• Airfares from Australia to Rome and Return from Venice with Emirates
• 2 nights in Rome at a four star hotel
• 8 days car hire whilst in Tuscany
• 7 nights in an exclusive villa
• 2 nights in Florence at a four star hotel
• First class rail tickets Florence to Venice
• 2 nights in Venice at a four star hotel

The world’s love affair with Italy continues. The bel paese (beautiful country) might no longer be a blushing bride but this most beguiling of countries still has the power to thrill, to throw up surprises and excite emotion.

Italy’s enduring appeal is easy to explain. Rome's martial monuments, Florence's Renaissance glories and the drama of the Amalfi Coast are all well known. Less famous is the red-blooded hedonism of Italy’s foodie capital, Bologna, and the edgy atmosphere of Naples' high-voltage historic centre. Much of southern Italy is mountainous and remote, its forbidding landscape largely overlooked by foreign visitors.

No other city comes close. It may no longer be caput mundi (capital of the world), but Rome is an epic, bubbling-over metropolis harbouring lost empires. One visit and you’ll be hooked. Rome has a glorious monumentality that it wears without reverence. Its architectural heirlooms are buzzed around by car and Vespa as if they were no more than traffic islands.

The city bombards you with images: elderly ladies with dyed hair chatting in Trastevere; priests with cigars strolling the Imperial Forums; traffic jams around the Colosseum; plateloads of pasta in Piazza Navona; sinuous trees beside the Villa Borghese; barrages of pastel-coloured scooters revving up at traffic lights as if preparing for a race.

So many lookers in such a good-looking city! Naked like Michelangelo’s David or rugged up in the latest winter fashion by their own world-class designers, Florentines and their city never fail to impress. Already in need of oxygen after admiring their art, visitors are mesmerised by the vision of locals at aperitivo time, effortlessly strutting, flirting and evidently enjoying life. At times it seems nothing much has changed since the days of the Medici.

Of course much has changed. Florence’s short-lived stint as capital of Italy in 1865 was like a shot of adrenaline. The city bulldozed, constructed, rearranged avenues, wiped out whole quarters and tore down the medieval walls. And so the scene was set for the modern regional capital of Tuscany. Along the broad viali (avenues) that encircle old Florence a confusion of endless traffic tears around in chaotic style. Horns honk and brakes squeal as Florentines dart in and out of lanes in search of a break in the traffic. Ignorant of fear, motorini (moped) riders dash in and around larger vehicles, as if protected by some divine force.

Few cities in the world glide so effortlessly between the present and the past like Vienna. Its splendid historical face is easily recognised: grand imperial palaces and bombastic baroque interiors, museums flanking magnificent squares and, above all, the Hofburg – where the Habsburg rulers lived, loved and married into empires.

But this historical aspect often makes us forget that Vienna is also one of Europe's most dynamic urban spaces. Just a stone’s throw from Hofburg, the MuseumsQuartier houses some of the world’s most provocative contemporary art behind a striking basalt façade. Outside, a courtyard buzzes on summer evenings with throngs of Viennese drinking and chatting. Nearby, restaurants brim with imbibers enjoying the pleasures of wine and food, while across the yard a museum café pulsates with beats.

TUSCANY

Blessed with beauty, wine and an unparalleled artistic legacy, Tuscany's a region that largely lives up to its press. Its fabled rolling landscape has long been considered the embodiment of rural chic, a favourite of holidaying PMs and retired advertising executives, while its cities harbour a significant slice of the world’s Renaissance art. Florence, in itself, boasts more world-class art than many countries. Some people never venture beyond the region’s crowded capital, but with some of Italy's most striking Gothic architecture (Siena), the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the walls of Lucca all an easy trip away, to do so would be a waste.

Stupendous art, soul-aching countryside, stirring wine and lip-smacking cuisine is what this enviable region, from where the Renaissance rippled out across Europe, is all about. From the Etruscan marvels at Fiesole to the della Francesca’s of Arezzo, from the towers of San Gimignano to markets Pistoia, there are delights for even the most jaded Grand Tourers. Tuscany in English, Toscana in Italian, it specialises in being the best.

SAN GIMIGNANO

As you crest the hill coming from the east, the 14 towers of this walled town look like a medieval city. Within easy reach of both Sienna and Florence, San Gimignano is a tourist magnet. Come in winter or early spring to indulge your imagination a little; in summer you’ll spend your time dodging fellow visitors. Even then, though, you’ll discover a different, almost peaceful San Gimignano once the last bus has pulled out.

There’s good reason for such popularity. The towers, which once numbered 72, were symbols of the power and wealth of the city’s medieval families. San Gimignano delle Belle Torri (meaning ‘of the Fine Towers’ – though they’re actually almost devoid of design and rather dull unless sheer height impresses you) is surrounded by lush, productive land and the setting is altogether enchanting.

SIENA

Historic adversaries, the Siena–Florence rivalry continues to this day, as every traveller seems to strongly identify with one over the other. It often boils down to aesthetic preference: while Florence saw its greatest flourishing during the Renaissance, Siena’s enduring artistic glories are largely Gothic – though there’s also the eternal question of who has the best patron saint Siena, obviously).

One of Italy's most enchanting cities, Siena’s medieval centre bristles with majestic buildings. Its profusion of churches and small museums harbour a wealth of artwork, though equally your day can be effectively filled by simply wandering the snarled lanes of the historic centre, a Unesco World Heritage Site, spending nary a euro on admission fees – or untold hours standing in queues.

FLORENCE

So many lookers in such a good-looking city! Naked like Michelangelo’s David or rugged up in the latest winter fashion by their own world-class designers, Florentines and their city never fail to impress. Already in need of oxygen after admiring their art, visitors are mesmerised by the vision of locals at aperitivo time, effortlessly strutting, flirting and evidently enjoying life. At times it seems nothing much has changed since the days of the Medici.

WHEN TO VISIT ITALY

The best time to visit Italy is in Spring (April - May) or Autumn (September – October).  You’ll find the weather is easiest to handle during this time and also miss the bulk of the tourists.  If you’re going to be roaming the city streets checking out all the design and architecture then these cooler months are also ideal for you.

Peak season is between June and August.  A tip for August travellers though - be prepared for quite a few of the shops and restaurants to be closed as many Italians head off on their own vacation during this time.  The sea is warm enough to swim in between June and September but for those ski bunnies you’ll want to holiday in Italy during December and April.

• Try to speak the language!  The Italians will be impressed that you’re giving it a go but will often reply to you in English, giving them a chance to practise what they’ve learned.
• Some Italians still take a siesta during the day from 2-4 pm.  It is somewhat of a past tradition but some of the shops still close and it’s best not to call on an Italian, just in case they’re having a nap!
• Find out the price of dishes before ordering in a restaurant - ingredients like fresh porcini mushrooms can be a major drain on the wallet!
• Make sure you dress appropriately when visiting a church in Italy. Keep the shoulders, knees and midriff covered. One place you’re sure to get the once-over is St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, so don't even try to get in wearing shorts or a showing too much skin round the chest and stomach regions.  Another tip for museums as well as churches is to turn off your mobile phone, don’t eat, and use your quiet inside voice.
• Stay alert while in the cities as theft, bag snatching and breaking into cars is common.  Theft is also common on trains – day and night, so keep your eyes peeled.  Try to avoid carrying passports, credit cards, travel tickets and cash together in handbags or pockets.  Only carry with you what you need for the day and make use of safety deposit facilities in hotels.
• If you’re arriving for the ski season then do your homework on weather and avalanche conditions before you travel.  It also pays to check the local skiing laws and regulations.

OTHER HELPFUL HINTS...

Italians usually dress very formally, considering skimpy tops, flip flops and sandals for the beach or swimming pool only; not for the street or in restaurants and shops.  They’re also very careful not to wear jeans to a church or nice restaurant.  So if you want to fit in, find some room in your suitcase for those dressy clothes!

The famous Italian two-cheek kiss also has a couple of rules to be aware of – it is usually done between friends and families and is planted high on the cheek.  More of an air kiss (with the kissing noise) you should go for the right cheek first, then the left.  Guys, it’s perfectly acceptable for male friends and family to embrace each other as well.