Modena
Private Gourmet Day Trip from Milan
A family acetaia with barrels older than its owners, the Romanesque cathedral on Piazza Grande and, if you like, the Ferrari museums. 10 hours by private Mercedes, fixed price from €995 per car.
Book this day trip
Modena Balsamic Vinegar & Gourmet Tour · private and tailor-made
Book this day trip
See the price for your car now, then send the request: we confirm the driver and send a secure payment link. The itinerary is yours to change: tell us your stops in the notes.
- CarsMercedes E-Class up to 2 guests, V-Class up to 6
- Pick-upYour hotel in Milan, or Malpensa, Linate, Bergamo (+€60)
- PaymentNothing now: we confirm, then send a secure link
Modena: balsamic vinegar, a UNESCO square and Ferrari
Real Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP has little in common with the supermarket condiment of a similar name. It is made only from cooked grape must, aged for at least 12 years (Affinato) or 25 years (Extravecchio) in a battery of small casks of different woods, topped up once a year, and sold only in the round 100 ml bottle designed by Giugiaro. Many families keep their barrels in the attic, where summer heat and winter cold do the work. A visit to an acetaia is the heart of this day, and Modena is about 175 km from Milan on the A1, which makes it a full but relaxed choice among our day trips from Milan.
The old town is compact: the cathedral, the Ghirlandina tower and Piazza Grande together form a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the covered Albinelli market is around the corner. Car lovers can add the Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena or the Museo Ferrari in Maranello, about 20 minutes south. Acetaia visits and tastings must be booked in advance and are not included in the price; we can help you book. A glass of Lambrusco at lunch is easy to enjoy, as you are not driving. The price is per vehicle, not per person: from €995 with an E-Class for two, from €1,120 with a V-Class for up to six.
Modena Day at a Glance
Modena Day Trip Itinerary
A 10-hour day: the acetaia in the morning, the old town and lunch, then Ferrari or a slow afternoon in town.
Tailor-made, always. This itinerary is our suggestion only: every MilanobyCar day trip is tailor-made. Change the stops, the order and the timing as you like, or tell us your own plan in the booking notes.
Your driver, your local insider. Our chauffeurs are not licensed tour guides and do not guide you inside museums or sites, but they know these places well from years on the road: ask them for the best viewpoints, where to eat, where to stroll and how to avoid the busiest spots. If you would like a licensed guide, we can book one for you.
Pick-up at your hotel in Milan
Your driver meets you in the lobby and takes the A1 south-east across the Po plain, past Piacenza, Parma and Reggio Emilia.
Traditional balsamic vinegar, cask by cask
In the barrel loft the producer explains the battery of casks in oak, chestnut, cherry, mulberry and juniper, how the vinegar is moved from one to the next and why it takes decades. The tasting compares young and old vinegars, often with a sliver of Parmigiano.
Piazza Grande, the Duomo and the Ghirlandina
The Romanesque cathedral was begun in 1099 by the architect Lanfranco, with Wiligelmo’s carved reliefs of Genesis on the façade. The Ghirlandina bell tower beside it can be climbed for the view. The centre has a limited-traffic zone, so we drop you a short walk away.
Tortellini, tigelle and Lambrusco
Modenese cooking means tortellini in brodo, tigelle and gnocco fritto with cured meats, and a few drops of aged balsamic on Parmigiano or even on ice cream. Your driver can suggest a trattoria and book a table.
Ferrari, or more of Modena
The Museo Enzo Ferrari, built around the founder’s birthplace, is in Modena; the Museo Ferrari is in Maranello, next to the factory, about 20 minutes away. Or stay in town for the Albinelli market and the Palazzo Ducale.
Back to your hotel in Milan
Door-to-door return, or a drop-off at Malpensa, Linate, Bologna or a hotel elsewhere.
Modena Day Trip Prices — 10-Hour Private Car
Prices are per vehicle for the whole 10-hour day with distance included, whatever the number of passengers. Saturdays and Sundays +20%, major holidays +50%, airport pick-up +€60. Extra hours €75 with the E-Class, €85 with the V-Class, bookable in the form below.
- •Door-to-door from your Milan hotel
- •English-speaking chauffeur
- •10 hours · distance included
- •Door-to-door from your Milan hotel
- •English-speaking chauffeur
- •10 hours · distance included
- •Executive luxury sedan
- •English-speaking chauffeur
Included in the price
- ✓Private Mercedes and English-speaking chauffeur for the whole day
- ✓Door-to-door pick-up and return in Milan
- ✓Fuel, motorway tolls and parking for the car
- ✓Bottled water on board
- ✓Child seats on request, free of charge
- ✓Driver waiting during your visits
Not included — paid separately
- ✕Acetaia visit and tasting (booked in advance)
- ✕Ferrari museum and Ghirlandina tickets
- ✕Meals, drinks and purchases
- ✕Licensed local guide (bookable on request)
Milan to Modena: The Route
About 175 km south-east on the A1 Autostrada del Sole, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Maranello is 18 km south of Modena; Parma is on the way if you want to add a dairy visit.
Modena Day Trip from Milan — FAQ
Modena by private car or by train?
There are trains from Milan to Modena, but most acetaie are outside the city, in the countryside or the hills, and Maranello needs a further bus or shuttle. With a private car the acetaia, the old town and Ferrari fit easily into one day, and your bottles travel safely in the car.
Traditional balsamic vinegar: what to know
Only Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP is made from cooked must alone and aged for at least 12 years; it is used by the drop. Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP is a different, everyday product made with wine vinegar. At an acetaia you taste the difference immediately, and you can buy directly from the producer.
How much is a Modena day trip?
MilanobyCar charges a fixed price per car: from €995 for two passengers in a Mercedes E-Class and from €1,120 for up to six in a V-Class, for a 10-hour day including driver, fuel, tolls and parking. The exact price for your date appears in the booking form.
Book Your Modena Day Trip — Private Mercedes from Milan
10 hours, English-speaking driver, door-to-door. Acetaia, old town and Ferrari, in the order you prefer.
or call +39 335 821 0912