Travelling to Sardinia? Here’s How to Get There!

Sardinia is a fantastic holiday destination for many reasons for families and other travellers. However, Sardinia being an island, it can be a bit tricky to travel to. So: how do you get to Sardinia?

To give you a quick overview:

There are two ways to get to Sardinia: by air and by sea. There are three airports in Sardinia and six sea ports, all offering different connections from mainland Italy and from other European cities.

This article guides you through all the travelling options for getting to Sardinia, breaking down the companies you can travel with and locations with direct connections to Sardinia. It also gives some insight into which options families can opt for.

This information was gathered in October 2022.

How to Get to Sardinia From Outside of Europe

If you are visiting Sardinia from outside of Europe, you’ll need to fly into Europe first. Flights to Rome and Milan are available from the main cities in the United States and Canada: New York, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Montreal. If you are coming from Australia or New Zealand, you’ll need to break your journey in multiple legs, usually via Hong Kong or Singapore.

How to Get to Sardinia by Air

There are three airports in Sardinia:

Cagliari Airport
Olbia Airport
Alghero Airport

Each airport offers routes from different European countries and cities, including London, Paris, Barcelona, Stockholm, Madrid, Munich, Frankfurt, Dublin, Brussels, Oslo, Basel, Prague, and Amsterdam. The cheapest flights are usually from London, Barcelona, and Madrid, so maybe start your search there.

Furthermore, any of the main airports in Italy offer connections to Sardinia, such as the ones in Rome and Milan. There are also flights connecting Sicily and Sardinia; you can fly out from Catania or Palermo. Other Italian airports that might have a connection include those in Naples, Bari, Bologna, Turin, Venice, Verona, and Parma.

This is good to note as you may want to visit either the north or the southern part of Sardinia. In fact there are several suggested 5 day itineraries to visit one side of Sardinia or the other. Hence you need to figure out where you want to visit and pick the airport that’s best for your trip.

Its good to note that most budget airlines operate flights only from May through October. The high season for Sardinia is June through September, so there are more flights throughout those months. It’s also good to remember that budget flights tend to operate quite late, so you’ll probably be forced to get a taxi, rent a car, or sleep near the airport for a night.

Of course, a flight is the fastest way to get to Sardinia. However, families with young children might find it a hassle to deal with connecting flights – so it really depends on where you’re starting out from. This is especially the case if there’s a long wait between flights. Connecting flights also means lugging around a lot of luggage.

1. Cagliari Airport

Cagliari Airport in Sardinia (CAG) is the main airport on the island serving southern Sardinia. The airline Alitalia has the greatest number of flights, usually direct from Rome or Milan. The flight from Rome would last around 50 minutes, while flights from Milan last approximately 70 minutes.

Other airlines that operate flights to Cagliari are:

British Airways
Air France
Delta Airlines
Iberia
Lufthansa

There are also these budget airlines:

Ryanair
Eurowings

Direct flights to Cagliari Airport come from:

Brussels
Amsterdam
London
Manchester
Geneva
Zurich
Berne
Most major cities in France
Most major cities in Italy
Most major cities in Germany

2. Olbia Airport

Olbia Airport (OLB) serves the northeast part of the island, where you can visit places such as Costa Smeralda, Budoni, San Teodoro, and many more.

Airlines that operate flights to Olbia are:

Alitalia
AirBerlin
Lufthansa

There is also this budget airline:

Easyjet

Direct flights to Olbia Airport come from:

Brussels
Amsterdam
London
Manchester
Zurich
Most major cities in France
Most major cities in Italy
Most major cities in Germany

3. Alghero Airport

Alghero Airport (AHO) serves the northwest part of the island. When landing here, you can visit Capo Caccia, Bosa, Argentiera, Stintino, Asinara, Castelsardo, and many more.

Airlines that operate flights to Alghero are:

Alitalia

There are also these budget airlines:

Easyjet
Ryanair
Wizz Air

Direct flights to Alghero Airport come from:

Brussels
Amsterdam
London
Manchester
Geneva
Berlin
Frankfurt
Menninger
Most major cities in Italy

How to get to Sardinia by Sea

There are six ports in Sardinia:

Olbia
Golfo Aranci
Porto Torres
Arbatax
Cagliari
Santa Teresa di Gallura

Sardinia ferries are available from mainland Italy, Sicily, Spain, and France. Ferries are available year round, but run more frequently during the peak season; although that means this is when the ferries are most crowded and expensive.

The main operating companies are Tirrenia, Grimaldi Lines, Moby, Grandi Navi Veloci, Sardinia Ferries, and La Méridionale. You can book any ferry using Direct Ferries which conveniently lists ferries from all the different operators, and services all possible routes.

Most ferry services from Italy are overnight, and you can spend between 7.5 to 15 hours travelling. This means you can get your own cabin for the duration of the trip so you can sleep through the journey.

This is a much slower mode of transportation than a flight and is generally more expensive, but it has its perks: it is a more scenic route, and you can take your car with you. Furthermore, having your car with you solves the hassle of lugging your luggage around and allows you more space if you need to pack a lot of stuff.

Although you’ll spend more time travelling, it might be a better option for younger children who get antsy sitting down for a long time – this option would allow them to move around and expend their energy.

1. Olbia

Olbia serves the northeast part of the island.

Ferries to Olbia come from:

Civitavecchia
Genova
Livorno
Piombino

2. Golfo Aranci

Golfo Aranci also serves the northeast part of the island. In fact, it is quite close to Olbia Port. However, this port has a direct ferry coming in from France.

Ferries to Golfo Aranci come from:

Livorno
Piombino
Porto Vecchio
Nice

3. Porto Torres

Porto Torres serves the northwest part of the island.

Ferries to Porto Torres come from:

Genova
Civitavecchia
Marseille
Barcelona
Tolone
Propriano
Porto Vecchio

4. Arbatax

Arbatax serves the east part of the island.

Ferries to Arbatax come from:

Civitavecchia
Genova

5. Cagliari

Cagliari serves the southern part of the island.

Ferries to Cagliari come from:

Civitavecchia
Naples
Palermo

6. Santa Teresa di Gallura

This port is used to visit Corsica. It is in the northern part of Sardinia, and there are ferry trips to Bonifacio 4 times a day.

We hope this article is helpful to plan your trip to Sardinia. The island is unspoilt and full of beautiful scenery, so I encourage you to go, relax, and enjoy your time. The best part about it is the fact that there are opportunities for all budgets: whether you want a cheaper holiday, a luxury one, or anything in between. Have fun!