Three couples hit the road for mad-cap jaunt from London to Monte Carlo in a brand-new series for ITV1.

Pairing up to embark on this travel adventure are Jack Dee and Ade Edmondson, in a VW camper van, Jodie Kidd and Julian Clary, in a Bentley convertible and Penny Smith and Rory McGrath, in a union jack bedecked Mini Cooper.

The 3×60 series is a co-production between ITV Studios and Modern Television, and was commissioned by Jo Clinton-Davis, ITV Controller of Popular Factual and Alison Sharman, ITV Director of Factual and Daytime. Modern Television’s credits include two series of Greatest Cities of the World with Griff Rhys Jones for ITV1, Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones for BBC One and Ian Fleming: Where Bond Began, presented by Joanna Lumley for BBC One.

The series follows the couples as they set off from Trafalgar Square in London, cross the channel and make their way through France, calling at Paris and Lyon along the way before reaching Monte Carlo. The pairs are in competition to get under the skin of France and discover what makes our closest neighbour tick. As their journey unfolds, taking in the stunning French countryside, winding around breath-taking mountains and cruising along the coastal roads, each couple is tasked with collecting items that best represent the glory, the genius and the guts of France.

At the end of each stage of their journey our intrepid explorers are judged on what they have learned and collected along the way. The overall winners will be revealed in the stunning setting of Monte Carlo in Monaco.

Jo Clinton-Davis said: “We are very excited by the ingredients of this series: a fabulous cast mixed with stunning locations; a blend of travelogue, which has been key to factual’s success in peaktime, and factual entertainment drivers. And we are delighted to be working with both Modern and ITV Studios on this adventure.”

Griff Rhys Jones said: “Following the success of Cities, this is our first venture in co-production with ITV and has been a hugely enjoyable series to make with first class contributions from top stars. It’s a lively, successful format and we hope we can follow up with more projects. Working together has been an excellent experience.”