Cagliari · Go deeper
Getting around
Cagliari is an island capital, so getting there means a flight or a ferry, but getting around is a pleasure. The airport sits six minutes from the centre by train, the city is walkable and served by buses and a tram, and the beach is at the end of the line. The one fact to sit with is the water: everywhere off the island is a real trip.
Getting there
By air — the long-haul leg
Cagliari has no long-haul service of its own; connect through Rome, Milan, or a European hub. But the local airport is better than the island's reputation suggests. See below.
Cagliari–Elmas Airport (CAG) — the real gateway
Sardinia’s main airport, with around 69 direct destinations across Italy and Europe year-round, well-connected for an island. Cagliari Elmas Airport (SOGAER).
From the airport — six minutes
A dedicated Trenitalia airport train runs from the Elmas Airport station to Cagliari Centrale in about 6 minutes, one of the quickest, easiest airport links in Italy. No taxi needed.
By ferry — the island lifeline
Cagliari’s port runs car and passenger ferries to the mainland, Civitavecchia (for Rome), Naples, Palermo, and seasonally beyond, via operators like Tirrenia/GNV and Grimaldi Lines. Slower and weather-dependent, but the way to bring a car, and part of island life.
Around the city
On foot
The centre, the Marina, Villanova, Stampace, and the climb up to Castello, is walkable, though Castello's hill is a real climb. Most daily life happens on foot in the lower town.
CTM city buses
CTM runs the urban bus network across the city and out to Poetto beach. A single 90-minute ticket is €1.30, and a day ticket €3.30 (CTM, 2026). Coverage is good for a city this size.
The tram (Metrocagliari)
ARST runs the light-rail/tram line (Metrocagliari) linking the centre with the northern suburbs: a genuine tram, not just buses, which is why local transport rates well here.
A note on driving
A car isn't needed for city life, the centre is walkable and the beach is on the transit line, but it earns its keep for exploring the wider island, where public transport thins out fast. In the historic centre, parking is tight.
Cagliari’s island reality
The island truth in one line: the airport is six minutes away, but everywhere else is a sea away. Day-to-day, Cagliari is one of the easiest Italian cities to move around. It’s the wider world, the mainland, family, a quick weekend elsewhere, that costs you a flight or a ferry every single time. Make peace with the water, and the rest is a joy.
Train connections — from Cagliari Centrale
Cagliari sits at the foot of Sardinia’s limited rail network, trains reach the main towns, but the island is built for cars beyond them. Rough fastest times:
Elmas Airport
about 6 min
Oristano
about 1 hr
Sassari
about 3 hr
Olbia
about 3.5 hr
Iglesias
about 1 hr
Sardinia’s rail network is limited and slow beyond the main line, for much of the island, a car or the ARST coaches beat the train. Check live schedules on Trenitalia