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It all kicks off in Rome tomorrow (if we make it!) with the first of half a dozen live reports into the programme at 6.30, then we’re in France, England, Wales, Scotland before finally arriving in Dublin on the eve of Ireland's opening game. A round trip of nearly 6000 miles and we’ll be hooking up with some special guests along the way.

Before the 6 in 6 challenge has even started, my trusty cameraman/editor/all-round technical wizard Gary McCutcheon and I are undertaking a mammoth journey to get to the Italian capital tomorrow evening. No planes. Just trains, boats and an automobile – our 6 Nations BBC Newsline van.

Our trip started with a ferry crossing from Belfast to Stranraer and then an 8 hour drive through Scotland to London for the official launch of the Six Nations Championship at the Hurlingham club yesterday. I had the privilege of interviewing every coach and captain, including Ireland skipper Brian O’Driscoll, who thought we were mad and would like to meet the person who came up with the idea - I promptly introduced him to Gary! Brian has recorded a special message for BBC Newsline viewers which you can see on Friday’s show, and he promised to catch up with us at Croke Park next week. You can also watch the home nations captains spell out their hopes for the tournament on this website.

For this BBC Newsline series we are using the latest technology, which means we can literally stop anywhere on the journey, connect to the Internet, broadcast live, send our television reports, and file our online stories. Last night trying to beat the traffic out of London en route to Folkestone, we cut it a little fine to find a wireless Internet connection, so many thanks to Jenny and Anousca in Wooster & Stock estate agents in Sydenham, for allowing us to use theirs at very short notice! We just about made the deadline to get the story on air.

Enjoying a sambo in the chunnel

From Folkestone we crossed the English channel to Calais, via the Euro tunnel, late last night. It was a simple 45 minute journey through what is regarded as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. We then spent the night in Lens – a city which brings back nightmares for Irish rugby fans. Ireland crashed out of the Rugby World there in 1999 under coach Warren Gatland, who I interviewed yesterday as the man who led Wales to the Grand Slam last year. How times change!

Technical wizard Gary McCutcheon

We are on a tight long distance driving schedule so it’s been meals on wheels as we go. By the time we return it will be 6 Nations. 6 Days. 74 Ham and cheese sandwiches! We’ve just stopped at L’arche restaurant, near Tournous in France, for another toastie and to send the first instalment of our journey, which you can watch by clicking on the story. Only 667 miles to Rome!