How to Get Around Sardinia

Sardinia's public transport comprises regional trains (Trenitalia), intercity buses (ARST), and municipal networks. Read our guide to buy tickets, validate fares, and book local taxis.

ARST Buses & Trenitalia Trains

Trenitalia runs standard-gauge trains linking Cagliari in the south to Sassari, Porto Torres, and Olbia in the north. Fares range from €15.00 to €20.00 (~$16.35 to ~$21.80) for a 250-kilometre (155.3 miles) journey, taking about five hours. At Decimomannu, the line branches west toward Carbonia and Iglesias, taking just over an hour.

ARST operates the intercity bus network with over 350 lines connecting the island's towns. Buy digital tickets on the DropTicket or Around Sardinia mobile apps.

⚠️ ARST Activation Rule: Digital bus tickets are not pre-validated. You must manually activate the ticket in the DropTicket or Around Sardinia app immediately upon the bus's arrival and show the validated screen to the driver.

Cagliari CTM Municipal Network

In Cagliari, CTM SpA operates local buses and the Metrocagliari light rail. A 90-minute single fare is €1.30 (~$1.42), while a 2-hour ticket including the light rail is €2.00 (~$2.18). On-board purchases have a €0.50 surcharge. The local app is CTM BusFinder.

⚠️ The CTM QR Code Trap: Purchasing a ticket inside the CTM BusFinder app does not constitute validation. Upon boarding the bus, you must immediately scan the physical QR codes printed inside the carriage using your phone. Strictly enforced ticket inspectors will levy a €50.00 (~$54.50) cash fine if you fail to complete this QR scan.

Olbia ASPO & SMS Fares

Olbia's urban buses are operated by ASPO. Fares can be purchased via the Aspo Olbia app (which requires SMS verification and card top-ups in €5.00 increments).

Alternatively, use the SMS ticketing system: send a text message to shortcode 4882883 with "OLBIA" for a single ticket or "OLBIA24" for a day pass. Fares are charged directly to your mobile prepaid balance or phone bill, bypassing cards or cash.

Taxi cooperatives & Dispatch

Private ridesharing apps like UberX do not exist in Sardinia. Uber operates solely as a dispatch intermediary for licensed, traditional taxis in Cagliari and Olbia via the itTaxi app.

  • Cagliari: Cooperativa Radiotaxi (+39 070 6655) and Radiotaxi Rossoblù (+39 070 66556655) operate with standard taximeters (base €3.00, urban €1.10/km, dispatch call surcharge €4.00).
  • Alghero: المركزي local consortium handles bookings via WhatsApp at +39 079 973 9795.
  • Olbia: Taxis are highly expensive due to high-income Costa Smeralda traffic (base €3.50, first 5km at €2.60/km, airport to Olbia city center starts at €20.00). Book via Taxi Olbia Costa Smeralda (+39 348 073 7769).