Gradually people emerge from the lobby and we are joined by a cocktail of equally bleary eyed Swedes, Germans and fellow Brits with whom at various points we will be chasing, running away from and getting lost with en-route to find various checkpoints on our journey.

After making the gates at Dover within 3 minutes of closing I look at the irrelevant section of mileage we've just covered at warp speed and glance in awe at the remaining three countries we have left to scale in the next two days.

Breaking out of Calais in convoy including a flying Spur, Mustang California Special, 550 Maranello, and Lamborghini Murcielago is quite a feeling. The squad car releases the first clue to make the first destination to each car via SMS and we're primed to go.

I am told LONDiNO is quite unlike any other event in the motoring calendar and whilst there's a certain air of prestige and exclusivity surrounding the rally itself it also seems slightly gladitorial. Whilst all of us have been assured of a first class route and 5 star treatment at our destination the real challenge is not the mileage. It's getting there.

LONDINO is NOT a speed trial ... It is a top end navigational challenge (treasure hunt if you like), aimed at experienced drivers that can follow clues through various checkpoints that take you through the heart of some of Europes finest landscapes.

Ironically every ounce of advanced training as a motorcyclist (mine's a Fireblade) became invaluble on this trip especially when we knew dinner was getting cold 100 miles away across the border and there was 60 miles of wet dark gravelly hairpins on the Route de la Faucille to get through after 12 hours driving. But honestly, I had a smile on my face. After all - I was driving a Bentley and I was in the Alps.

To make things even better,we were given ShellV Power fuel vouchers to use en-route. This is the latest formula 1 style petrol that seems close to rocket fuel or putting absinthe in your petrol tank. Something to be grateful for when following a Ferrari 550 Marinello to the next checkpoint.

After 800 odd miles and 17 hours of non stop driving we finally arrived at the first stop over in one of Geneva’s finest hotels (La Reserve), where a feast of medieval proportions had been prepared for our recovery. The irony is that after doing so much driving and concentrating so hard you’d expect anyone to fall into bed immediately but everyone was too full of life to even think about it.

The next morning dawned bright and breezy and we embarked on the second major leg of our journey at 0730h. " I love the smell of asphalt in the morning!"

Windows down with nothing but the sound of a W12 engine and alpine cows serenading us on our way we headed south on the N90/N85 through Grenoble and Digne-les-Bains amidst various other clues that took us roughly as far as Cannes and beyond. Yesterdays rain seemed to have left off leaving beautiful clear sweeping alpine roads and a strong urge to see whether the "Flying B" could handle the hairpins of Route Napoleon. And it did only like a Gentleman should.

After grabbing another "Pukka" lunch on the South coast in Nice we roared out on towards Portofino along the French Riviera bound for Italy. A couple of bum turns toward Madrid made the last couple of petrol stops interesting but with a couple of miles to spare the final route was by far the most savoured. We didn't want it to end and by the time we pulled up after another 700 miles saying goodbye was bittersweet.

This has been one hell of a road trip.

By Stefan Booth