Information and tips

Anyone who has decided to rent a vacation home “privately” has hit the jackpot as far as freedom  and autonomy are concerned. Tisenti maintains direct contacts with the owner-landlords and exerts influence on them on your behalf to ensure comfortable vacation living. Nevertheless, there are some special aspects that you should note.

What you could be interested in…

Doctors

Medical care in the vacation resorts is very good during the summer months. As long as it is not something serious: first go to the local “guardia medica”. It is well marked in every town and provides good first aid for smaller aches and pains. 
If the issue turns out to be more serious, it might be advisable to call the local service team. They will be happy to provide you with addresses of local doctors. And if the situation does become precarious: dial 112!

Carabinieri

The “carabinieri” are comparable to our policemen. Every smaller town has a “caserma” which serves as a point of contact for problems like traffic accidents, theft, break-ins, etc. If you do have to make use of the “carabinieri’s” help, you should plan enough time and take a small dictionary to the station.

Public transportation

We will say this much: yes, it exists! Sounds like a “but”, right? Exactly! Public transportation does exist on the island, but buses often only run a few times a day – at least along the coast. So if you have enough time to spare and you figure out the necessary information in advance (info page), you can travel from A to B on a shoestring. However, public buses are no substitute for a rental car.

Traffic tickets

This is an issue that arises constantly: people get a traffic ticket in Italy and then ask “Should I pay it or not?” Of course you should pay! Otherwise, you will be getting mail sooner than later. Unfortunately, it will not be a love letter from the country of la dolce vita, but a payment demand with various charges on top of the original amount. Therefore, you will save money, if you make a visit to the bank or an authorized tobacco and newspaper shop (Tabacchi) and pay the ticket right away! erleichtern!

Excursions

Sardinia is a very versatile island which mainly offers natural landmarks. The different landscape formations along the eastern and western coast and the legendary hinterland are popular destinations for excursions. But please note that the island is very large and the distances that have to be covered are correspondingly great. Despite the fact that Sardinia has a very well-developed road system, a day trip should not take you farther than 100 kilometers from your resort.

Shopping and food

Sardinia is a true paradise for lovers of fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, cheese and wine. Everything is fresh, cheap and available nearby.

Our tip: In every town there are markets once or twice week where local producers sell their products. You will definitely get your money’s worth there! You can find information on markets in your vacation home and on our Google expert map beneath every accommodation description.

One more thing: people keep asking us if shopping is more expensive in Sardinia. Plain and simple: no – not if you adapt to domestic products and the corresponding eating and drinking habits.

Restaurants and tips

There are usually a large number of restaurants and pizzerias in vacation resorts. We have marked a few of the restaurants that we particularly like and recommend on our expert map.

However, we do want to point out the opportunity of having dinner at a so-called agriturismo. This term means – quite simply – “farm house dining“. The advantage of having dinner at an agriturismo is that you obtain a great overview of the essentials of Sardinian cuisine and – whether you are a vegetarian or a meat lover – there is usually something there for everyone during the multi-course meal.

One more thing concerning tips: they are not really expected in Italy. But of course, +/- 10 % as a rule of thumb are greatly appreciated at any establishment.

Waste separation

The waste separation system in Sardinia is pretty much as bad and as elaborate as it can get. The intent might be commendable, but unfortunately, execution is very complicated. We do not want to go into full detail on this topic, so we will just give you the most important facts: Every household has various trash cans that are collected at various times. How and where to discard the various contents is explained in our video.

Important: if the local “waste sheriff” catches you not separating correctly, you can expect a fine of up to €250. The tickets are assigned and delivered to the respective homeowner using the identification on the waste containers. The homeowner then provides the rental client’s information and the tickets are forwarded to the  guest who stayed at the vacation rental.

This is why we advise you to always take everything to the local waste collection point right away. You will find the addresses in your customer area after you complete your booking.

Case of damage in the vacation home

Who has this not happened to yet? Something falls on the ground, a broken window or maybe the washing machine door was opened a tad too enthusiastically? Well, there is no need to worry – at least not if you are forthcoming and let your local caretaker know. That type of claim is usually viewed sympathetically by the homeowners. Also, it is generally covered by personal liability insurance.

On behalf of everyone: please be honest and report any damage you have caused. Discovering damage after the fact is so much more costly and annoying – for everyone.

What can you expect?

Please always remember that the holiday homes we present to you were originally built with a view to the habits and needs of a Sardinian family. It is quite obvious that some of the standards relating to electrical, sanitary and sleeping facilities are defined somewhat differently than in the German-speaking region. The sizes of the typical Italian “Cameretta” – which would be the children’s rooms in Germany – and the second bathroom found in many houses including fixtures (shower, etc.) are not always geared to the body measurements and habits of Central Europeans.

Conclusion of the renatl contract

Tisenti is not a tour operator: it is a vacation rental agency. This means that you are not being offered a package holiday that is completely organised all the way down to the smallest details. Instead you are being given access to a holiday home in Sardinia through conclusion of a rental contract with the home owner.

Summer holiday in Sardinia

A holiday in Sardinia is an excursion to an island that will reward you with impressive and fascinating experiences. You can look forward to meeting delightful people and you can rest assured that the sight of the sun – which shines in Sardinia almost all the time – will convince you to simply ignore certain things with a smile or a chuckle.

Reception partner and on-site service

On the day of your arrival in Sardinia, someone will be waiting for you at an easy-to-find meeting place near the holiday home location. You will be taken to the house, shown all of the important things relating to the house and given assistance in the event of serious functional defects. The aim of this service is to give you the assurance that there will always be a partner at your disposal who will help you in an emergency. In order to ensure he is available to act in emergencies, you should not take advantage of his services for errands of a routine nature (changing a light bulb, buying additional tableware, etc.) If smaller items happen to be missing, just go out and purchase them yourself (up to 50 Euros) and give your contact partner the invoice when you leave or send it to Tisenti GmbH when you get home. Your money will be reimbursed in a non-bureaucratic fashion.

Use of airconditioning

Since summer in Sardinia can be rather sweltering, most holiday homes are equipped with air conditioning. We’d like to point out, that when calculating rates it has been assumed that air conditioning will be used at an average manner and only when necessary. Hence: please switch of the air conditioner when leaving the house during the day. If the use of air conditioning exceeds what can be considered an average usage the landlord reserves the right to impose an extra fee to the tenant due to unreasonable handling of the air conditioner. Note that the appliance of such will be checked by reading the meter before and after arrival and before departure of any tenant. Bills will be imposed accordingly.