Serrara Fontana, Italy + Add a trip

Automobiles

You could hire a car, but Capri's roads are narrow, stomach-churningly winding and dominated by aggressive drivers with horns on permanent alert. Scooter hire gives far more La Dolce Vita points, and, by patronising the snappily named Rent an Electric Scooter (Via Roma 68; +081 837 5863; from €10 for one hour), you can feel satisfyingly green.

Planes

The nearest international airport is Naples.

Trains

No, but boats or helicopters are an option. Take a bus shuttle from the airport to the Molo Beverello quay to catch a 45-min hydrofoil to Capri. Expect an hourly service during the summer and up to five ferries a day during the winter. NLG Linea Jet (+081 552 7209; www.navlib.it) and Snav (+081 428 5111; www.snav.it) both offer 45-min hydrofoil services; Caremar (+081 551 3882; www.caremar.it) operates ferry services (some take cars), which take 1hr 20 mins. If you're light of luggage and heavy of wallet, SAM Helicopters (www.capri-helicopters.com) will whizz you from Naples.

Dialing

The country code for Italy: 39; Naples: 081; Capri 837.

Reads

The Apprentice Lover by Jay Parini; Greene on Capri: A Memoir by Shirley Hazard; The Story of San Michele by Axel Munthe. And for the children's bedtime reading, The King of Capri by Jeanette Winterson.

Do go / Don't Go

Most hotels and restaurants shut from November until mid-March. May and October offer warm weather and few crowds. Prices shoot sky high in July and August.

Cuisine

Tourist-geared fare can be pile-it-high-and-quick. Seafood is a good bet (ask for that day's local catch), as are pizzas. Local specialities include insalata caprese (tomatoes, mozzarella and island-grown peppery basil), ravioli caprese (ricotta and marjoram pasta and sun-ripened-tomato sauce). Torta caprese is a moreish cake of ground almonds and bitter chocolate. The island's famous limoncello, the eerily bright liqueur made from lemon zest, is often given free as a digestivo.

Taxis

Stretch candy-striped open-top Fiats used to negotiate the island's hairpin bends but most have been put out of service. You'll see a few restored Classics touring around, but new seven-seater versions are now made specially for the island: a great way to look glam even when you're in a traffic jam. Pay around €10 from Capri Town to Anacapri.

Tipping

The more expensive an establishment, the more a tip is expected - even if a service charge is included with the bill. Don't feel you have to leave more than 12 per cent though. Leaving the change - a few coins in a bar or café is commonplace, as is rounding up a taxi fare.

Currency

Euro.

Packing

Walking boots or designer trainers. Cashmere sweater to drape over the shoulders for the men (you can spot an Italian by how he carries this off). Real jewellery for the girls. Seasickness tablets for everyone.

Arts

The Museo del Centro Caprense Ignazio Cerio (www.centrocaprense.it) has everything you need to know about the island's pre-history and early inhabitants. Villa Jovis (www.villajovis.it) is the ruin of one of three remaining palaces built by Emperor Tiberius. Visit Certosa di San Giacomo, a Carthusian monastery dating from the 14th century, for free. For a great view as well as Egyptian, Roman and Etruscan artefacts, go to the Villa San Michele, created by Swede Axel Munthe in 1889.

And...

You should get out to sea, because many of Capri's coves aren't accessible by foot or car. Head to the Marina Grande or Marina Piccola, and pick up a hire boat with or without a guide. Sercomar Renting Boats (www.caprisub.com) offers various flash options to hire by the day or week.

Shopping

Like Milan in miniature. Designer boutiques are crammed into the tiny main shopping streets, Via Vittorio Emanuele and Via Camerelle: Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Cavalli. Trip into Canfora (www.canforacapri.com) for adorable handmade Capri sandals, as worn by Grace Kelly and Naomi Campbell. Carthusia Profumi (+39 081 837 0368; www.carthusia.com) has been distilling perfume since 1948, to recipes first created by monks in the 14th century.

Viewpoint

The highest spot is Mount Solaro at 1,932 feet. You can walk it, or take a (slightly scary and swaying) chairlift for €5 return, from Piazza della Vittoria in Anacapri.

Something

The trekking is a real surprise here: a few minutes from the tourist centres will take you along paths bordered by wild flowers nodding out to sea. It's also an easy walk from Anacapri to the island's main tourist attraction, the Blue Grotto, and you'll have the satisfaction of avoiding the traffic jams. Pick up walking maps and routes from the tourist office at 59 Via G Orlandi (+39 081 837 1524).

27 April-1 May Rolex Capri Sailing Week is an annual event that turns Capri into a yachtie equivalent of Monaco at Grand Prix. July Sant'Antonio and San Constantino, patron saints of Anacapri and Capri Town, are celebrated with street processions, stalls and services. December-January The Capri Hollywood Film Festival (www.caprihollywood.com) is paparazzi heaven. Recalling the island's Fifties heyday, it might see you bumping shoulders with Anthony Minghella, Helen Mirren or Faye Dunaway.