Speaking of seduction, it’s hard not to be seduced by the idea of Italy. Rolling landscapes, serious sunshine, fine wines and long, lazy lunches that merge into dinner and on into the night, with great company – it’s hard to beat. There’s a romance to the place that you just don’t get in other parts of Europe, although parts of France come close. 

So, I’d settled on Italy. Job done, nice work Mr D. But Italy’s a huge place, diverse in its regions. More choices had to be made.

Option 1 – The Amalfi Coast

Imagine the ultimate, refined road trip and it’s the Amalfi coast you’ll think of. 50km of some of Europe’s most stunning scenery – white-washed villas clinging to steep cliff faces, yachts moored in bays and beautiful women on Vespas (you can read my blog all about scooters). You can travel from the famous Pompeii down through Sorrento and Positano, like the jet-set do. Lemon groves line much of the route. If you’re smart, you’ll go in Spring or early Autumn – it’s over-priced and over-hot in summer, in winter most places are shut.

Option 2 – Tuscan culture

You can start on the coast at Pisa, take in the leaning tower (scoot through Pisa, there’s not much else of interest there) and head east to Lucca. An old Roman walled city completely pedestrianised in the centre, it’s several steps back in time. You can then head on through to stunning Florence or an art-and-museum-fest then down to Siena through some of Tuscany’s finest wine regions, including Chianti. The Lonely Planet website has more information on Florence and the Tuscany region.

Or you could do what I did. But first:

The Car

Of course, ideally you’d be doing your best James Bond impression in a silver Jaguar E type if you’ve some spare pocket change. But this is Italy, the land of Ferrari and Lamborghini. Even so, they’re a bit much for a rustic trip. I gunned for an Alfa Romeo Giulietta, red of course. A hot hatch to hit the high road – had to be done. Spacious enough for the four of us, snug enough to, well I’ll come on to that.

I’ve known Ed and his French girlfriend Maxine a long time now – I often stay with them at their place in Paris. Their stunning Italian friend Sophia I did not know. Not much beyond our chit-chat at a bar late one evening. Just so happens she lives in Milan. 

Option 3 – Three countries in a day

So we started in Milan, the three of us, picking up Sophia from her swish apartment for a night out. I love Milan – it’s a sharp, stylish place, it has the Principe di Savoia, an epic hotel along with superb pizza (I love Ristorante Pizza Pazza), cafes (try Grand Caffe Cimmino on the corner of Via Larga and Piazza Fontana) and world-famous cake shops like Cova. Naturally it’s a great place to sort out a chic summer wardrobe too. 

Next day, we headed west into the Alps (you can divert to Turin easily at this point), through the Aosta valley to Courmayeur, an Italian resort right at the mouth of the Mont Blanc tunnel (and the other side of the mountain from Chamonix – read what Miss H has to say about that resort. 

A day on the slopes with lunch at Maison Vieille, followed by aperitifs at Caffe Posta (Via Roma 51, Tel: +39 165 842272), dinner at Cadran Solaire (Via Roma 122, Tel +39 165 844609) and cocktails at Le Prive (Via Roma 39, Tel: +39 165 843681) was sheer indulgence. 

Of course it made sense for Sophia and me to share a room for the night at the Auberge de la Maison - where else was she going to stay? I’ll be honest, with a view of Mont Blanc itself from the room, I was torn which way to look in the morning.

Back in the Alfa, through the tunnel, into France and then on to Switzerland - in just two hours we were all in Geneva. Where, as luck would have it, one of the world’s biggest car shows was on. A road trip, in a car, to see a lot of cars? What are the chances? It’s almost like Ed and I had planned it. And you know what? We might just have done.