Sardinia has three main airports: Olbia Costa Smeralda in the north-east, Cagliari Elmas in the south and Alghero Fertilia in the north-west. All three are close to their town, so the trip into the centre usually takes between a quarter of an hour and half an hour. In Cagliari, the train runs from the airport to the main station in under 10 minutes, in Olbia, city buses 2 and 10 run into the centre, and in Alghero, the ARST bus ALFA runs to Via Catalogna right by the Old Town.
Planning a last minute trip to Sardinia? 🇮🇹
Here are some of my favourite places to stay & things to do:
🛌 Places to Stay:
1. 7Pines Resort Sardinia (literally the perfect, luxurious place to stay in Sardinia)
2. Cervo Hotel (fantastic hotel right in the heart of Sardinias Emerald Coast)
3. Hotel Corallaro (family-friendly hotel 200m from the beach)
🎟️ Top Activities & Tours:
1. Take a day trip to La Maddalena (probably the most beautiful small island near Sardinia)
2. Visit the iconic Tavolara Island and enjoy sailing in some of the bluest water in Europe
3. Do an eco-friendly Dolphin watching tour
🚘 If you want to rent a car, I recommend getting an overview on this website.
If you’re heading on to the Costa Smeralda, San Teodoro, Villasimius or Stintino, most people hire a car, because the buses to the resorts don’t run often, and several of them only run in summer. Here are all the options from the three airports with fares, journey times, where to get off, and when a taxi or a transfer is worth it. For the rough conversions I’ve used about £0.84 per euro.
Contents
At a glance
- Olbia, buses 2 and 10: €1 (about £0.85), around 15 to 20 minutes to Via Mameli in the centre, together roughly every 20 minutes from 05:20 to 23:15.
- Olbia, regional buses: ARST to San Teodoro in around 35 minutes for about €3 (about £2.50), Turmo Travel to Santa Teresa di Gallura in just under an hour and a half for €20 (about £17) and, in summer, Sun Lines to Porto Cervo in around 75 minutes.
- Cagliari, train: €1.30 (about £1.10), 6 to 9 minutes to Cagliari station, at least three times an hour from around 06:00 to 23:00.
- Alghero, bus ALFA: about €1 (about £0.85), 20 to 30 minutes to Via Catalogna, roughly once an hour from around 05:20 to 23:00.
- Alghero, bus to Sassari: about €3 (about £2.50), 35 to 40 minutes, around ten departures a day.
- Taxi: at least €15 (about £13) to Olbia town, from €17 (about £14) to central Cagliari and around €25 (about £21) to Alghero.
- Car hire: all three airports have rental companies right by the terminal, and it’s the easiest option if you’re staying by the beaches.
Finding your transport at the airports
Olbia: The buses stop at numbered bays, called stalli, around 50 metres from the arrivals exit. ASPO’s city buses leave from bay 3, ARST from bay 4, Turmo Travel from bay 5 and Sun Lines from bays 6 and 7, while Deplano uses bays 1 and 2. ASPO has a ticket machine in the arrivals hall, the taxis wait right outside arrivals, and the car hire terminal is around 50 metres from the airport building. The bays are listed on the airport’s bus page.
Cagliari: Elmas Aeroporto railway station is around a five-minute walk from the terminal. There are train ticket machines in the arrivals hall and at the station. The car hire companies are grouped together in an area in front of the terminal, and the taxis wait by the exit. You’ll find all the options on the airport’s transport page.
Alghero: The airport is small and easy to find your way around. Walk out of the arrivals hall and turn right, and you’ll reach the bus stops, where both the ALFA bus to Alghero and the buses to Sassari stop. ARST has ticket machines in the arrivals hall, so buy your ticket before you go outside. The car hire companies have desks in the airport, and the taxis wait outside arrivals.
1. Buses 2 and 10 from Olbia Airport to the centre
Olbia Airport is only a few kilometres from the centre, and the town’s bus company, ASPO, runs two routes from here. Route 2 runs from the airport through the centre along Via Mameli and on to Sa Minda Noa in the northern part of town, while route 10 is a circular route between the airport and the centre. Both run every day all year round, and the trip to Via Mameli takes around 15 to 20 minutes.
Together, the two routes run roughly every 20 minutes. The first bus leaves the airport at 05:20 on route 10, and the last one towards the centre leaves at 23:15. The buses leave from bay 3 just outside arrivals, and the departure times are on the airport’s page about buses 2 and 10. The timetable changes, so check it before you travel.
The bus suits you if you’re staying in Olbia town. There’s no train from the airport, but buses 2 and 10 also run to the town’s railway station if you’d like to carry on by train. Trenitalia also sells a combined bus and train ticket from the airport under the name Olbia Airlink.
Fares and tickets
A ticket costs €1 (about £0.85) and is valid for 90 minutes. If you buy it from the driver, it costs €1.50 (about £1.25), and you’ll need the exact amount in cash. If you’re staying a few days in Olbia, there’s a day ticket for €2.80 (about £2.35), valid for 24 hours from when you first validate it, and a carnet of 12 journeys for €10 (about £8.50). The fares are listed by ASPO.
How to buy your ticket
ASPO has a ticket machine in the airport’s arrivals hall, and it works around the clock. You can also buy your ticket in ASPO’s own app, in the MooneyGo app or by text message. Buy your ticket before you board, and validate it on the bus.
Where to get off
Via Mameli: The main stop in the centre is on Via Mameli, close to the main street, Corso Umberto I, with its restaurants, shops and many of the town’s hotels. If you’d like to stay right in the middle of town, you can see hotels in central Olbia here. Olbia is also one of the areas in my guide to where to stay in Sardinia.
Isola Bianca ferry port: If you’re catching a ferry, the easiest option is a taxi from the airport. In summer, the Sun Lines bus towards the Costa Smeralda also passes Molo Brin and the Isola Bianca port after 8 to 15 minutes.
2. Buses from Olbia Airport to the Costa Smeralda, San Teodoro and Santa Teresa
Regional buses also run straight from Olbia Airport to the resorts. They work well if you’re staying in one place for the whole holiday, but they don’t run often, and several of them only run in summer. The fares follow the regional tariff, which depends on the distance, and the shortest journeys cost €1.30 (about £1.10).
Sun Lines to Porto Cervo and Baja Sardinia
From 1 June to 30 September, Sun Lines’ route 20 runs from the airport along the Costa Smeralda. The bus leaves from bay 6 or 7 four times a day from late morning to the evening and stops at places including the Isola Bianca port, Porto Rotondo, Capriccioli, Porto Cervo, Baja Sardinia and Cannigione. The trip takes around 75 minutes to Porto Cervo and just under an hour and a half to Baja Sardinia.
The company itself says that departures from airports and ports can be up to half an hour late, and the route doesn’t run for the rest of the year. You’ll find the timetable and the stops on the Sun Lines website. If you’d like to stay on the most exclusive stretch of the coast, you can see hotels in Porto Cervo here.
ARST to San Teodoro and Budoni
ARST’s route 514 towards Siniscola and Nuoro leaves from bay 4 and stops in San Teodoro after around 35 minutes and in Budoni after just under 50 minutes. There are several departures a day from early morning until late evening, and some only run on weekdays. On the regional tariff, the trip to San Teodoro costs about €3 (about £2.50). Both ARST and Deplano run to Nuoro, and in summer Deplano also runs to Cala Gonone.
Turmo Travel and ARST to Arzachena, Palau and Santa Teresa
Turmo Travel runs from bay 5 to Arzachena, Palau and Santa Teresa di Gallura every day, including Sundays and public holidays. The number of departures changes with the season, and outside summer there’s only one departure a day from the airport. The trip to Santa Teresa takes just under an hour and a half, and the ticket costs €10 (about £8.50) to Arzachena, €15 (about £13) to Palau and €20 (about £17) to Santa Teresa. You can’t reserve a seat, so buy your ticket from the company’s agents or in the app. The departures are listed by Turmo Travel.
ARST’s route 601 runs the same way from Olbia town and the port several times a day, but only a single early departure starts at the airport. From Palau, the ferries sail to the island of La Maddalena, and from Santa Teresa they sail to Bonifacio in Corsica.
3. Train from Cagliari Airport to central Cagliari
In Cagliari, the train is by far the best option. Elmas Aeroporto station is around a five-minute walk from the terminal, and Trenitalia’s regional trains run from here to Cagliari’s main station in 6 to 9 minutes. Some trains stop on the way at Cagliari S. Gilla.
During the day, there are at least three trains an hour towards Cagliari. The first one leaves just before 06:00 on weekdays and a little later on Sundays and public holidays, and the last one leaves at around 23:00. If you land later than that, you’ll need a taxi. The airport posts the current timetables for the station on its transport page, and that’s also where it says when extra night trains run during parts of the summer.
From the same station, trains also run direct to Oristano in just over an hour, and a few trains go all the way to Sassari and Olbia, which takes around three and a half to four hours. If you’d like to know more about tickets and regional trains, it’s worth reading up on trains in Italy before you go.
Fares and tickets
A ticket to Cagliari costs €1.30 (about £1.10). The fare follows the regional train tariff, where all journeys under 10 kilometres cost the same. A ticket to Oristano costs about €6.50 (about £5.50), and all the way to Olbia about €18 to €20 (about £15 to £17). So the train is also a cheap way to cross the island.
How to buy your ticket
The ticket machines are in the arrivals hall and at the station, and you can also buy your ticket in Trenitalia’s app, on Trenitalia’s website, at the ticket office and from agents. A paper ticket for a regional train must be validated in one of the small machines at the station before you board. If you buy in the app, follow the app’s instructions for activating the ticket.
Where to get off
Cagliari: The terminus is on Piazza Matteotti by the harbour and Via Roma. From here, it’s a few minutes’ walk into the Marina district with its restaurants and many of the city’s hotels, and the Old Town district of Castello sits on the hill above. If you’d like to stay close to the station, you can see hotels in Marina here.
Piazza Matteotti: Next to the station is ARST’s bus terminal, where the buses towards Villasimius and the south coast leave from, and Turmo Travel’s bus towards Nuoro and Olbia also stops here.
4. Buses from Cagliari Airport and on to the coast
ARST’s regional buses link Cagliari Airport with a number of towns on the island, and FlixBus also has a stop here. For the popular beach resorts in the south, you’ll usually take the train into Cagliari first and carry on by bus from Piazza Matteotti, because that’s where there are the most departures.
ARST’s routes 101 and 135 run to Villasimius from Piazza Matteotti. The trip takes around an hour and a half, and the ticket costs €4.30 (about £3.60) on the regional tariff. ARST also runs from Piazza Matteotti towards Pula and Chia on the south-west coast. You buy your ticket at ARST’s ticket office, from agents or in apps such as DropTicket, and there are more departures in summer than in winter, so check the times with ARST before you travel.
If you’re heading north, FlixBus runs from the airport via Oristano and Sassari to Alghero, and Turmo Travel runs from Piazza Matteotti via Nuoro to Olbia Airport. You can read more about this in the section on getting around Sardinia further down.
5. Bus ALFA from Alghero Airport to central Alghero
Alghero Airport is at Fertilia, around 10 kilometres north of the town. ARST’s city bus ALFA runs from the airport via Fertilia to Via Catalogna in Alghero, and the trip takes 20 to 30 minutes.
The bus runs roughly once an hour all day. The first one leaves the airport at around 05:20, and the last one leaves at around 23:00. There may be extra departures in summer. If you’re landing late, check whether you can make the last bus, because otherwise a taxi is the only option.
The bus suits you if you’re staying in Alghero town or in Fertilia. The buses to Sassari stop in the same place, so look for ALFA on the sign on the front of the bus before you get on.
Fares and tickets
A ticket for the ALFA costs about €1 (about £0.85), the same as an ordinary town ticket in Alghero. If you buy your ticket from the driver, it costs a little more, so it pays to buy it from the machine.
How to buy your ticket
ARST’s ticket machines are in the arrivals hall, before you go outside. You can also buy your ticket in the DropTicket app, where you choose Alghero and the town ticket. A ticket in the app must be activated before you board, and then you show the screen to the driver.
Where to get off
Via Catalogna: The terminus is by the park just outside the city walls and the Old Town in Alghero, and from here it’s a few minutes’ walk into the Old Town. If you’d like to stay inside the walls, you can see hotels in the Old Town in Alghero here. Alghero is also one of the areas in my guide to where to stay in Sardinia.
6. Buses from Alghero Airport to Sassari, Stintino and Bosa
ARST’s route 760 runs between the airport and Sassari, where it stops on Via Turati. The trip takes around 35 to 40 minutes, and there are around ten departures a day, timed to fit the flights. On the regional tariff, the ticket costs about €3 (about £2.50). Logudoro Tours also runs twice a day from the airport via Sassari to Cagliari, and here the trip to Sassari costs €3.10 (about £2.60), which you pay on the bus in cash or by card.
There’s no regular direct bus from the airport to Stintino and La Pelosa beach. By public transport, you’ll first have to get to Sassari and change, and there are few connections outside summer. By car, the trip takes around 50 minutes, so most people hire a car here.
The same goes for Bosa, which is around an hour’s drive south along the coast road. ARST runs from Alghero town to Bosa, but not direct from the airport, so take the ALFA bus into Alghero first, and check the departures with ARST.
7. Taxis from Olbia, Cagliari and Alghero Airport
Olbia: The taxis wait right outside arrivals, and the fares are set by the council: a €3.50 (about £2.95) starting fee, €2.60 (about £2.20) per kilometre for the first 5 kilometres and then €2.40 (about £2) per kilometre. The trip to Olbia town costs at least €15 (about £13), and luggage costs €1 per suitcase, so typically expect to pay around €20 (about £17). There’s a 20 per cent surcharge at night and on public holidays, and the same applies when there are five or more of you.
To the resorts, the taxi gets expensive. On the official fares, the trip to Porto Cervo or San Teodoro costs around €90 (about £75) and to Santa Teresa di Gallura around €135 (about £115) plus luggage. The fares and distances are on the airport’s taxi page.
Cagliari: The taxis wait outside the terminal, and the airport gives a minimum daytime fare of €17 (about £14) to the centre. Expect to pay a little more with luggage and in the evening. The city’s taxi companies, including Radio Taxi Quattro Mori and Rossoblù, run around the clock.
Alghero: The taxis wait outside arrivals. There’s no fixed fare, but expect to pay around €25 (about £21) to the centre and more at night. A taxi is the only option once the ALFA bus has stopped running.
Private transfer
A private transfer is the expensive but easy option if you don’t want to drive yourself and you’re going a long way from the airport. The driver meets you in the arrivals hall, and the price is agreed in advance. For the Costa Smeralda, you can book a private transfer from Olbia Airport to Porto Cervo here. Prices start at around €220 (about £185) for up to three people, so compare it with the taxi, which costs around €90 on the official fares.
If you’re heading to the east coast, you can book a transfer from Olbia Airport to Orosei and Cala Ginepro here. A transfer makes the most sense if you’re landing late, travelling with young children and lots of luggage, or if there are several of you to share the cost.
8. Car hire from Olbia, Cagliari and Alghero Airport
Most people who travel to Sardinia hire a car, and it makes good sense. The beaches, resorts and mountain villages are spread out, and outside the towns the buses don’t run often. All three airports have a wide range of rental companies, both the big international firms and local Sardinian ones.
Olbia
The car hire terminal is around 50 metres from the airport building, and you walk over to it. Some companies are based in the P1 car park or the long-stay car park, though, and a few of them run a shuttle bus, so check the address in your booking. The list of companies is on the airport’s car hire page. From the airport, it’s around a 40-minute drive to Porto Cervo and half an hour to San Teodoro.
Cagliari
The rental companies are grouped together in an area in front of the terminal, and you’ll see them as soon as you come out. The drive to Villasimius and Chia takes around an hour, and it’s only a quarter of an hour to central Cagliari.
Alghero
The rental companies have desks in the airport, and it’s only a quarter of an hour’s drive to Alghero town. The drive to Stintino takes around 50 minutes and to Bosa around an hour.
What you need to know about driving in Sardinia
Watch out for the camera-controlled traffic zones, called ZTL, in the historic town centres, including in Cagliari and Alghero. If you drive in without a permit, you’ll get a fine, which the rental company passes on with an admin fee. In summer, parking by the popular beaches is often paid parking, and the spaces fill up early. Book your car well in advance if you’re travelling in July or August, when demand is highest.
Getting around Sardinia straight from the airport
Between the airports: From mid-April to mid-October, the Sun Lines Airbus runs from Olbia Airport via Sassari to Alghero Airport and Via Catalogna in Alghero. The trip from airport to airport takes just over an hour and a half, and the ticket to Alghero costs €25 (about £21) including one suitcase. In April and October, the bus doesn’t run on Sundays. You can buy your ticket in advance from Sun Lines or pay on the bus.
Turmo Travel runs every day from Olbia Airport via Nuoro to Piazza Matteotti in Cagliari, and the trip takes around four hours for about €18 (about £15). From Alghero Airport, Logudoro Tours runs twice a day to Cagliari in around three and a half hours for €16.50 (about £14), and from Cagliari Airport, as mentioned, trains run direct towards Sassari and Olbia.
On to La Maddalena and Corsica: From Palau, the ferries sail to the island of La Maddalena, and the crossing is short. From Santa Teresa di Gallura, the ferries sail to Bonifacio in Corsica. If you’re heading there, you can read my guide to where to stay in Corsica and my guide to things to do in Corsica.
Getting back to the airport
In Olbia, buses 2 and 10 run from Via Mameli to the airport roughly every 20 minutes during the day. In Cagliari, the first train from Cagliari station towards the airport leaves as early as 05:10 on weekdays, and the trip takes under 10 minutes, so the train works for an early flight too. Get off at Elmas Aeroporto, because many of the trains carry on towards Decimomannu and further across the island.
In Alghero, the ALFA runs from Via Catalogna to the airport roughly once an hour. If you’re catching an early flight, check the first departure the evening before, or book a taxi. If you’re returning a hire car, allow extra time to fill up and drop off the car, especially in high season, and follow your airline’s check-in times.
Which option should you choose?
Here’s what I’d recommend, depending on where you’re staying:
Olbia town: Take bus 2 or 10 for €1 (about £0.85). With lots of luggage, a taxi for around €20 is a good alternative.
Costa Smeralda and Porto Cervo: Hire a car. In summer, the Sun Lines bus is an option if it fits with your flight, while taxis and transfers are expensive.
San Teodoro and Budoni: ARST’s bus from the airport runs direct, but a hire car makes it much easier to reach the other beaches.
Santa Teresa di Gallura and Palau: Turmo Travel runs direct from the airport. Check the departures before you land, because there can be long gaps between them.
Cagliari: Take the train. It’s quick, cheap and runs often.
Villasimius, Pula and Chia: Hire a car, or take the train to Cagliari and ARST’s bus on from Piazza Matteotti.
Alghero: Take the ALFA bus to Via Catalogna, or take a taxi if the bus has just left.
Stintino and Bosa: Hire a car, because there’s no direct bus from the airport.
If you land at night: Take a taxi. The train in Cagliari and the buses in Olbia and Alghero stop at around 23:00.
Practical tips for getting from Sardinia’s airports to your hotel
Check the season. Many regional buses to the resorts only run in summer or run less often in winter, and the timetables change several times a year. Always check the current timetable with the bus company before you travel.
Carry some cash. Turmo Travel’s bus between Cagliari, Nuoro and Olbia only takes cash on board if you’re not using the app, and the city bus in Olbia needs the exact amount when you buy your ticket from the driver.
Work out the fare by distance. ARST and the other regional buses use the same tariff by kilometre, from €1.30 (about £1.10) for the shortest journeys to €3.10 (about £2.60) for 30 to 40 kilometres. The full table is on the Region of Sardinia’s fares page.
Choose your airport by where you’re staying. Olbia is best for the Costa Smeralda, San Teodoro and the north coast, Cagliari for the south coast and Villasimius, and Alghero for the north-west coast with Stintino and Bosa. If you land at the wrong end, you can easily spend three to four hours crossing the island.
If you’re not sure which area suits you, read my guide to where to stay in Sardinia, with the best areas and hotels in several price ranges.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
Psst 👀 Have you subscribed to my Youtube channel and my Instagram where I provide more useful travel tips?