Milan, the Lakes, Florence & the Matterhorn — 10 Nights
Designed for a family with a young child
A family who wanted to drive themselves through northern Italy — with something in every stop for a young child, and something in every evening for the parents.
Milan · 2 nights
StayMandarin Oriental, Milan
Collect the car and recover from the flight; the Duomo, the Galleria and Sforza Castle.
Sirmione, Lake Garda · 2 nights
StayVilla Cortine Palace Hotel
A castle with towers and a moat for the child, the thermal waters of Sirmione for the parents, and Verona half an hour away.
Florence · 2 nights
StayFour Seasons Hotel Firenze
Reached via Ferrari Maranello. A palace in the largest private garden in Florence — room for a child to run.
Lake Orta · 2 nights
StayVilla Crespi
A Moorish-style villa above Italy's quietest lake, with Michelin-starred dining in the house.
Cervinia · 2 nights
StayHermitage Hotel & Spa
The Italian face of the Matterhorn, and cable cars to Plateau Rosà at 3,500 metres.
What made it this trip, and no other
Ferrari Maranello
The museum, the simulators and a tour of the factory — booked ahead, and placed on the drive south so it costs no extra day.
A castle with a moat
Sirmione's medieval fortress on Lake Garda, with towers to climb — then a lakeside lunch.
Isola San Giulio
A boat across Lake Orta to the island monastery, then the medieval village and the Sacro Monte, a UNESCO site.
Plateau Rosà
Cable cars to 3,500 metres for the Matterhorn up close — the moment the child talked about all the way home.
Chianti, privately
A private vineyard visit and a long Tuscan lunch, as the alternative to a museum day in Florence.
Why we built it this way
Two nights at every stop, and no drive longer than about four hours. The route loops from Milan and back, so the car is returned where it was collected.
Each day has one thing for the child — towers, Ferraris, cable cars — and the evenings are built for the parents, ending at Villa Crespi's table on Lake Orta.
Mountain hotels in Cervinia keep a winter and a high-summer season, so we time the Alpine end of this journey for July or August, or the ski months.
The original brief came in at a more modest budget. On this page we show the hotels we would choose at the top of the range; the journey's shape stays the same either way.
This journey was built for someone else
Yours will start the same way — with a conversation about how you travel, not just where.
Start Planning