If you are seeking information on how to get from Cagliari to Alghero you are in the right place. I live in Cagliari. This means I have done the journey myself many times. I have explored each and every mode of transport to get there.
Alghero has its very own airport (one of the three airports that serve Sardinia). It is called Alghero Fertilia International Airport. It connects the city to the rest of Italy and is also served by budget airlines connecting it to a number or cities across Europe. The airport serves the north and north-west of Sardinia.
However, if for any reason you must fly to Cagliari Elmas Airport, or are visiting several destinations around the island and need to make your way to Alghero at some point, you will surely want to know about the best Cagliari Alghero connections.
In this post, I will explain how to get from Cagliari to Alghero.
How To Travel From Cagliari To Alghero
There are three main options to travel from Cagliari city center to Alghero: train, car, and bus. You can also travel by a combination of train and bus.
Cagliari Alghero by car
This is the easiest way of traveling to Alghero from Cagliari.
Whether you are landing in Cagliari Elmas Airport or traveling from Cagliari city center, getting from Cagliari to Alghero by car will take you around three hours. You will have to follow SS131/E25 northbound towards Sassari. Once you get there, you need to take SS291 to Alghero.
Unless you came to Sardinia with your own car, you will need to rent one for your trip. For that, I recommend using Discover Cars. It is an excellent and reliable comparison sites that will show you all the best deals on car rental. It’s what I normally use and recommend, anywhere in the world.
I recommend reading my post A Guide To Renting A Car In Cagliari. It contains useful guidance on how to pick the best car for your needs, how to pick the right insurance plan and more.
Cagliari Alghero by train
There is no direct train to Alghero from Cagliari.
If you want to travel by train, in order to get from Cagliari to Alghero you have to go via Sassari. In case you are traveling from Cagliari city center, you will find trains to Sassari departing every two hours from the main train station located in Piazza Matteotti.
On the other hand, if you are traveling from Cagliari Elmas Airport, you will find trains departing every couple of hours from the station. This is located inside the terminal. Once you get out of baggage claim area in the arrivals terminal, you will have to turn left and follow the signs “to the trains”.
The trains observe the following schedule:
From Cagliari Central Station: 6:27 am; 8:35 am; 10:40 am; 12:22 pm; 2:30 pm; 4:30 pm; 6:30 pm. Out of those, only the 10:40 am, 2:30 pm and 6:30 pm are direct trains.
From Cagliari Elmas Airport (Elmas Aeroporto): 6:33 am; 8:42 am; 10:46 am; 12:29 pm; 2:37 pm; 4:36 pm; 6:36 pm. Of these, only the 10:46 am, 2:37 pm and 6:36 pm are direct trains.
You can get from Cagliari Central Train Station to Cagliari Elmas Airport by train in under 10 minutes. There are departures every 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the time of day.
The overall ride from Cagliari to Sassari takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes. Unless you get a direct train, you will have to change in Ozieri Chilivani and have a window of 5 to 10 minutes to make the change. Don’t worry though. The train station is very small and the platforms are literally one next to the other, so it’s rather seamless.
Once you are in Sassari, you will find a direct train to Alghero. There are regular departures from 6:05 am to 9:00 pm daily. The overall journey lasts about 4.5 hours.
You will need to buy two separate tickets for the Cagliari to Alghero train. The first train is owned by the Italian Railways (Trenitalia) and costs €16,50. The second one is an ARST regional service and costs €3,10.
You can book your train tickets to Sassari online on Trenitalia or on the app Omio. Once in Sassari, you will have to buy your ticket to Alghero in person.
Cagliari Alghero by bus
There is a direct bus from Cagliari to Alghero. The bus leaves from Cagliari Piazza Matteotti ARST Bus Station and goes to Alghero Fertilia Airport. The service is operated by Logudoro Tours s.r.l. and leaves at 2:00 pm daily.
Tickets for the Cagliari to Alghero bus are in the range of €16 to €23 and can be bought directly on board. Once at the airport, you can take the public bus to Alghero city center.
The total time you’ll need for the trip is about 4 hours 30 minutes.
My post How To Get To Alghero From The Airport will explain how to get from the airport to the city.
Private transfer from Cagliari to Alghero
This will be the most expensive option to get you from one city to the other. It is only worth it if you are traveling in a group and really don’t wish to rent a car. Fares are calculated by distance and will usually cover the cost of having to drive the car or van back to Cagliari.
If you wish to make an enquiry about a private transfer from Cagliari to Alghero, you can get in touch with Easy Transfer Sardinia, one of the most reliable transfer companies on the island that is based out of Cagliari.
Alternatively, I recommend using Welcome Pickups to book your private transfer. I have used them all over the world, and the service is always great, with nice comfortable cars, good drivers and punctual pick up.
Cagliari Elmas Airport to Alghero by train + bus
Let me start by stating I do not recommend this option as the journey is quite long and complicated, but failing all else, it is available and you may find it useful.
From Cagliari Elmas Airport you can travel all the way to Macomer, where you can hop on an ARST bus to Alghero. However, there is only one daily bus connecting Macomer to Alghero that departs at 8:50 am – which means you only really have one option.
Take the 6:33 am train from Cagliari Elmas Airport. The train will arrive in Macomer at 8:23 am.
Once in Macomer, find your way to the ARST bus station and get on bus number 713 to Alghero departing at 8:50 am. You will get to Alghero at 10:48 am. The entire trip will take you around 4 hours and 30 minutes.
The train ticket from Cagliari to Macomer costs €11 and can be bought at one of the vending machines at the airport or online on the Omio App.
The bus ticket from Macomer to Alghero costs €6,10 and can be bought at the bus station.
Other Useful Information
What’s Cagliari to Alghero distance?
The distance from Cagliari to Alghero is 248 km, which is just about 154 miles. It takes just about 2 hours and 45 to drive from Cagliari to Alghero, whereas the direct Cagliari to Alghero bus takes more than 4 hours.
How long does it take to get to Alghero from Cagliari?
It depends. If you travel from Cagliari to Alghero by car, it will take you less than 3 hours, but at times road works may slow you down.
If you take the Cagliari to Alghero train, you can expect the journey to take around 4 hours and 30 minutes as there is no direct train.
The bus from Cagliari to Alghero takes 4 hours and 30 minutes.
What’s the best way to travel to Alghero from Cagliari?
I love driving so to me going from Cagliari to Alghero by car is the best option. If you are considering renting a car for your Sardinia trip, you can easily drop off your car in Alghero.
Final Considerations
I am sure you have realized reading this post that getting from Cagliari to the center of Alghero by public transport is not easy. In any case, I wanted to give you all the available solutions so that you can pick which one you find most suitable to your needs, travel style and budget.
Further Readings
Make sure to read my other posts:
- How To Get To Sardinia
- How To Get From Cagliari Airport To The City Center
- A Guide To Renting A Car In Sardinia
- A Guide To Renting A Car In Alghero
- How To Travel By Public Transport In Sardinia
- A Great North Sardinia Itinerary
- A Complete Guide To Alghero
- The Best Beaches In Alghero
- The Best Airbnbs In Alghero
- The Best Hotels In Alghero
- How To Get From Cagliari To Olbia
- How To Get To Olbia From Alghero
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Hello Ros – yes, there won’t be direct flights I am afraid. The drive from Cagliari to Alghero is fairly long, but you can stop at Su Nuraxi in Barumini along the way to break it up, if you want!
Hi Claudia, Firstly. Thank you for your information about Sardinia. It is very informative.
My good friend and I are travelling to Sardinia from Catania in June. I am finding it difficult to find a flight from Catania directly to Alghero. We want to hire a car and travel around and end up at Olbia. The only options I am able to find is a direct flight with Ryan Air (operated by Air Malta) that gets us to Cagliari. We would then have to either train or drive the hire car from there which I know is around 3 hours. Any information that you may have with airlines and who flies into Alghero. ITA airways doesn’t seem to.
Any suggestions would be welcome. Monte Grazie