My daughter (driving my wife's Porsche 987 Boxster) managed just under 300 miles before the engine blew-up (Porsche Rheims wanted 28,000 euro for a replacement - being done in the UK for less than £5K at PorscheTorque).
The Aston, on the other hand, was superb.
Zero oil pressure (it was all over the road) and the engine noise best described and a bucket of spanners in a tumble dryer, marked the end for my wife's Boxster.
Its dead.
The RAC came to the rescue and gave my daughter and her boyfriend a lovely little Renault Capture for the trip - not the same as a Boxster but still......
We drove through France, into Switzerland and made out first stop in Annecy.
Switzerland.
The next day we drove south, over the Col Du Bonet - the highest road in Europe at 10,000 feet. if you like twisty hairpins with massive drops and no guard rails, then this is the road for you. We then went cross country and drove Route Napoleon for the last part of the day.
Col Du Bonet.
We then stayed in Nice visiting St Tropez and Monaco a couple of times. Driving around the F1 circuit and having dinner in the Cafe de Paris was a real highlight, although I preferred the food at the Stars 'n Bars which no trip to Monaco would be complete without a visit.
Outside the Stars 'n Bars in Monaco.
After a few days it was time to move on to our next stop, and off we went into Milan (to watch qualifying) then on to our hotel next to Lake Como.
Street Parking in Como.
On race day we were the only things blue in a sea of red. The crowd when mad every time Vettel passed, and hurled abuse at Hamilton. They gave us some stick us when Danny Ric's engine broke but (to our delight) went silent when Hamilton took the lead.
Blue is the colour....
The next day we drove the Tremola (the oldest road in Switzerland), then the Furka Pass and finally the Susten
The cobbled mountain road called the Tremola.
The top of the Furka Pass.
Our Hotel View.
After that it was a lot of motorway munching (boring), a nights stay in Paris (been there done that) before the final euro tunnel trip home.
All in all, it the Aston averaged 25.2mpg (I got 27mpg in my 997.2 PDK 7 weeks ago) which I thought was amazing - apart from the day I spent hooning around the Alps. I Didn't check it but it was probably single figures 😜
The DB9 is made for trips like this and I would highly recommend it. It's not that expensive on fuel and it is surprisingly more reliable than a Porsche.
We normally do a couple of these every year and I can't wait for the next one.