Essential information for Sardinia

When to go

If you’re looking for some serious sun, head to Sardinia in the summer months. Throughout July and August temperatures average 25°C, with sea temperatures reaching similar warmth. July offers 12 full hours of sunshine each day, so book your trip around this time of year if you’re hoping to top up your tan.

Travel at the end of September when there are more cheap Sardinia holidays and you can experience the Festa Sant Miquel in Alghero, when locals celebrate the patron saint of the city with fireworks and parades. Temperatures remain around 22°C through September, with wet weather and cooler temperatures arriving in October. By mid-May the weather is starting to look up again, with temperatures around 18°C breaking through the last of the spring showers, before the summer starts to arrive in June with temperatures heading back into the mid-20s.

Health and safety

Tap water is safe to drink in Sardinia, however supplies are sometimes cut off in the summer months due to periods of high demand, so buying bottled water is recommended. It’s also worth purchasing mosquito repellent and, of course, sun cream.

As with any holiday, you should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance to cover yourself and family on your trip. It’s also a good idea to apply for a free European Health Insurance Card – EHIC before leaving the UK as this entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Italian nationals. It won’t, however, cover you for medical repatriation, ongoing medical treatment or non-urgent treatment.

If you’re visiting Sardinia specifically to take part in sports or watersports, including hiking, you should make sure your insurance covers this. See our holiday extras page for more information, and for the latest health and safety information visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/health.

Passports and visas

British citizens don’t need a visa to enter Italy but must have a valid passport. By law, you must carry your passport with you and may need to show it when paying by credit card. For the most up-to-date passport and visa info, visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements.

Getting around

There are reliable local bus and train services on the island, with bus tickets available to purchase from newspaper stands and tobacconists for around 1.20. Town centres are usually compact enough so that everything you need is within walking distance.

If you’re planning on hiring a car, to drive from the east coast of Sardinia to the west will take around two and a half hours. From north to south the drive takes around four hours. Cars drive on the right hand side of the road.

There are four airports on the island. As a guide, a transfer from Alghero airport to Alghero takes around 20 minutes and from Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport you’re less than 10 minutes from Olbiaand just a little further to Costa Smeralda resorts. Most tour operators include transfers as part of a holiday package so getting to your resort is easy.

Advice for travellers with children

Sardinia is packed with gently-sloping, child-friendly beaches to paddle on, as well as having plenty of watersports opportunities for older kids.

Hotels and restaurants in Sardinia are generally very welcoming of children, and those that don’t have children’s menus will sometimes offer ‘mezzo portione’ – half portions – instead. High chairs aren’t as easy to come by as they are in the UK though, so it may be worth packing a portable seat add-on if you’re travelling with small children.

All Inclusive Sardinia holidays are easy to find, and if you book one with us we can help take the stress out of planning a trip with little ones. The vicinity of Sardinia’s airports to popular resorts means you can land within half an hour’s drive of your destination. And the small size of the island means on arrival you’ll be within easy reach of historic sights and all manner of great days out to keep the whole family entertained.

Electricity

Connector type: European two-pin plug

Voltage Info: 220 to 240 volts

Emergency information

112 is the number in Sardinia for emergency situations.

For direct phone lines call: Fire brigade: 115 Ambulance: 118 General Emergencies: 113

You can also dial 1530 for the coastguard and 116 in an emergency road breakdown situation.

British Consulate

If you’re a victim of crime or affected by a crisis overseas, or if something happens to a relative or partner contact the British Consulate in Rome, as there is no embassy on Sardinia itself. Visits are by appointment only, so call ahead and book a slot.

Address: Via Venti Settembre, 80/a, 00187 Rome Phone (from within Italy): +39 06 4220 0001 Phone (from the UK): 020 7008 1500

Hospitals

There are dozens of medical facilities on the island, including several major hospitals, numerous Guardia Medica – public medical centres – and plenty of pharmacies that can help you with advice and medication. Here are some of the biggest.

West Sardinia- Ospedale Civile San Martino Address: Viale Fondazione Rockefeller, 09170 Oristano Phone: +39 0783 3171

Northeast Sardinia- Ospedale San Francesco Address: Via Mannironi, 1, Nuoro NU Phone:+39 0784 240237

North Sardinia- Guardia Medica Turistica Address: Via Sardegna, 08020 San Teodoro OT Phone:+39 0784 866104

South Sardinia- Guardia Medica turistica di Villasimius Address: Via Regina Elena, 10, 09049 Villasimius CA Phone:+39 070 791374

Ospedale Binaghi Address: via Is Guadazzonis, 2, Cagliari Phone:+39 070 609 3149

East Sardinia- Guardia turistica di Santa Maria Navarrese Address: Piazza Olivi, Santa Maria Navarrese OG Phone:+39 0782 615010