Time permitting you could consider arriving in Sardinia by sea. This way you could combine a touring holiday, and a relaxing beach holiday.
From the UK you could either consider the shorter drive through France, to Marseilles, and take a ferry to Porto Torres on the north east tip of the island. Alternatively, a longer drive down through Italy, to one of the following ports Genova, Livorno, Piombino or Civitavecchia (Rome), with ferries coming into both Olbia and Golfo Aranci.