La dolce vita is getting cheaper
For some time I'd been fantasising about Sardinia - white sandy beaches, cliffs as sheer as footballer Paolo Maldini's cheekbones and warm relaxation to take the chill off the British autumn blues.
This is where Naomi Campbell, Julia Roberts and Sting come to unwind.
It's one of the most expensive destinations in the Mediterranean and when, in September, I looked into the possibility of a fortnight's package for two adults and a toddler, the price of the one we wanted was more than £3,000.
But packages aren't the only way to go. Ryanair offer flights to Alghero, on Sardinia's north-west coast. Amazingly, we could all fly there for less than £135.
So I set myself a challenge - to get our off-season break for no more than half the cost of the package holiday.
There's an art to bagging Ryanair's cheapest fares. The best bargains are on the website, which is up-to-date and easy to use.
You can book up to 11 months ahead on the internet and the further in advance the booking, the cheaper the flights. Avoiding school holidays, being flexible about times and travelling midweek also helps.
We couldn't do a fortnight, and a week wasn't long enough. With Ryanair we could tailor the length of our stay, and after patiently tweaking dates back and forth we booked flights in October which would give us 12 nights and 13 full days.
The next hurdle is finding accommodation, which can be pricey in Italy. However, the internet will save you a small fortune.
When contacted direct many hotels offer rooms for less than two-thirds of the price quoted by travel companies on the same dates.
Travel guide: Sardinia
Page :1 La dolce vita is getting cheaper
Page :2 Closed by October
Page :3 Freshly-baked focaccia
Page :4 Cost-cutting coup
Page :2 Closed by October
Page :3 Freshly-baked focaccia
Page :4 Cost-cutting coup