Alghero is the easiest place to arrive in Sardinia, and one of the few where you can have a good week without hiring a car.
That is unusual on this island. Most of Sardinia’s coast assumes you are driving. Alghero has its own airport ten kilometres away, a bus into town that costs about a euro, and beaches on the public network. Whether you need a car at all depends entirely on what you plan to do inland.
Flying in
Alghero-Fertilia (AHO) is small, ten kilometres north of town, and takes seasonal flights from across Europe plus year-round domestic connections. It is the reason a short trip here works: you land, you are in the old town in half an hour, no transfer to arrange.
The arrivals hall is one belt and a set of glass doors. Outside them is the bus stop.
The ARST bus runs from the airport to Via Catalogna, the terminal at the edge of the old town, in about twenty minutes. It goes roughly hourly. The first from the city is around five in the morning and the last from the airport around eleven at night, which covers most flight times but not all, so check yours against it.
A ticket is a little over a euro from the machine in the arrivals hall, slightly less through the ticket app. Buy before you board.
A taxi is available and costs many times that. It is worth it if you land after the last bus or have a lot of luggage and a booking inside the walls, where the walk over cobbles is real.
That last point is worth planning for. The bus sets you down at Via Catalogna, which is outside the walls, and most of what is inside them has no vehicle access at all. So the final stretch to your door is on foot over uneven stone, wheeling whatever you brought. It is only a few hundred metres, but it is a long few hundred metres with a hard suitcase at two in the afternoon in August. If you are arriving in the heat, or late, take the taxi for that one leg and let it earn its money.
The other Sardinian airports are Olbia, about two and a half hours away, and Cagliari, about two and a half to three. Both are worth considering if the fares are much better, but you will need a car to make either work.
Arriving by sea
Ferries do not come into Alghero. They come into Porto Torres, about forty five minutes north, and connect to Genoa, Civitavecchia and, pleasingly given the town’s history, Barcelona.
Genoa is nine to eleven hours, usually overnight. Barcelona is up to fifteen and runs four or five times a week in summer, dropping to once or twice in winter. Civitavecchia is the Rome connection.
From Porto Torres you need a bus, a train or a hire car to reach Alghero. If you are bringing a vehicle from the mainland this is how you do it, and the overnight from Genoa with a cabin is a genuinely pleasant way to arrive.
Getting around the town
On foot. That is the whole answer.
The old town is about six hundred metres across, walled, and largely closed to traffic. The Lido is a ten minute walk north along the seafront. There is nothing within the historic centre that justifies transport.
Local buses cover the modern town and the outskirts. A single is a little over a euro, a day ticket is under three. Buy from the terminal on Via Catalogna, a tabacchi or the app before boarding.
Getting to the beaches
This is the part that makes Alghero work without a car.
Maria Pia is served year round by the local network, around fifteen to twenty minutes. In summer a beach bus runs the coast road west past Le Bombarde and Lazzaretto and out as far as Capo Caccia, which puts both the best beaches and the Grotto on public transport.
Two warnings. It is summer-only, so out of season you are looking at a car or a taxi. And the last bus back is earlier than you would like, particularly from the far end of the route, where there is nothing to wait in and no alternative. Check it before you set out. Which beach to pick is in the best beaches in Alghero.
Whether to hire a car
My honest recommendation: hire one for two days in the middle of a week rather than for the whole stay.
You do not need a car for: the old town, the walls, the restaurants, the Lido, Maria Pia, and in summer Le Bombarde, Lazzaretto and Capo Caccia.
You do need one for: Bosa and the coast road south, Porto Ferro, the inland wine country, the agriturismi, and the archaeological sites if you want to reach them outside a tour.
A car in the old town is a liability rather than an asset. Most lanes have no vehicle access, what exists is largely resident-only, and you will end up in a paid lot outside the walls anyway. If you are staying inside the walls and hiring for the whole week, you are paying to park a car you cannot use.
Hire desks are at the airport and in town. Book ahead in summer, when Sardinia genuinely runs out of cars.
Driving here
The roads are good and the traffic is light once you are out of town.
The coast road south to Bosa is the one people come for and it deserves respect: narrow, constantly turning, no barrier in places, and with a drop. It is not difficult, but it is not a road to hurry on or to drive tired. Ninety minutes each way without stops.
Fuel is not expensive by Italian standards. Parking outside the old town is paid and marked with blue lines; pay at the machine and display.
Getting to the other Sardinian cities
Sassari is the nearest city, about forty minutes, and is served by both bus and a slow train.
Bosa is the coast road, and there is no useful public transport along it. Either drive or take a tour, both covered in day trips from Alghero.
Cagliari is about three hours by car or a similar time by train with a change. It is a long way and it is a different trip rather than a day out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get from Alghero airport to the town?
Take the ARST bus from outside arrivals to Via Catalogna at the edge of the old town. It runs roughly hourly, takes about twenty minutes, and costs a little over a euro from the machine in the terminal or slightly less through the ticket app. Buy before boarding.
Do you need a car in Alghero?
No for the town, the walls and the main beaches, which are all reachable on foot or by local bus. Yes for Bosa, Porto Ferro, the inland country and the agriturismi. Hiring for two days of a week is usually better value than hiring for the whole trip.
Is there a ferry to Alghero?
Not directly. Ferries arrive at Porto Torres, about forty five minutes north, from Genoa, Civitavecchia and Barcelona. From there you need a bus, train or car to reach Alghero.
Can you reach the beaches near Alghero by public transport?
Yes in summer. Maria Pia is served year round and a seasonal beach bus runs the coast road past Le Bombarde and Lazzaretto to Capo Caccia. Check the last bus back before you set out, because it is early and there is no alternative at the far end.
How far is Alghero from Cagliari?
About three hours by car, and a similar time by train with a change. It is too far for a day trip and is better treated as a separate part of a Sardinian itinerary.
Read also: The Best Beaches in Alghero | Day Trips from Alghero | Victoria’s Complete Guide to Alghero
