Italy vies for touristic dominance within Europe, hotly competing with France and Spain, while leaving the UK far behind. And I can believe it, having battled the crowds of Florence and the mob of Rome, both places not even visited during peak season. But for good reason, as one of the world’s cultural and historical centres, there’s nowhere else that can compare to its historic riches, not to mention its globally renowned and ever-popular cuisine.

I was a little late getting to Italy as I was well into my twenties on my first visit, to Rome in 2005. Buoyed by the success of that trip, I found myself in Milan the following year, Ravenna in 2010 on business, and back to Rome for a second time in 2013. That visit also included a day trip up to Florence and Pisa, which was surprisingly easy on the excellent TrenItalia services.