eu/World/Euro ... ll_AMI.htm

Greg Witmer

[StangStung]

Thanks Greg, that's also very helpful. I think I have enough to make a decent go of it now!

[LARGEFLYER]

My Pleasure. I'd be interested to see if they have anything new on display since I was there 2 years ago. Post lots of photos when you get home!!!

[JDK]

Thought we'd 'been here before':

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... p?p=274223

Took a bit of finding though! Bit more advice, have a great time.

[StangStung]

Sorry JDK, but I prefer as updated info as possible and two years is too long!

Seriously though, thanks for all the help. After I make in back in a couple months I'll post updates fo sho.

[StangStung]

OK, gang, thanks again for all the tips. My one piece of advice for those who read this in the future: Arrange transportation from the station to the museum (or hotel, etc.) before you get there. I have a story there, but it's not for here!

First time posting pics, so be patient please! Here goes the entry way and Hangar 1:


It's a beautiful setting



There are four hangars. I arrived at 1:30 and had to race to get done by 4:30 when it closed. I know, I know, not enough time but it was what I had!


And we're here!

First in the door to the left is a Wright Flyer replica, which is great, but I've seen a couple of the real things. Now this Bleriot is supposedly the first plane to carry out a combat recon flight:


Then we have the first of two (!) Spad VIIs, an original restored:


Here's the next, which is how I like them. Nothing in between the viewer and 1918 but air:


There were quite a few folks around, and it was tucked in the corner, so I had to get a close up on that one.

Turning right, we have a Hanriot:


Followed by the Ansaldo SVA5


Then there's this monster, which flew up over the Alps on a bombing run to Vienna, I believe. There's a gunners station over that rear engine if you can cast a gander back there. Not a very comfy position to be in on such a long mission, I'd reckon:


And let's not forget this beauty! It looks as if you could open up the doors, push her out into the water and let loose! Quite a sight!


And we'll round out this bunch with an inter-war example before heading to Hangar 2...but that's for another time.


Hope you all enjoy!

Last edited by StangStung on Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:17 am, edited 3 times in total.

[JDK]

Nice to see the pics, and glad you got there.

OK, gang, thanks again for all the tips. My one piece of advice for those who read this in the future: Arrange transportation from the station to the museum (or hotel, etc.) before you get there. I have a story there, but it's not for here!

Sounds very like our experience, which took major negotiation with getting a taxi when it suited them; and on the journey back to town I was grateful that he had a Pope card stuck on the dash, because survival clearly was going to require divine intervention...

I also spent too few hours rushing about with the camera - but well worth it.

Looking forward to the rest...

Regards,

[StangStung]

We got to the train station about 12:30 and, with the kindness of some very friendly Italian Iron Maiden fans (one of whom was no-kidding named Michaelangelo) made a call to THE (as in only) taxi driver in town with the number posted at the station. He was in the next town over for the day and couldn't be bothered to come back for us. Their friend was going to give us a lift to the B&B where we stayed, but somehow that was lost in translation to the driver himself and we were left standing in the dust. At this point, knowing the Museum wasn't open all night, my anxiety was increasing. The sole purpose of this leg of the journey was to see the Museum, so if we missed it, I'd have been pretty peeved.

So we walked about 1km through cobble-stoned streets, over hill and dale to the B&B. This wouldn't have been so bad had we not been carrying two weeks worth of gear (my wife doesn't travel light-or at least she didn't this time-perhaps she's learned a lesson... ). Luckily, the B&B owner took pity on us and carted us down to the Museum. So by about 1:30pm, we were in the gate. Of course, I had no idea how to get back to the B&B. Though the route was short, it twisted a few times through various intersections which I was sure I wouldn't remember on the way back. But at the time, I didn't care as I just wanted to get to the Museum with some time to see it. The route back was of much less concern.

At the Museum, I made friends with the gate guard who just so happened to need some English practice so I stopped and had a chat with him. On the way back out, after I'd stayed as long as they would let me (4:30pm) I asked him if he could ring one of the two numbers posted for taxis in the Museum. The first number wasn't in service. Yikes. The second number I recognized from the train station, but as our options were limited I figured it was worth a ring. This time, the fellow was on his way back into town and was happy to drop by and pick us up. I had no idea how to tell him where the B&B was, so we just settled on getting to the center of town and found our way back from there. So it all worked out. Bracciano is a lovely town and we had a nice wander there, relieved that I'd been to see some very unique aircraft.

But the short version is, if it weren't for a lot of frienly Italians, I wouldn't have been able to post these pics!

[LARGEFLYER]

What B&B did you stay at? I stayed at a B&B when I was there 2 years ago. It was an older husband and wife. Down a road off the main road and the B&B was on the left. Can't remember the name but it was out of town. There was a diner on the corner of the road you turned down to get to it.

I'd be interested to know if it was the same place.

Thanks

Greg

[StangStung]

We stayed at:

Casale Carraccia
Via Claudia -107
349/225-4130

It was kind of on the south end of town, a bit down from the main square. It was clean, comfortable, reasonably priced and the folks there were very accomodating to us. I'd send my friends there without any hesitation.