Amalfi Coast

Pastel villages cling to the cliffs above a sea so blue it looks retouched. It is the classic Italian summer: long lunches over the water, limoncello in the gardens of Ravello and lazy days on a wooden gozzo boat.

I base you in Positano or Ravello, arrange a private boat to Capri and the hidden grottos, and organise drivers so you never have to tackle the coast road yourself. Add Rome, Puglia or Sicily for a longer Italian journey.

May, June and September