Lanusei, Italy + Add a trip

Automobiles

Hiring a car is essential if you want to explore the island; check the airport you're flying to for car rental hire. Smith cardholders get a ten per cent discount; simply quote '635230' when you reserve a car.

Planes

You should have no trouble getting a direct flight to Sardinia. If you're staying along the Emerald Coast, Olbia or Alghero are the closest airports. Cabs from the airport are cheap, but they sometimes charge extra for luggage: agree the fare before you get in. There are also boats from mainland Italy and from France to Olbia, Alghero and Porto Torres.

Trains

Trains in Sardinia are pretty slow - great for scenic routes but not so good for actually getting anywhere.

Dialing

Country code for Italy: 39.

Reads

Sardinian author Grazia Deledda was the first woman to win the Nobel prize for literature; try her Woman and the Priest. Sea and Sardinia is DH Lawrence's account of his trip to the island in 1921, and his love for the place.

Do go / Don't Go

Sardinia is renowned for being very wet in the winter, and many hotels and restaurants are closed during these damper months. The ideal time to visit is in May, June and July, when the flowers are in full bloom and the evenings are still cool. Watch out for the Ferragosto holiday in mid-August, when many shops and restaurants close.

Cuisine

As an island culture poised between Italy, Spain and Tunisia, Sardinia has the fresh, tasty food that you'd expect, from home-style simple produce to Michelin-starred cuisine. The north of the island is famous for its shellfish, in particular.

Taxis

Taxis are cheap. It's not usually possible to hail them in the street, but your hotel can book cars for you, and there are cab ranks in the larger towns and villages.

Tipping

At restaurants, the service charge is included in the bill, although an additional small tip of a few euros is usually expected. It is common to tip hotel staff, porters, taxi drivers and tour guides.

Currency

Euro.

Packing

Take good quality sunglasses if you plan to do any driving. And it's also de rigueur style-wise on this glamorous island.

Arts

Footprints of other cultures dot Sardinia in the form of ancient archaeological wonders. If you think it all sounds too much like a school trip, go to the Roman amphitheatre in Cagliari or the Phoenician-Punic city of Sulci and see if you're not impressed.

And...

In The Spy Who Loved Me, Atlantis - the hideaway of Bond villain and general threat-to-world-peace Stromberg - is at Porto Cervo in Sardinia. There's a pretty good car chase round the island, too, in a fabulous Lotus Esprit.

Shopping

There's a market every week in most towns: in Santa Teresa it's every Thursday, with clothes, food and local arts and crafts on offer. Sardinia is especially proud of its tapestries and locally produced wines.

Viewpoint

At Santa Teresa di Gallura, take a stroll up to the church on Piazza San Vittorio and go through the archway on the left. From there you can feast your eyes upon the stunning Rena Bianca beach and the clear turquoise sea, with Corsica in the distance.

Something

Around 3,000 years ago, Sardinia was specked with granite watchtowers, and the ruins of many of these startling nuraghi structures remain today, hidden in the Supramonte Mountains. Climb up to explore these little stony igloos, and get amazing views of the Mediterranean below.

May The Festa di San Simplico at the beautiful church in Olbia sees a musical procession, fireworks and a celebration of a local legend: the mussel. June The Festa della Madonna del Mare e di San Giovanni Battista, also in Olbia, is another religious festival with a procession of decorated boats. August The Mountain Festival up in Tempio Pausania combines further celebrations of food and religion. If you go along, take time to visit the local baths and spas.