Car Hire: Take advantage of the special easyJet inflight rates. Visit the Europcar desk on arrival or call +39 (0)789 69548. Open from 8am-11.30pm seven days a week.

Airport Transfer: Pre-book your door-to-door transfer with easyJet’s transfer partner, Holiday Taxis—from home to the airport, then city or resort (easyjet.holidaytaxis.com).

Taxi: The fare to Olbia costs €13-€15 and the journey takes about 10 minutes.

Bus: The Linea Urbana bus goes to Olbia every half hour and takes about eight minutes. Tickets: €0.60.

Il Veliero
( 40 Corso Umberto. Tel. 0789 25836 )
While nipping in and out of the shops along Corso Umberto, visit this small eatery to refuel on hot pizza or lasagne, home-made of course.

Su Terrabinu
( Porto Rotondo, Strada Rudalza . Tel. 0789 32844 )
A few minutes's drive from Olbia, you'll find this rustic Sardinian restaurant that has no menu—instead you get a price-fixed meal featuring seasonal specialities from land and sea.

Ristorante Sottomonte
( Strada Panoramica Golfo Aranci. Tel. 0789 63002 )
Just off the main road and across from the bay, this secluded restaurant offers a peaceful atmosphere surrounded by hills and beside a little lake. The specialities are the house meats, fish and veggies, all char-grilled on a massive barbecue.

Gallura
( 145 Corso Umberto. Tel. 0789 24648 )
Regarded as the best restaurant in Olbia, Gallura the only one in the city to have a Michelin star. It is famous for its meaty soups. Closed on Monday.

Marku's
( 54 Corso Vittorio Veneto. Tel. 07896 7445 )
Something from the selection of 20 types of hot chocolate, teas and tisanes or fine local cheese and wine is sure to warm you up.

Pub KKult
( 39 Corso Umberto . )
In the heart of the city centre, Pub KKult has heaters outside to keep you warm and beers flowing on tap at the bar. Friday night features local DJs and on Saturday local bands play for the hip crowd.

Cohiba
( 19 Via Acquedotto. )
A fun place for those seeking a late-night, salsa-inspired atmosphere that keeps everyone going until summer arrives. Great fun mid-week—don't miss the tropical drinks.

Close to Africa, Sardinia offers a variety of interesting ethinic items. The eclectic store of Il Mondo sells thousands of artworks, as well as furniture from throughout the Mediterranean area (Terranova. Tel. 07895 7675).

A great way to discover areas that are inaccessible by car, on horseback you can gallop freely across the shoreline or in one of the last regions in Europe home to free-roaming wild horses. Contact Maneggio La Cinta Via Gramsci for more details (Tel. 338 822 8984).

Bring your camera when you explore the countryside surrounding Olbia, as it opens up like a storybook filled with pastures dotted with sheep, mountains and lakes. Beautiful Lake Gusana offers outdoor enthusiasts loads to see and do.

A traditional festival that happens throughout Sardinia, the Fluminimaggiore (Great Fire) originated in the 18th century. Warm yourself by a huge bonfire alongside the locals and to feast on traditional foods. Look out for posters around town for details.

Costa Verde – Take a cruise along the coastline which boasts some of the Mediterranean's most enchanting landscapes. Costa Verde is called the 'Silent Coast' because of its quiet and secluded beaches. Look out for the romantic 19th-century palaces built by English, German and French entrepreneurs who once lived in the area.

The Italian hero and revolutionary Garibaldi was buried in Sardinia in 1882 where his tomb remains. The 'Hero of Two Worlds' lived on a small island off Sardinia.

Compiled by Christine Kessler