An Australian traveler has revealed how what began as a dream vacation to Italy allegedly turned into a terrifying ordeal after she claims she was k!dnapped twice within hours by two different men.

Stephanie, a 36-year-old executive from Melbourne, travelled to Europe with friends last October. After her companions returned home, she remained in Italy to explore the country’s €1-house programme, which offers abandoned or dilapidated properties for a symbolic one euro.

She was also drawn to the popular kiteboarding destination of Lo Stagnone, near Marsala in Sicily.

According to Stephanie, the incident began after she attended a meet-up with fellow kiteboarders. Believing she could trust the group, she accepted a ride from a foreign expat as they headed to another bar.

However, she alleged that the driver suddenly sped away from the group despite her repeated requests to stop.

She recalled:

“I got into the car, and he starts driving. We go 300 meters (about 984 ft), 400 meters (about 1312 ft); and he says, ‘let’s see if we can get this car to 160.’

“And I’m like, ‘Sorry, what?’ He starts driving faster and faster, and I’m like, ‘No, please don’t. I want to get out.’

“I’m terrified. So I start pleading, begging, and the car goes faster. Screaming, yelling, and the car goes faster. And these are small Sicilian roads.”

Stephanie said she eventually stopped shouting and instead sent her live location to her kiteboarding instructor.

She further claimed that during the journey, the driver’s passenger appeared confused after asking whether others from the group were coming to the driver’s house.

According to her, the driver replied that no one else was coming, raising further alarm.

She said:

“And then his friend that was in the front passenger seat said to him, ‘Is everyone coming back to your place, are they?’

“And he goes, ‘No, absolutely not, no one’s coming.’

“So I realized that even the friend doesn’t really understand what’s going on. He’s confused.”

Stephanie alleged that after travelling about 12 kilometres, the vehicle entered a gated compound. Fearing for her safety, she decided to test whether the car door was unlocked as an opportunity to escape.

Her account has drawn widespread attention online, with many social media users urging travellers to exercise caution when accepting rides from strangers, especially while visiting unfamiliar destinations.