Wondering “how do you get from Rome to Sardinia?” Don’t worry! Getting from Rome to Sardinia is really easy. I travel to Rome on a regular basis, so of course I just as often need to fly to Sardinia from Rome. Here, I will tell you everything you need to know about this journey.
Rome is one of the biggest cities in Italy, as well as one of the busiest ones. Millions of tourists flock to Rome every year, both for visiting the Eternal City and because it’s one of the most common starting point for trips to Italy.
There are two airports and a (nearby) touristic harbor from where every day thousands of people arrive and depart, and plenty of flights from Rome to Sardinia, and there even is a Rome to Sardinia ferry.
Air and ferry traffic increases especially during the summer months, when the promise of a holiday on some heavenly beach lures lots of tourists from Italy and the rest of the world to migrate to Sardinia.
Since I regularly travel to Sardinia from Rome, I am ready to share my expertise. Let’s find out the different ways (and means of transportations) available to get to Sardinia from Rome.
Want some extra help planning? I’m here for you
E-newsletter
Get free weekly updates straight in your inbox.
Travel Guides
From daily activities to hotels and restaurants, my digital guides make planning your Sardinia trip easy.
Travel Consults
Book a one-2-one call to help plan your Sardinia trip
How To Get From Rome To Sardinia
Flights from Rome to Sardinia
The flight from Rome to Sardinia is definitely the best way to get from Rome to Sardinia. Flights from Rome to Sardinia are very frequent, and this is how to go from Rome to Sardinia if you want to save time on travel. But let me explain a bit more.
Rome has two airports and they both serve Sardinian airports with a few routes. One is Ciampino Airport (CIA), which is is served by low cost airlines. The other one if Fiumicino (FCO), serves flight by regular airlines, as well as some budget ones.
Wandering what airlines fly from Rome to Sardinia?
Ryanair operates regular flights from Rome Ciampino Airport to Cagliari Elmas.
ITA operates flights from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Cagliari Elmas.
Aeroitalia operates flights from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Alghero Fertilia.
Aeroitalia and Volotea operate flights from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Olbia Costa Smeralda.
Fiumicino airport has a “special” deal with the Sardinian airports, called Continuità Territoriale (territorial continuity).
It’s basically a law to grant Sardinian residents a certain number of direct flights every day at a flat rate, with other benefits too such as the possibility of changing their flight at no additional fee as many times as they want (obviously prior to departure), and of always including checked luggage..
How long is the flight from Rome to Sardinia?
Wondering how long is the flight from Rome to Sardinia? It depends, but flights usually take about 50 minutes (though by schedule it’s one hour and five or 10 minutes, depending on the arrival airport) from either airport in Rome.
Once at the airport in Sardinia (whether you are landing in Cagliari Elmas, Alghero Fertilia, or Olbia Costa Smeralda), you can either get to the center of town by public transport, taxi or even rent a car to roam the island.
Flights from Rome Fiumicino to Cagliari
There are seven daily flights from Fiumicino to Cagliari, scattered throughout the day, with the earliest one departing at 7:00 am and the last one at 9:35 pm.
They are all operated by ITA, Italy’s main carrier. The schedule changes regularly, but you can check it online on ITA Airways website, or on the app Omio.
Flights from Rome Ciampino to Cagliari
Ryanair operates the flights from Ciampino to Cagliari. There is always one daily flight, but there depending on the season there are two and even three flights per day.
Flights leave at different times every day, and the schedule changes regularly, so you are better off checking it online directly on Ryanair or on the app Omio.
My post How To Get To Cagliari From The Airport highlights the various options to get to the city center after you land in Cagliari.
Flights from Rome Fiumicino to Olbia
The number of flights from Rome Fiumicino to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport varies depending on the season. In the off season, there are four daily flights – one in the morning, two in the late afternoon and one in the evening, operated by Aeroitalia and Volotea.
In the peak summer months, there are up to eight daily flights from Rome Fiumicino to Olbia Costa Smeralda.
The flight schedule is often subject to change, but you can check it online on the website of Aeroitalia or Volotea, or you can use the app Omio to check the schedule and the prices and book your flight.
There are no direct flights from Rome Ciampino Airport to Olbia.
For information on how to travel to Olbia or Gallura once you land, read my post How To Get To Olbia From The Airport and learn everything you need to know.
Flights from Rome Fiumicino to Alghero
There are three daily flights from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Alghero – one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening operated by Aeroitalia. The flight schedule changes occasionally, but you can check it online on their official website or you can use the app Omio, which is also a good option to book your flights.
No direct flights are operated from Rome Ciampino Airport to Alghero.
My post How To Get To Alghero From The Airport shares all the options to get to the city center after you land in Alghero.
How much do flights from Rome to Sardinia cost?
If you wish to fly from Rome to Sardinia, you should know that the price of the flights from Rome to Sardinia varies a lot depending on the airline, on the time of year, and on the day and exact time you wish to travel. In other words, there is no fixed price.
Flights from Rome to Sardinia are cheaper if you travel with a budget airline. Ryanair – which only operates flights from Rome Ciampino to Cagliari, is the cheapest airline as long as you travel with a small purse or personal item, and in the off season.
Even Ryanair gets more expensive as soon as you add carry-on or checked luggage, priority boarding or a specific seat, and if you buy your flights last minute or in the peak season.
Ryanair flights are often scheduled at very uncomfortable times, forcing you to wake up in the middle of the night to make your way to the airport; or landing very late in Sardinia.
It may actually be more convenient to fly from Rome to Sardinia from Fiumicino Airport with main carriers ITA Airways, Aeroitalia or Volotea, because there are more flights throughout the day, and there is less variation in prices too.
In any case, book well ahead of your travel date to have a bit more availability and cheaper prices.
Don’t be surprised if there are times when there seems to be no flights from Rome to Sardinia – that’s because the “continuità territoriale” deal has to be renewed regularly (typically every year, but at times every 6 months) and sometimes they do so at the very last minute before it expires, leaving us locals questioning whether we will have flights to Rome the day after!
I recommend using Omio to check out the schedule and book flights from Rome to Sardinia.
Ferry from Rome to Sardinia
Your first question will likely be “Is there a ferry from Rome to Sardinia?” Yes, of course there is. In fact, there are many!
Taking a boat from Rome to Sardinia might be a little bit more of a hassle, but this is the best way to get from Rome to Sardinia if you want to bring your own car or if you are afraid of flying.
Indeed, if you want to get around the island with your own car or motorbike, rather than renting one, the ferry from Rome to Sardinia is your only option.
Rome’s harbor town, Civitavecchia, serves four of the six Sardinian touristic harbors. The routes, despite being more frequent during the summer, are operated year round to guarantee a constant exchange between the island and the Peninsula.
I am sure you are wondering: “how long is the boat ride from Rome to Sardinia?” and I am sorry to say I don’t have a straightforward answer.
The duration of the boat from Rome to Sardinia varies depending on the sea conditions, the time of day at which the ferry departs, the route and even company operating the ferry.
Ferries from Rome to Sardinia schedule
Contrary to flights, ferries from Rome to Sardinia tend to keep the same schedule throughout the year – in fact, even throughout the years!
Ferries from Civitavecchia to Olbia are operated by Tirrenia and depart daily at 10:30 pm. The trip takes around 8 hours – depending on the sea conditions.
Ferries from Civitavecchia to Cagliari are operated by Grimaldi Lines and depart daily at 8:00 pm, taking between 12 and 15 hours depending on whether they stop in Arbatax or not.
Ferries from Civitavecchia to Arbatax are operated by Grimaldi Lines and leave at 8:00 pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays – it usually is the same ferry that goes to Cagliari and that makes a stopover in Arbatax. The trip takes around 10 hours.
Ferries from Civitavecchia to Porto Torres are operated by Grimaldi Lines and leave at 2:30 am every Sunday. The trip takes around 8 hours.
I recommend using Direct Ferries to check out the schedule and book your Rome to Sardinia ferry.
Final Considerations
I was once asked if there is a train from Rome to Sardinia and well, no there isn’t. Sardinia is an island, and quite far from mainland Italy. The distance from Rome to Sardinia is 354 kilometers – that is about 220 miles.
As you can see, even though there is no train, it is really easy to travel to Sardinia from Rome – no matter your budget and your preferred method of transportation, you are bound to find a way. It’s just the first step towards a great holiday!
Further Readings
For more information on how to get to Sardinia, check out these posts:
- How To Get To Sardinia
- The Best Options For Flights From London To Sardinia
- How To Travel By Public Transport In Sardinia
- A Guide To Renting A Car In Sardinia
- Where To Take The Ferry To Sardinia
- The Best Amsterdam To Sardinia Flights
- How To Get From Naples To Sardinia
- The Best Paris To Sardinia Flights
- How To Get From Barcelona To Sardinia
- How To Get From Sicily To Sardinia
- How To Get From Florence To Sardinia
- How To Get From Milan To Sardinia
- How To Get To Sardinia From Venice
- Which Are The Best Flights From Dublin To Sardinia?
Pin It For Later!
Hi. I will try to keep this brief:
1) There are no fast ferries from Civitavecchia (near Rome) to Sardinia.
2) Olbia is the main city NEAR the Costa Smeralda, but it’s a city. If you are traveling with someone with reduced mobility, I agree that a resort may be a better idea. There are resorts all over the island.
3) Sardinia is a MASSIVE island, it’s bigger than Israel, so yes, there are plenty of things to do throughout the year and to keep you busy for a lifetime.
If you use the search lens / bar at the top of the menu bar, you can input the main keywords / topic for the information you are looking for. I have many posts about Costa Smeralda, for example.
Hope this helps!
Hello Claudia,
Hope you are doing well.
We are planning to visit Sardinia for 1 week around August 7th and after read your blogg and comments. I was thinking to give a shot and take the ferry from Rome to Sardinia.
Also a few friends recommend me to stay in Olbia( Costa ESMERALDA) I found already a few resorts, we cant do it in a more adventurous way bc we are traveling with my mother in law, she have a reduce mobility and move with a cane.
Its another place that you can recommend me, Its a better idea Cagliari ? or Alghero how you mention before ??
Can I find activites, restaurants and things to do in Costa Esmeralda (Olbia) ?
We will stay 3 days in Tuscany and then go back to Rome and I wanna take the ferry in the day to Sardinia that if I understand clear from your own words if the short distance/time compare with the evening trip in the ferry.
Please I will aprecciate your advice.
Have a beautiful day
Greetings from New York
It really depends on the time of year. If you visit in the summer, I would say Alghero as you can take the bus to nice beaches. Or Cagliari as there is lots to see and the city beaches are nice.
Hello Claudia,
I am hoping to spend 3 days in Sardinia without a car. Where is a good location to explore there that will give a strong sense of beautiful Sardinia without driving?
You can’t tour Sardinia in 3 days. The island is actually bigger than Israel, the country. You can at most get a feel for one location. Hope this helps!
Hi,
I’m flying into Rome on August 5th and will stay 3 nights. I’m interested in a 3-day tour of Sardinia from Rome, around August 8th or about. Is this something you can handle?
Thank you.
Tom
I have a detailed post on the Blue Zone on this site. Just use the search bar and type Sardinia Blue Zone to find it.
Hello,
I am interested in learning more about the blue zone, a reason for a planned visit in July 2023. I emailed you, hoping that you will be able to help with some details, please?
Thank you, Amar
It would really help if I knew your starting point to begin with – is it Olbia? Somewhere in Costa Smeralda? San Teodoro? Anyhow, all restaurants serve food at least until 10:00 pm, so you won’t really have any issue finding a place to hang out until then. The harbor is about 10 minutes drive from the center. If you don’t have a car to keep your bags, consider using a luggage storage service in Olbia. There is one at the airport and one in Olbia Arena. The airport is also close to the harbor.
Ciao!
We are thinking about taking the ferry from Olbia to Civitavecchia and was wondering if you have done the overnight ferries (some leave at 23:00 or 01:00). Since we will be checked-out from the hotel, are there restaurants or cafes that people lounge until the embark the ferry? What do people do around the port while waiting?
Hello. For instructions on how to get from Rome to Civitavecchia read this post https://myadventuresacrosstheworld.com/how-to-get-from-civitavecchia-to-rome/ – just do everything in reverse. I am not sure what you mean by ferry from Olbia to Sardinia. Olbia IS in Sardinia. The cheapest flights are usually Ryanair from Cagliari to Rome Ciampino.
Janyary 2023
Per piacere, cheapest FERRY (circa 6 hrs)
from Vatican, Rome, how do i get to Civitavecchia –
Then to get ferri from Olbia to Sardinia (ferry crossing usually lasts 6-8.5 hr, depending on the type of vessel you’ve chosen) whats the cheapest for return to Rome?
I saw your email and got back to you there too. The issue is that the flat fare has yet to be approved. There will be flights – they can’t by law leave us isolated. But at times it takes a while for the airlines to get everything sorted, as there are some political and administrative things that have to be sorted.
Hey! I’m trying to find flights from Olbia to Rome in June 2023 and it seems like there are no direct flights offered all summer (I checked on Volotea, Ryan Air, Air Italia). Is there a reason the flight schedule hasn’t been posted or do they not fly this route all summer? Any help on this would be helpful in deciding if we can go to Sardinia! Thanks!