Sardinia - travel tips, places to go, things to see

[rennie]

incidentally, if we want to hire a car for a day n go sightseeing does would my US driving license be accepted?

it looks like no! I'm getting an intl permit.

 

[gaijingirl]

Just got back!! It was STUNNING! We had to go to a wedding in Rome, so after the wedding we flew from Rome through to Alghero with Easy Jet. Pitched up our tent in the campsite and went to Ciclo Express where we hired two bikes. We spent the next 7 days cycling and camping/B&Bing around Sardinia.... which turned out to be far hillier than we had anticipated. We found eating out to be really cheap and did so each evening apart from one where we stopped in such a small town on a bank holiday that the one and only restaurant was shut!.. we managed to bribe the landlady of the flat we were staying in to let us cook in her kitchen! For lunch and breakfast we picnicked on supermarket food.

The temperature was pretty hot (even this early in June) and there are many mozzies.. but the cycling was INCREDIBLE!!!.... long, perfectly maintained, almost completely traffic free roads. On the 2nd day we climbed from sea level to 800 metres (which was pretty hard with four panniers a handletop back, tents and sleeping bags )... but on the 3rd day we travelled along a ridge back and we were probably only passed by a grand total of 5 cars all day... we were on the top of the world with most amazing views and the wildlife was incredible!! We learned pretty quickly after the first day when we started to get a bit scared about running out of water that we needed to carry at least 3 litres and preferably 4.5!!

We also noticed how proud the Sardinians are of their culture and folklore and saw a few festival type things.. some incredible music and dancing out in the countryside where we were the only foreigners .. which felt quite nice.

The whole island is also littered with amazing prehistoric ruins and burial grounds. We visited a few and they were really interesting.

And then the beaches... OMG.. the water was amazing, the sand...

Alghero is pretty touristy but actually quite nicely so.

Anyway, I would highly recommend it to anyone... especially anyone who wants to cycle who doesn't mind hills!!

 

[rennie]

I'm glad you enjoyed it gaijingirl... Im beginning to wish we'd stay outside of Alghero... ah well, i'm sure we'll have a good time. I cannot bloody wait!

 

[gaijingirl]

Alghero is really quite nice... there's a lovely old town with some gorgeous restaurants... and you can take a bus or cycle out a short way to Fertilia (where the airport is) to see the Nuraghe (prehistoric building thingy) and also there are some really interesting necropoli nearby too.... and lots of beaches all round... you will love it I'm sure!! To be honest, I think it felt more touristy than it really is because we had spent so much time in the absolute middle of nowhere.... but people were very friendly.... hope you enjoy it.

 

[rennie]

it's tomorrow!!! im dead excited.

 

[rennie]

we had a lovely time!!! it was sunny warm n beautiful all around! the twon was busy but I felt they were awaiting more people. quiet holiday tho managed to spend a LOT more than I had planned.

 

[fakeplasticgirl]

Anybody been to Sardinia before? Would you recommend a week there in September? We were thinking 4 days in the capital Cagliari then a couple of days on the beach (maybe Chia? Is is horribly touristy?)
is there enough to do? a couple of days relaxing on the beach is nice... after that I get bored!

Neither of us can drive

 

[craigxcraig]

I did allghero about 15 years ago and it was lovely - nice beach and yhe old town was pretty cool, we rocked up at a bar and found somewhere to stay quite easily. The airport is a short cab ride.

 

[Virtual Blue]

Anybody been to Sardinia before? Would you recommend a week there in September? We were thinking 4 days in the capital Cagliari then a couple of days on the beach (maybe Chia? Is is horribly touristy?)
is there enough to do? a couple of days relaxing on the beach is nice... after that I get bored!

Neither of us can drive

I'm heading off to Sardinia next month! Been wanting to go to the island for many years now - researched loads.

September weather is meant to be fine and many of my Italian mates suggested it's the best time to go (non-peak, less busy etc).

Sardinia without a car? There's a thread on the very subject on Tripadvisor.

 

[mauvais]

I loved our holiday in Sardinia. Driving and everything car-related was the worst bit - stressful!

If you can get a bus out to the beach, then that's everything you need. Concentrate on eating, drinking and watching the world go by.

 

[passenger]

worse bit is coming home to shit food in the UK

 

[fakeplasticgirl]

thanks everyone

 

[not-bono-ever]

Alghero is Catalan IIRC, so expect Cat flags & symbols everywhere and has the best pizza I have had in my life outside Naples

 

[Maharani]

Heard the food is God awful. I had a similar experience in Corsica thinking it'd be gourmet but it was frozen fish and iceberg lettuce salads. Not what we expected. Might differ from place to place however.

 

[Virtual Blue]

How's the planning Fakeppasticgirl?

I am in Sardinia right now and up in the north, by Costa Smeralda and Golfo Aranci, you need a car.
There are hundreds of beaches here, including ruins and you need transport to reach each one.

Food is surprisingly cheap and particularly so if you dine at a Augustino (not suitable for vegetarians). it's like 35 - 50 Euros per head for a 7 course meal including wine - everything is produced by the farmer, meats, wine etc. They also do Porcheddu (their national dish). What's cool is that food starts promptly at 8-8.30pm and you/ other guests eat all at the same time - like a mega big family.

Let me know how Alghero goes, I'm already planning to revisit this place instead of Lucca, Italy (my spiritual home).

 

[TikkiB]

Heard the food is God awful. I had a similar experience in Corsica thinking it'd be gourmet but it was frozen fish and iceberg lettuce salads. Not what we expected. Might differ from place to place however.

Definitely not my experience - really gorgeous food, plenty of fresh fish and vegetables. Love Sardinia and can't wait to go back, but would echo pp that driving in Sardinia is stressful.

 

[fakeplasticgirl]

How's the planning Fakeppasticgirl?

I am in Sardinia right now and up in the north, by Costa Smeralda and Golfo Aranci, you need a car.
There are hundreds of beaches here, including ruins and you need transport to reach each one.

Food is surprisingly cheap and particularly so if you dine at a Augustino (not suitable for vegetarians). it's like 35 - 50 Euros per head for a 7 course meal including wine - everything is produced by the farmer, meats, wine etc. They also do Porcheddu (their national dish). What's cool is that food starts promptly at 8-8.30pm and you/ other guests eat all at the same time - like a mega big family.

Let me know how Alghero goes, I'm already planning to revisit this place instead of Lucca, Italy (my spiritual home).

that sounds awesome. unfortunately planning had to be put on hold due to work commitments but still hoping to visit in the near future. I should really learn to drive....!

 

[Virtual Blue]

that sounds awesome. unfortunately planning had to be put on hold due to work commitments but still hoping to visit in the near future. I should really learn to drive....!

I'd recommend against going if you aren't able to drive.

As for the driving itself, I can imagine how city drivers will shit themselves as the roads are pretty bendy and narrow.
But if you're from the country - they're pretty easy (Italian road manners are mellow compared to the Brits and Germans).

I'm going again next year - 5 days in Golfo Aranci and 6 days in Alghero.

 

[editor]

I visited the caves!

The magnificent Neptune’s Grotto cave system in Alghero on the island of Sardinia, Italy

 

[not-bono-ever]

Nice.

 

[Maggot]

I am thinking of going to Sardinia, I can drive, but am not confident about driving on the right.

Are some parts of the island much better for public transport than others?

 

[mauvais]

I am thinking of going to Sardinia, I can drive, but am not confident about driving on the right.

Are some parts of the island much better for public transport than others?

Driving on the right is easy. I did it for the first time in Sardinia.

Driving in Sardinia, I found hard. You drive along, it's a 30mph (OK, 50kph) zone in town, everyone generally complies, you leave the town and are into the middle of nowhere, everyone starts tailgating you because you're going slow but there's no signs to say otherwise. You think, oh, it must be national (50/60 mph) now, so you speed up, and then you see another 30 sign with a camera warning, so you don't know what to do. This is why we got overtaken by flatbed trucks on blind bends going up a mountain. I still don't know what the answer is.

That, some other motoring things (unattended fuel pumps that you have to prepay with banknotes, no change, thus needing to guess how much you need to fill the car) and hiring a car via Rentalcars with a damage waiver, but from the cheapest provider (Goldcar?), with endless warnings from the local guy about what terrible things will happen if you don't take their insurance. Then I kerbed the wheel trims on a brand new car. Ended up being fine.

 

[Virtual Blue]

I crashed my car in Sardinia last year.
But that’s only cos my wife gave me the wrong instructions...she freaked me out and I reversed into someone....

Good thing is, the car rental company didn’t give a fuck.

Overall, driving in Sardinia is like driving in country roads in Wales - except you’re going over mountains.
Can’t wait to visit again.

 

[editor]

I am thinking of going to Sardinia, I can drive, but am not confident about driving on the right.

Are some parts of the island much better for public transport than others?

Their public transport system is terrible.

 

[editor]

We ended up at Macomer by accident but it turned out be the kind of place I like!

Macomer, Sardinia: steam loco, narrow gauge railway and abandoned warehouses – in photos

 

[not-bono-ever]

that dairy signage is a beautiful piece - proper 20/30's italian design

 

[editor]

that dairy signage is a beautiful piece - proper 20/30's italian design

It kept reminding me of the Snopake sign in Loughborough Junction! But it's clearly not as good!

 

[editor]

Some photos from Nuoro

Fifty photos of Nuoro, Sardinia: landscapes, street scenes, architecture and street art

 

[SpookyFrank]

Their public transport system is terrible.

Yes indeed. We were in Olbia last year and there were no trains at all to anywhere. Basically meant we couldn't do most of the things we wanted to in our holiday, not unless we fancied a day out that involved eight hours on buses

 

[editor]

Some photos of Cagliari

In photos: a walk around the ancient Sardinian city of Cagliari