[5String43]

As look 171 mentioned, the Lakes District is incredible. Very scenic, very beautiful. A great base there is Bellagio. The Moto Guzzi factory is not far from there and it is still possible, I think perhaps, to cadge an informal tour of the joint.

I also second imcarthur's suggestion of the Amalfi Peninsula. We stayed in a town called Positano, which is incredibly pretty and scenic. Mrs. 5String and I would return there in a heartbeat. If you decide on this, check out the Hotel PosaPosa. Very nice place. Good restaurants within easy walking distance.

As for food, it is really hard to go wrong wherever you are, especially if you ask the staff about local specialties and favorites, for both food and wine.

As for the Ferrari experience, Mrs. 5String and I did this a couple of years ago. We visited the museum and then had lunch at Il Cavallino, the restaurant just across the street from the factory. It's a busy place so even for lunch, a reservation is strongly advised. And parking is tough, so patience and planning are required. This is where Enzo used to lunch every day - lots of race memorabilia on the walls.

The other restaurant worth hitting is called Ristorante Montana and is kind of where the hard-core racers hang out. If I recall correctly it is not far from the entrance to Fiorano, the Ferrari test track so, at least as the lore has it, you might see mechanics and team members in there. Also, lots of race memorabilia. Again, no personal experience.

From my perspective, at least, a possible downside to Maranello is that it is out on its own in the industrial flatlands near Modena. Getting there is not at all interesting. But once you're in town and at the museum, well - that's worth doing, I should think.

While at the museum, if you choose to visit it, be sure to take a turn in the F1 simulator. It's many generations behind the simulators the teams currently use, but it still is a blast and is very challenging. Costs about 35 bucks for 7 minutes. For me, at least, it was a very intense 7 minutes. It allows you to choose your race track and also the amount of interaction you have with the car, from full automatic to you control everything. Not at all easy.