This Italian island may not be the first destination that springs to mind for those keen to put the pedal to the metal, but for Original Travel’s co-founder Tom Barber, it’s one of the best places for a road trip with kids in tow, best tackled on a round-island route that starts in the capital and ends in the sleepy seaside town of Riposto, with its fish market, street sellers and lovely harbour.
“It hits the sweet spot of their wants and needs,” he explains. “It’s the perfect mix of culture, coastline, adventure and food (including most children’s holy trinity of pizza, pasta and ice cream).”
Driving in Palermo gives the full Italian experience of honks, lane-drifters and tail-gating, but, after that, expect gentle dual carriageway skirting umber mountains and trimmed with olive groves along the southwestern coast, followed by invigorating glimpses of sea and golden fields from fast-paced stretches of autostrade to the east.
