We are planning to take a trip to Italy in early October 2025. We will be flying into an airport in northern Italy (probably Milan or Venice) to visit family in the Trento region, and then want to explore an island where I believe the temperatures will be warmer (I'm from Florida and prefer temperatures in the 70s or low 80s). I was originally thinking we would rent a car in Italy and take a car ferry to Sardinia to spend about a week. Then I saw a story on Madeira and am thinking we may enjoy that island more. We love hiking, historical places, delicious food, and wines (I prefer sweet wines and my husband prefers more bold wines). We prefer lush trees to arid climates. Affordability is also a consideration. We would like nice, private rooms (no hostels) for around 60 to 90 euros/night. We plan to have a car while on the island to explore. Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Two nice choices, but how I generally decide is by looking at the flights, etc., and determining what gives me the most time, best schedule, etc. I think driving would eat a lot of time and I would check flights to Sardinia and rent a car on the island.
One thing I would look into specifically is how seasonal each is. I am sure it will be low season in much of Sardinia, but since you are not going for the beach, I don't think that would dissuade me.