The three Sardinian airports compared for anyone renting a car: what you reach from each, how much driving is really involved and when it pays to fly into one and out of another.
Sardinia has three main airports and they are as far apart as three different cities: Olbia to Cagliari is around 270 kilometres, Alghero to Cagliari around 230. Choosing the wrong one does not ruin a holiday, but it can cost two half-days of driving out of five days off.
Olbia Costa Smeralda is the gateway to the north-east. From there it is half an hour to San Teodoro and Cala Brandinchi, under an hour to Porto Cervo and Baja Sardinia, an hour and a half to Santa Teresa Gallura and the ferries to La Maddalena from Palau. It is the most seasonal of the three: in summer it runs at full capacity with charters from across Europe, in winter it empties out.
Alghero-Fertilia serves the north-west, the part of the island least worn by mass tourism. Close by are Alghero’s Catalan old town, Capo Caccia and Neptune’s Grotto, La Pelosa beach at Stintino, the scenic road to Bosa and, inland, Sassari and the nuraghi. It is a small airport: you are out of the terminal within minutes.
Cagliari-Elmas is the only one of the three running at full pace all year, which makes it the obvious choice out of season. It serves the whole south: Poetto beach and central Cagliari a quarter of an hour away, Villasimius and Costa Rei to the east, Chia, Pula and Nora to the west, all within an hour. Further out lie Sant’Antioco, Carloforte and Barumini.
The practical rule is simple: if you are staying a week in one area, fly into that area’s airport. If instead you want to cross the island, flying into one and out of another makes sense — we allow it, it has to be stated when booking, and it carries a €75 supplement because the car must be brought back to its home airport. On a north-to-south itinerary that still costs less than half a day of driving back.
One last factor that weighs more than the kilometres: the price of the flight. In summer a seat to Alghero or Cagliari often costs a fraction of one to Olbia, and two extra hours in the car on arrival can be worth the difference. With unlimited mileage, distance adds nothing to the cost of the rental.