How to Get from Italy to Sardinia (and vice versa)
· Updated · BootsnAll
Yes, Sardinia is part of Italy. But unlike Sicily, which you can see from the toe of the boot (here's how to get to Sicily), Sardinia lies about 200 km (125 miles) off the west coast of the mainland, closer to the French island of Corsica than to Rome. There's no bridge and no tunnel, so you have two choices: fly or take a ferry.
My rule: fly if you're traveling light and short on time, which covers most visitors. Take the ferry if you're bringing a car, traveling with a family and lots of gear, or you like the idea of going to sleep in Livorno or Civitavecchia and waking up in Olbia. Either way, book early for July and August, when half of Italy goes to Sardinia at once and prices jump.
Flying from Italy to Sardinia
Sardinia has three airports with regular airline flights:
- Cagliari Elmas (CAG), in the south, the island's main airport and the busiest year-round.
- Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB), in the northeast, closest to the Costa Smeralda and the Maddalena islands. Very busy in summer, quieter in winter.
- Alghero Fertilia (AHO), in the northwest, handy for Alghero, Stintino and the west coast.
Two small airfields, Tortolì-Arbatax (TTB) and Oristano-Fenosu (FNU), have no scheduled airline flights, so ignore them when you search. Pick your airport by where you're staying; Sardinia is big, and Cagliari to Olbia is a drive of about three hours.
Budget airlines, easyJet, Ryanair and Volotea above all, fly to Sardinia from many Italian and European airports. ITA Airways, which replaced Alitalia in 2021, flies to the island too, usually at higher fares. Which airline flies which route changes from season to season, and plenty of routes run only in summer, so search for your dates. Flights are short:
- Rome Fiumicino to Olbia: about 50 minutes
- Rome Fiumicino to Cagliari: about 1 hour
- Milan to Alghero or Olbia: about 1 hour 15 minutes
- Milan or Venice to Cagliari: about 1 hour 30 minutes
Taking a ferry from Italy to Sardinia
Where Sicily is a 20-minute hop from Calabria, Sardinia is 5 to 15 hours away by sea, depending on the port. The ferries are big car-and-passenger ships with cabins, restaurants and deck lounges, and many crossings leave in the evening and arrive early the next morning, which saves a night's hotel. Here are the main routes, with 2026 operators and approximate crossing times from Ferryhopper:
| Route | Operators | Crossing |
|---|---|---|
| Piombino to Olbia | Corsica Sardinia Ferries (June to September) | 5 to 5.5 h |
| Civitavecchia to Olbia | Moby, Grimaldi | about 7 h |
| Civitavecchia to Porto Torres | Grimaldi | about 7 h 40 |
| Livorno to Olbia | Moby, Grimaldi | about 7.5 h |
| Genoa to Porto Torres | Tirrenia/Moby, GNV | about 9 h |
| Genoa to Olbia | Moby, GNV | about 10 h |
| Naples to Cagliari | Grimaldi | about 15 h |
Civitavecchia also has sailings to Cagliari and to Arbatax on the east coast. Which company runs which route shifts from year to year, so treat the table as a starting point.
Which route? From Rome, take the train to Civitavecchia (about an hour; here's how to get to the port) and sail to Olbia. From Florence or Tuscany, Livorno to Olbia, or Piombino in summer for the shortest crossing. From Milan and the north, Genoa. If you're heading for Cagliari and the south, flying usually beats the long Naples or Civitavecchia crossings.
What it costs. Fares depend on the season, the day of the week, your cabin and your car. Off-season, a foot passenger with a deck seat can pay well under €50 on the busier routes. In August, a cabin for a family plus a car can run to several hundred euros each way. Compare the companies on Ferryhopper or TraghettiWeb, or go direct to Grimaldi Lines, Moby, Tirrenia, GNV or Corsica Sardinia Ferries. On an overnight crossing, pay for a cabin; a reclining seat in a lounge full of other people's children is a long night.
Taking a car to Sardinia
You can't drive to Sardinia, but you'll probably want a car once you're there. Public transport on the island is thin outside the main towns, and the best beaches and inland villages are at the end of long, empty roads. So you have two ways to do it:
- Bring a car on the ferry. Every ferry in the table carries cars. It makes sense if it's your own car, or if you'll use a mainland rental for a long trip on both sides of the water. Check the rental contract first: many companies don't allow their cars on ferries.
- Fly and rent on the island. All three airports have the big rental companies. This is usually cheaper and simpler for a week or two on the island, once you count the car's ferry fare. Book well ahead for summer, when cars run short.
Compare both, including the ferry fare for the car. And before you go, read up on renting a car in Italy.
Now that you're in Sardinia
- Sardinia travel guide
- Top 10 Things to Do in Sardinia
- Cycling in Sardinia: What You Need to Know
- Hotels in Cagliari
- Hostels in Cagliari
photos, top to bottom, by: Heather on Her Travels (from this photo on Flickr), migclick, archer10, robad0b