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Business Traveller

Traveling By Automobile

Aired March 13, 2005 - 07:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: It could be one of these. You hope it's one of these. And when you have made it, it's one of these. But it's more likely to be one of these.
On this month's CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER, we're taking to the road, and the Rolls isn't an option.

Hello and welcome to this month's CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER. I'm Richard Quest, reporting from a wet, wintry Amsterdam, the sort of day you dread taking to the road, but that's what we're looking at this month.

We've abandoned air travel and we're focussing on those of you who do your business on the highways and byways. The traveling salesman, the executive who spends his life renting cars. And I'm taking a road trip from Amsterdam to Milan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(voice-over): I work in four countries in four days and find out how to stay organized with the latest technology. I'll be getting advice and advanced driving tips to prepare for the hazards ahead. And we go on the road with a driver who knows no speed limit, Mark Webber, from the BMW Williams team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The first task of my journey is to rent the car that I'm going to drive from Amsterdam to Milan. Collecting the vehicle should be the easy bit, but if you don't come prepared and make the right decisions, then frankly an easy task will become a nasty chore.

Hello. I've come to get me a car.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): We all have a rental car horror story. Endless forms, hunting for the car, and the seemingly unending costs.

(on camera): How much? Have I bought the car?

(voice-over): Ironically, we are obsessed by our flight plans, but it is the rental car that gets us to the final mile, so pay attention closely.

MALCOLM GINSBERG, "AIR AND BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS": Always try to make the deal before you go, get the thing signed up, get your piece of paper. You're then guaranteed the vehicle at the other end.

QUEST: But, of course, I wasn't that organized.

(on camera): So with all these forms to be filled in and driving licenses to be shown, I could be here for some time to come.

QUEST: Hello, Richard, what are you doing here?

QUEST: Oh, hello, how are you. Look, I'm renting a car, Richard. I'm driving to Milan.

QUEST: Well, yes, but why are you in front of the counter?

QUEST: Well, you see, I've got to rent to car, and I've got to show my passport and fill in the insurance details.

QUEST: You mean you don't have a gold card?

QUEST: A gold card? No. Why? Do you?

QUEST: Well, of course. I'm going straight after my car. Look, I'll see you at dinner.

QUEST: Have a nice journey.

(voice-over): The big rental companies all offer incentive programs. Loyalty to one group is the quickest route to upgrades and ultimately free rentals.

Where the gold cards make a real difference is in getting you on the road as quickly as probable.

When selecting the car, the cheapest is not always the best option.

GINSBERG: If you, as a business traveler, are arriving at the other end, whether you are the customer or the seller, if you're going to turn up in a Ford Fiesta or a Mercedes C-series, which is going to give the best impression? Now, it may well be that the customer at the other end doesn't see you, but he probably will.

QUEST: So, now get ready to pay. Everything costs more than you expected. That luxury upgrade, an extra cost. And fuel, the car companies can charge as much as a dollar extra per liter to fill up the empty tank, and then there is insurance. Loss damage, collision damage, theft, personal liability. It all adds up.

Insurance can set you back around $30. It is a minor investment to preempt a major catastrophe.

WILLIAM JONES, HERTZ: Usually the best option for anybody renting a car anywhere in the world is to by a fully inclusive rate. So a rate that has all the necessary insurances included. Don't get fooled by what appears to be a too-good-to-be-true rate, because usually it is.

QUEST (on camera): I'll take them all.

(voice-over): And if you come out from the forest of paper, now just find the car.

STEVE MEAD, INST. OF ADVANCED MOTORISTS: All right, Richard, you've arrived. You hired the car. The car is just sitting over here. What we're going to do is walk over and have a look at it because it is naturally assumed that the rental car will have everything working, and that is already a recipe for disaster.

Have a look under the bonnet. Oil is always yellow. Check to see if the water level for the radiator and the coolant is there. Is there enough water in the washer bottle?

QUEST (on camera): Plenty there.

MEAD: Have a look at the vehicle. You've signed for it. Have a look to see if there is any substantial damage or just scratch marks, and while you are doing it, just have a quick look at the tire treads.

Good luck, Richard, and safe driving.

QUEST: Didn't take long, did it? Just a few hours on the road and look at the car. It is like a tent. Fast food wrappers, soft drink bottles, treats, maps, everywhere. I have no idea where I am and I'm late for my appointment. The fact is, I'm a mess.

If I am going to be efficient on the road, I need to turn to technology.

(voice-over): It is the driver's nightmare, getting from A to B without visiting the rest of the alphabet along the way.

Satellite technology called GPS takes the pain out of the task, especially these new handheld devices.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take out the GPS receiver. This goes on the dashboard of your car. It looks at the sky and brings down a signal and then talks to your phone.

The only other thing that you need is a memory card, preinstalled with a map of your region, and you plug that into your phone like this, and then simply switch it back on and TomTom Mobile is installed.

QUEST: TomTom is using my mobile phone to give me directions. I've called the voice Jane.

MECHANICAL VOICE: Turn right, then turn left.

QUEST: In my car, Jane has a rival, Michelin's navigation system using my PDA. Meet Matilda.

MECHANICAL VOICE: Remain in the left-hand lane.

QUEST (on camera): Talk about your backseat drivers. With Matilda and Jane -- only one of you can be right.

(voice-over): From German castles to country roads to long distance motorway driving, across three countries, these two machines keeping me on the straight and narrow.

GPS has been around for ten years. It is nothing new. But these handheld devices are much more advanced. Today's software knows the local petrol stations, where I can park, and in the Michelin version, where I can eat well.

For a couple of hundred dollars, a mobile system like TomTom or Michelin is pretty essentially for life on the road. Just keep the paper version handy. It may be your last best hope.

(on camera): Well, I can't see the border.

(voice-over): Staying on the right route is one thing. Making your car work for you is quite another.

Elaine McCague finds a life behind the wheel requires much planning.

ELAINE MCCAGUE, BUSINESS TRAVELER: Because you're not in an office, your car is kind of your office, to make sure you have everything in it for work as you can't just pop back to get something that you're missing.

QUEST: The car manufacturers are heeding calls for the perfect portable office. No need to bring anything, it is already built in.

(on camera): This Audi Quattro bristles with gadgets. For the ultimate traveling salesman, there is a table where you can put your laptop, a phone and Internet connection, all music capability and don't forget that fax machine for getting those essential contracts. When it all gets too much, how about a bottle of the bubbly.

Now, just one more thing. My newspaper. Thank you.

(voice-over): So whether you're in an Audi Quattro or a less sophisticated vehicle, like this, the key is to minimize time driving and maximize productivity, and for that we need the best possible guidance.

MECHANICAL VOICE: You have reached your destination.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: Now I'm well on my way, so I fancied a short pit stop. I've got myself some black forest gatto (ph) which is just as well, because that's the Black Forest behind me.

It is all part of making the journey as interesting as the destination.

We'll have more on that in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: Now don't mind me. I'm just trying to get round this round- about, but frankly, I'm on the wrong side of the road, I'm not sure where I'm going. There are a lot of angry drivers and I think my safety is probably starting to diminish.

I need help!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Richard, all of this is common sense.

QUEST: OK, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Assume that everybody else on the road is a fool. Look left and stay right. Drive defensively, not aggressively. Where you're going, Richard, it's kilometers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST (voice-over): It may all be the European Union, but that's where the similarity probably ends. For instance, Germany's roads, fast and furious. Italy's, narrow and nasty. And road signs do little to help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only difficult ones are the little ones about speed limits, rights of way, whether you can stay in this lane, where the exit is. You've got to have read up about them in the first place to see what signs you're going to come across in this particular country.

QUEST: The time to really worry is when the weather deteriorates and you're on unfamiliar roads.

(on camera): It is very picturesque, but it feels treacherous to drive on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bank to the right is more likely to have more standing water in it than any of the other three lanes or four lanes, because a lot of traffic has used that, so there's going to be dips in it. The tires will lose contact with the road surface because they're being forced up by the water.

In parts of the European countries as well, if the speed limit is 100 K's, it changes when it is raining, so the speed limit drops, but it doesn't tell you that, so you have to know.

QUEST (voice-over): Night driving also requires far more attention to detail, and with clogged roads and traffic jams, don't make matters worse by giving yourself false deadlines.

DAVID LEWIS, PSYCHOLOGIST: One way of releasing the pressure on you if you are going to a meeting, say, I'll see you around about 12, rather than making the specific deadline time, because you simply can't tell on the roads today what delays you're going to face.

QUEST (on camera): I've been driving for what seems like an age, endless miles of motorways. I'm tired and my concentration is waning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more than two hours driving at a time, I recommend.

LEWIS: One of the most dangerous things you can do is drive while you're sleepy. You can run the risk of having what we call a microsleep. This is just a sleep which lasts just a few seconds, but if you're driving at 70 miles on hour on a motorway, it can be fatal.

My advise would be pull off the road somewhere safe, have a cup of coffee, and then, if you need to, try to get 10 or 15 minutes sleep.

QUEST (voice-over): Advanced driving courses are a worthwhile investment for those who spend their working life on the highway. They'll equip you with new skills and reduce your insurance bills. And with new skills and greater confidence comes perhaps a chance to sit back once again and enjoy motoring.

So if you have any stories about your life on the road and work behind the wheel, I want to hear them. Send them to me at Quest@CNN.com. We might even post them on our Web site, where there is a host of useful information for the traveler. CNN.com/BusinessTraveller.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: I have now reached the beautiful Lake District of Italy. That's Lake Como. I've got two hours to kill. That's the beauty of being in the car. I'm in charge. Stop and start when I want.

Now I don't need any maps or electronic guides because I've got to real thing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VINCENT PILOY: I'm Vincent Piloy (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Welcome (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

While we are here this afternoon, I have planned three things for you, but first of all let's go for lunch in the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) way.

Here we are in a site which is a red site in the guide, which means that this is a very special place.

QUEST: When we talk about the Michelin guide, we all really want to go and have lunch in the three-star restaurants. We just don't want to pay the three-star prices.

PILOY: You have plenty of addresses where you can have lunch for less than (UNINTELLIGIBLE). You don't always go to a restaurant just for what is inside the plates. This is one part of it. But also the atmosphere, like the sights, are very important.

Now, Richard, we are going on a beautiful drive and we'll navigate around Lake Como. Here we are in the place in Italy where you have all these lakes, Lake Como, Lake (UNINTELLIGIBLE), so this lake is very, very deep. It is one of the deepest in the district, even the deepest, like Lake Como, more than 100 meters.

QUEST: Lovely. Isn't it?

PILOY: Yes, we can have a nice view of the lake. You see the lake here? Como is just behind us.

QUEST: Aye-aye-aye (ph), the Italian drivers.

PILOY: Incredible. You have to be very careful when driving.

So Richard, I am now leaving you there, but you can not leave Italy without doing a last thing. I have programmed on the navigation system your last destination. This will drive you to an Italian cooking lesson.

QUEST: Cooking?

PILOY: Enjoy it.

QUEST: Cooking?

PILOY: Bye-bye.

QUEST: I'm in the kitchen of Gautiero Maltazi (ph), the first Italian chef to receive three Michelin stars.

Teach me, maestro. Teach me what you can.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is for an appetizer.

QUEST: Oh, wow. Excellent.

Difficult. Back where I belong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And when we come back, driving with a man who knows no speed limit. On the road with BMW Williams driver Mark Webber.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: I'm on the Formula One race track at Munzer (ph), outside Milan. Let's face facts. I don't have the driving skills nor certainly the car for this sort of motoring.

One man who has a lot is the BMW Williams driver, Mark Webber. We've been on the road with him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK WEBBER, BMW WILLIAMS DRIVER: Of course you have to have a huge amount of confidence and a huge amount of trust in your own ability to feel what the car is doing. You need to be relatively brave, I suppose, but that comes with experience.

We normally start the season with some fly away races, many down in Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain, that part of the world; come back to Europe for five or six races. Then we go to Northern America to do the races over there. Then back to Europe again. So now we are finishing with some more races abroad again.

It is a long season. Some of the races are back to back, so weekend after weekend, so if you have any problems, you need to be able to react very quickly.

When you come to Formula One in such a very, very quick car which we drive in Formula One, you need to have good reactions. Your vision is very, very important when it comes to driving a car, with your balance and all those sort of things.

Generally, I'll get frustrated when I drive on the roads. I think most racing drivers are probably pretty impatient when it comes to driving on the roads. We expect everyone probably to drive a little bit quicker and have probably the reactions, I suppose, that we do, or read the situation like we do.

There are some nice roads you can enjoy driving in road cars, no question about it, in the south of France or in Scotland or some of the really twisty, windy roads in the hilly countryside. I enjoy sometimes doing that. In a nice car, that's fun, on a nice day. Also driving around in snowy conditions.

I enjoy going to other countries. I don't really like the traveling. I certainly don't mind being on a plane once a month, that's fine, but it does wear you out. Even the short-haul flights within Europe sometimes can be very tiring.

I try to travel very light, and if I can get away with not putting bags in the undercarriage, then I can just get off the plane and go very quickly.

I enjoy the speed. I enjoy the adrenaline of never really knowing what is around the corner, so that is always very humbling, but you really do deliver sometimes, and that's very rewarding.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: And that's CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER for this month. I'm Richard Quest, now in Italy. 1300 kilometers under my belt. Time the abandon the car and do it like the locals.

Whenever your travels may take you, I hope it's profitable. I'll see you next month.

END

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Aired March 13, 2005 - 07:30:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: It could be one of these. You hope it's one of these. And when you have made it, it's one of these. But it's more likely to be one of these.
On this month's CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER, we're taking to the road, and the Rolls isn't an option.

Hello and welcome to this month's CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER. I'm Richard Quest, reporting from a wet, wintry Amsterdam, the sort of day you dread taking to the road, but that's what we're looking at this month.

We've abandoned air travel and we're focussing on those of you who do your business on the highways and byways. The traveling salesman, the executive who spends his life renting cars. And I'm taking a road trip from Amsterdam to Milan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(voice-over): I work in four countries in four days and find out how to stay organized with the latest technology. I'll be getting advice and advanced driving tips to prepare for the hazards ahead. And we go on the road with a driver who knows no speed limit, Mark Webber, from the BMW Williams team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The first task of my journey is to rent the car that I'm going to drive from Amsterdam to Milan. Collecting the vehicle should be the easy bit, but if you don't come prepared and make the right decisions, then frankly an easy task will become a nasty chore.

Hello. I've come to get me a car.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): We all have a rental car horror story. Endless forms, hunting for the car, and the seemingly unending costs.

(on camera): How much? Have I bought the car?

(voice-over): Ironically, we are obsessed by our flight plans, but it is the rental car that gets us to the final mile, so pay attention closely.

MALCOLM GINSBERG, "AIR AND BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS": Always try to make the deal before you go, get the thing signed up, get your piece of paper. You're then guaranteed the vehicle at the other end.

QUEST: But, of course, I wasn't that organized.

(on camera): So with all these forms to be filled in and driving licenses to be shown, I could be here for some time to come.

QUEST: Hello, Richard, what are you doing here?

QUEST: Oh, hello, how are you. Look, I'm renting a car, Richard. I'm driving to Milan.

QUEST: Well, yes, but why are you in front of the counter?

QUEST: Well, you see, I've got to rent to car, and I've got to show my passport and fill in the insurance details.

QUEST: You mean you don't have a gold card?

QUEST: A gold card? No. Why? Do you?

QUEST: Well, of course. I'm going straight after my car. Look, I'll see you at dinner.

QUEST: Have a nice journey.

(voice-over): The big rental companies all offer incentive programs. Loyalty to one group is the quickest route to upgrades and ultimately free rentals.

Where the gold cards make a real difference is in getting you on the road as quickly as probable.

When selecting the car, the cheapest is not always the best option.

GINSBERG: If you, as a business traveler, are arriving at the other end, whether you are the customer or the seller, if you're going to turn up in a Ford Fiesta or a Mercedes C-series, which is going to give the best impression? Now, it may well be that the customer at the other end doesn't see you, but he probably will.

QUEST: So, now get ready to pay. Everything costs more than you expected. That luxury upgrade, an extra cost. And fuel, the car companies can charge as much as a dollar extra per liter to fill up the empty tank, and then there is insurance. Loss damage, collision damage, theft, personal liability. It all adds up.

Insurance can set you back around $30. It is a minor investment to preempt a major catastrophe.

WILLIAM JONES, HERTZ: Usually the best option for anybody renting a car anywhere in the world is to by a fully inclusive rate. So a rate that has all the necessary insurances included. Don't get fooled by what appears to be a too-good-to-be-true rate, because usually it is.

QUEST (on camera): I'll take them all.

(voice-over): And if you come out from the forest of paper, now just find the car.

STEVE MEAD, INST. OF ADVANCED MOTORISTS: All right, Richard, you've arrived. You hired the car. The car is just sitting over here. What we're going to do is walk over and have a look at it because it is naturally assumed that the rental car will have everything working, and that is already a recipe for disaster.

Have a look under the bonnet. Oil is always yellow. Check to see if the water level for the radiator and the coolant is there. Is there enough water in the washer bottle?

QUEST (on camera): Plenty there.

MEAD: Have a look at the vehicle. You've signed for it. Have a look to see if there is any substantial damage or just scratch marks, and while you are doing it, just have a quick look at the tire treads.

Good luck, Richard, and safe driving.

QUEST: Didn't take long, did it? Just a few hours on the road and look at the car. It is like a tent. Fast food wrappers, soft drink bottles, treats, maps, everywhere. I have no idea where I am and I'm late for my appointment. The fact is, I'm a mess.

If I am going to be efficient on the road, I need to turn to technology.

(voice-over): It is the driver's nightmare, getting from A to B without visiting the rest of the alphabet along the way.

Satellite technology called GPS takes the pain out of the task, especially these new handheld devices.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take out the GPS receiver. This goes on the dashboard of your car. It looks at the sky and brings down a signal and then talks to your phone.

The only other thing that you need is a memory card, preinstalled with a map of your region, and you plug that into your phone like this, and then simply switch it back on and TomTom Mobile is installed.

QUEST: TomTom is using my mobile phone to give me directions. I've called the voice Jane.

MECHANICAL VOICE: Turn right, then turn left.

QUEST: In my car, Jane has a rival, Michelin's navigation system using my PDA. Meet Matilda.

MECHANICAL VOICE: Remain in the left-hand lane.

QUEST (on camera): Talk about your backseat drivers. With Matilda and Jane -- only one of you can be right.

(voice-over): From German castles to country roads to long distance motorway driving, across three countries, these two machines keeping me on the straight and narrow.

GPS has been around for ten years. It is nothing new. But these handheld devices are much more advanced. Today's software knows the local petrol stations, where I can park, and in the Michelin version, where I can eat well.

For a couple of hundred dollars, a mobile system like TomTom or Michelin is pretty essentially for life on the road. Just keep the paper version handy. It may be your last best hope.

(on camera): Well, I can't see the border.

(voice-over): Staying on the right route is one thing. Making your car work for you is quite another.

Elaine McCague finds a life behind the wheel requires much planning.

ELAINE MCCAGUE, BUSINESS TRAVELER: Because you're not in an office, your car is kind of your office, to make sure you have everything in it for work as you can't just pop back to get something that you're missing.

QUEST: The car manufacturers are heeding calls for the perfect portable office. No need to bring anything, it is already built in.

(on camera): This Audi Quattro bristles with gadgets. For the ultimate traveling salesman, there is a table where you can put your laptop, a phone and Internet connection, all music capability and don't forget that fax machine for getting those essential contracts. When it all gets too much, how about a bottle of the bubbly.

Now, just one more thing. My newspaper. Thank you.

(voice-over): So whether you're in an Audi Quattro or a less sophisticated vehicle, like this, the key is to minimize time driving and maximize productivity, and for that we need the best possible guidance.

MECHANICAL VOICE: You have reached your destination.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: Now I'm well on my way, so I fancied a short pit stop. I've got myself some black forest gatto (ph) which is just as well, because that's the Black Forest behind me.

It is all part of making the journey as interesting as the destination.

We'll have more on that in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: Now don't mind me. I'm just trying to get round this round- about, but frankly, I'm on the wrong side of the road, I'm not sure where I'm going. There are a lot of angry drivers and I think my safety is probably starting to diminish.

I need help!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Richard, all of this is common sense.

QUEST: OK, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Assume that everybody else on the road is a fool. Look left and stay right. Drive defensively, not aggressively. Where you're going, Richard, it's kilometers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST (voice-over): It may all be the European Union, but that's where the similarity probably ends. For instance, Germany's roads, fast and furious. Italy's, narrow and nasty. And road signs do little to help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only difficult ones are the little ones about speed limits, rights of way, whether you can stay in this lane, where the exit is. You've got to have read up about them in the first place to see what signs you're going to come across in this particular country.

QUEST: The time to really worry is when the weather deteriorates and you're on unfamiliar roads.

(on camera): It is very picturesque, but it feels treacherous to drive on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bank to the right is more likely to have more standing water in it than any of the other three lanes or four lanes, because a lot of traffic has used that, so there's going to be dips in it. The tires will lose contact with the road surface because they're being forced up by the water.

In parts of the European countries as well, if the speed limit is 100 K's, it changes when it is raining, so the speed limit drops, but it doesn't tell you that, so you have to know.

QUEST (voice-over): Night driving also requires far more attention to detail, and with clogged roads and traffic jams, don't make matters worse by giving yourself false deadlines.

DAVID LEWIS, PSYCHOLOGIST: One way of releasing the pressure on you if you are going to a meeting, say, I'll see you around about 12, rather than making the specific deadline time, because you simply can't tell on the roads today what delays you're going to face.

QUEST (on camera): I've been driving for what seems like an age, endless miles of motorways. I'm tired and my concentration is waning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more than two hours driving at a time, I recommend.

LEWIS: One of the most dangerous things you can do is drive while you're sleepy. You can run the risk of having what we call a microsleep. This is just a sleep which lasts just a few seconds, but if you're driving at 70 miles on hour on a motorway, it can be fatal.

My advise would be pull off the road somewhere safe, have a cup of coffee, and then, if you need to, try to get 10 or 15 minutes sleep.

QUEST (voice-over): Advanced driving courses are a worthwhile investment for those who spend their working life on the highway. They'll equip you with new skills and reduce your insurance bills. And with new skills and greater confidence comes perhaps a chance to sit back once again and enjoy motoring.

So if you have any stories about your life on the road and work behind the wheel, I want to hear them. Send them to me at Quest@CNN.com. We might even post them on our Web site, where there is a host of useful information for the traveler. CNN.com/BusinessTraveller.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: I have now reached the beautiful Lake District of Italy. That's Lake Como. I've got two hours to kill. That's the beauty of being in the car. I'm in charge. Stop and start when I want.

Now I don't need any maps or electronic guides because I've got to real thing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VINCENT PILOY: I'm Vincent Piloy (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Welcome (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

While we are here this afternoon, I have planned three things for you, but first of all let's go for lunch in the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) way.

Here we are in a site which is a red site in the guide, which means that this is a very special place.

QUEST: When we talk about the Michelin guide, we all really want to go and have lunch in the three-star restaurants. We just don't want to pay the three-star prices.

PILOY: You have plenty of addresses where you can have lunch for less than (UNINTELLIGIBLE). You don't always go to a restaurant just for what is inside the plates. This is one part of it. But also the atmosphere, like the sights, are very important.

Now, Richard, we are going on a beautiful drive and we'll navigate around Lake Como. Here we are in the place in Italy where you have all these lakes, Lake Como, Lake (UNINTELLIGIBLE), so this lake is very, very deep. It is one of the deepest in the district, even the deepest, like Lake Como, more than 100 meters.

QUEST: Lovely. Isn't it?

PILOY: Yes, we can have a nice view of the lake. You see the lake here? Como is just behind us.

QUEST: Aye-aye-aye (ph), the Italian drivers.

PILOY: Incredible. You have to be very careful when driving.

So Richard, I am now leaving you there, but you can not leave Italy without doing a last thing. I have programmed on the navigation system your last destination. This will drive you to an Italian cooking lesson.

QUEST: Cooking?

PILOY: Enjoy it.

QUEST: Cooking?

PILOY: Bye-bye.

QUEST: I'm in the kitchen of Gautiero Maltazi (ph), the first Italian chef to receive three Michelin stars.

Teach me, maestro. Teach me what you can.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is for an appetizer.

QUEST: Oh, wow. Excellent.

Difficult. Back where I belong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And when we come back, driving with a man who knows no speed limit. On the road with BMW Williams driver Mark Webber.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: I'm on the Formula One race track at Munzer (ph), outside Milan. Let's face facts. I don't have the driving skills nor certainly the car for this sort of motoring.

One man who has a lot is the BMW Williams driver, Mark Webber. We've been on the road with him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK WEBBER, BMW WILLIAMS DRIVER: Of course you have to have a huge amount of confidence and a huge amount of trust in your own ability to feel what the car is doing. You need to be relatively brave, I suppose, but that comes with experience.

We normally start the season with some fly away races, many down in Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain, that part of the world; come back to Europe for five or six races. Then we go to Northern America to do the races over there. Then back to Europe again. So now we are finishing with some more races abroad again.

It is a long season. Some of the races are back to back, so weekend after weekend, so if you have any problems, you need to be able to react very quickly.

When you come to Formula One in such a very, very quick car which we drive in Formula One, you need to have good reactions. Your vision is very, very important when it comes to driving a car, with your balance and all those sort of things.

Generally, I'll get frustrated when I drive on the roads. I think most racing drivers are probably pretty impatient when it comes to driving on the roads. We expect everyone probably to drive a little bit quicker and have probably the reactions, I suppose, that we do, or read the situation like we do.

There are some nice roads you can enjoy driving in road cars, no question about it, in the south of France or in Scotland or some of the really twisty, windy roads in the hilly countryside. I enjoy sometimes doing that. In a nice car, that's fun, on a nice day. Also driving around in snowy conditions.

I enjoy going to other countries. I don't really like the traveling. I certainly don't mind being on a plane once a month, that's fine, but it does wear you out. Even the short-haul flights within Europe sometimes can be very tiring.

I try to travel very light, and if I can get away with not putting bags in the undercarriage, then I can just get off the plane and go very quickly.

I enjoy the speed. I enjoy the adrenaline of never really knowing what is around the corner, so that is always very humbling, but you really do deliver sometimes, and that's very rewarding.

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QUEST: And that's CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER for this month. I'm Richard Quest, now in Italy. 1300 kilometers under my belt. Time the abandon the car and do it like the locals.

Whenever your travels may take you, I hope it's profitable. I'll see you next month.

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