The Italian island of Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean with over 1,500 miles of coastline and located about five hours west by ferry from the mainland of Italy.

The three main Sardinia airports to fly to from the UK are Olbia in the north east, Alghero in the north west and Cagliari in the south, with flight durations from 2 hours 30 minutes.

Costa Smeralda or the Emerald Coast is in the north east; a world famous holiday destination. Particularly well known are the areas of Porto Rotondo with its yacht fringed harbour, and the seaside resort of Porto Cervo. Dramatic granite mountains drop down to small beaches and promontories, with manmade bathing platforms perfect for a dip in the cool azure sea. When on holiday in Sardinia, a boat trip to the Tavolara Island Marine Reserves and National Park Maddalena’s Archipelago, should be top of your list. There are many good beach resorts on the north coast of Sardinia including Badesi, Valledoria and Isola Rossa.  A quieter resort about 90 miles from Olbia is Cala Gonone, with is peaceful beaches and the caves of Blue Marino.

The north west coast of Sardinia is home to many pretty and popular seaside resorts, and a dramatic coastline which includes fantastic sandy beaches and scenic jagged cliffs.  Historic Alghero with its cobbled lanes and fortified walls oozes charm, but if you’re looking for popular seaside fun and sweeping beaches too, you won’t have far to travel (Maria Pia beach). Alghero is the ideal base from which to explore the north east during your Sardinia holidays with a good choice of hotels and self catering accommodation, many fine restaurants and pizzerias, and a selection of stores. Do visit the provincial capital of Sassari with its boulevards leading to sun soaked squares and huge number of shops, and 12th Century cliff top Castelsardo with its narrow steep paths leading to spectacular views of the Mediterranean.

In southern Sardinia, Cagliari is the island’s capital. Overlooked by mountain ranges, the southern beaches are stunning and lapped by clear azure waters, perfect for many lazy days in the sun.  A busy port town, vibrant Cagliari is dominated by its castle and surrounded by the medieval walls.  An area popular with hikers and bird watchers is Pula with the salt hills and Sulcis mountain range, although its long sandy beach draws in the majority of visitors. The town comes alive at night with its open air cafes and restaurants and late opening shops. For beaches, head to Nora Beach near Pula, and if staying at the Forte Village, St Margherita. One of the best beaches in Europe is Chia with its sand dunes and plenty of refreshments. Take out a kayak, swim or surf but head to Molentes beach and snorkelling is the preferred sport.

Flight only holidays become very popular in the autumn and spring, as these “periods” are predominately known as “off peak”, so tickets are easier to purchase, prices are lower, and availability of car hire and hotel or self catering accommodation, more readily available.

This is also the time for airline “seat sales” where if you book by a certain period, prices can start from as little as £6.00 per person each way (watch out for taxes and additional fees though)!

To keep your flight only price down, also look at departing from a regional airport like Bristol, Liverpool and East Midlands, or Plymouth and Southampton, as opposed to Gatwick or Heathrow. Also look at the arrival airports, and maybe Reus is cheaper than Barcelona or Beauvais cheaper than Paris Charles de Gaulle! The more flexible you are with your travel dates, the more chance you have of bagging a bargain!

So where might you like a cheap flight with almost certain accommodation available?

The south of Spain would be ideal! Buy a cheap flight to Malaga, with any number of self catering studios or low cost hotels available on the Costa del Sol coast, so that you could stay in Mijas, Nerja, Marbella or Estepona.

Dublin, capital of Eire is great for an autumn break; not far but full of life! Do have a quick look at availability in general around your selected dates though, just in case there are any trade shows on…

How about budget flights to Funchal in Madeira? Well known for its high number of beds, there is an excellent choice of accommodation from budget 3 star to glorious and luxurious five star hotels.
Riga, the capital of Latvia is still not well known in the UK, but there are apartments, hostels and hotel accommodation readily available; the historical centre has been declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You could fly to Shannon in Ireland, Toulon in southern France, Alicante on the east coast of Spain, or Turin or Rimini in northern Italy! There are cheap flights to Tenerife in the Canaries, Marrakesh in Morocco and Porto in northern Portugal – to name but a few!

With the Apuan Alps as your back drop and an endless beautiful sandy Blue Flag beach to the fore with the Tyrrhenian and Mediterranean waves gently lapping the shore, the only place you could be is on one of the Tuscany beaches on the north west coast of Italy.

Many think that Tuscany only has an offering of stunning countryside dotted with authentic rural cottages, and striking historic cities such as Pisa (20 km from Viareggio), Florence (80 km), Sienna (130km) and Lucca, but add the Tuscan beaches and you’ll realise that this Italian region offers the full package!

The area to the north of Tuscany boasting the most famous stretch of beaches is the Riviera Versilia, which incorporates the chic seaside towns of Forte dei Marmi, popular Viareggio, as well as Marina di Pietrasanta and Lido di Camiore.

The quickest way to reach the beaches of Tuscany is to fly to Pisa airport and collect your prebooked hire car. Remember, there has been much press lately about the lack of cars available to hire this summer in Italy, so don’t arrive expecting a huge choice of vehicles if any at all – unless car hire has been pre arranged!

Many airlines fly from London to Pisa including an assortment of low cost carriers, charter airlines and scheduled carriers such as British Airways. There are also flights to Pisa from Bristol, Birmingham, Bournemouth, East Midlands, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds – and many other UK airports.

The journey from Pisa airport to the Tuscan beach resort of Viareggio by road is easy and well sign posted, taking about 30 to 40 minutes to drive. Viareggio to Forte dei Marmi takes a further 20 to 25 minutes by car, travelling through Lido di Camaiore and Marina di Pietrasanta.

The Tuscan Riviera resort of Viareggio (the nearest beach to Florence) is situated in the centre of Versilia within the Province of Lucca and has been named the “Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea”.  Ten kilometres of soft sand line the Viareggio coast with nearly two thirds of the area managed by private resorts and hotels. A promenade complete with cafes, shops, galleries and entertainment areas follows the beach which shelves gently into the sea, making Viareggio the perfect location for a family holiday in Italy. Nightlife is plentiful and there is an excellent choice of good restaurants in Viareggio too. Whilst on holiday in Viareggio why not hire a bike and ride into the hills and explore the medieval villages or sail on the lake in Torre del Lago, or if you are lucky, enjoy a Puccini opera in the open-air theatre?

Meaning “Fort of the marbles” and the home of singer Andrea Bocelli, the seaside town of Forte dei Marmi is situated between Marinas of Ronci and Pietrasanta. Well known for its sandy beaches and bathing establishments, many hotels from three to five stars line the coast; a resort popular with wealthy Italians. When on holiday in Forte dei Marmi do take a boat trip to the island of Elba or Portofino!

Romantic city breaks, peaceful countryside retreats, scenic island holidays or bustling seaside resorts? A holiday in Italy can offer you all this and more!

Charter and low cost airlines fly to numerous airports throughout Italy which means that short breaks and long summer holidays are simple to arrange.  Add car hire with easyCar and your holiday will be full of fascinating trip of discoveries and suprises.

Along the Adriatic coast facing Slovenia and Croatia, is the stunning northern city of Venice, famous for St Marks Square, its winding canals and romantic gondola rides. Car hire Venice airport is also popular for exploring the Dolomite mountain range.

Milan, a great city break location for shopping, and Turin, are also access points to the Dolomites and Alps for winter skiing and summer hiking holidays. If visiting Lake Garda or Lake Como, use Milan or Bergamo airports.  Car hire is recommended particularly for families with young children, as it makes transport to the lakes hassle free, with your holiday starting at your pace, rather than that of a local transport timetable!

In the north of Italy but facing the Mediterranean and Tyrrhenian Seas, are the cities of Pisa and Florence.  These gateways to the idyllic scenery of Tuscany are also fantastic city holiday settings. You may only need to spend a few days in Pisa visiting the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa but a holiday in Roman Florence, Tuscany’s capital, warrants at least four days! Arrange car rental from Pisa or Florence airports and not only can you then explore the beautiful rolling Tuscan countryside but its popular sandy beach resorts such as Viareggio and Forte dei Marmi.

The largest Italian island is Sardinia. Fly to Cagliari airport and collect car hire in the south of the island, or Olbia in the north east.  Alghero airport is on the north west coast.  The island is lined with spectacular beaches and luxury living, but is steeped in history just waiting for you to explore!

Don’t forget the other favourites such as the island of Sicily situated between Italy and Tunisia, the islands of Capri and Iscia near Naples, the city of Rome and central Perugia.