Getting from Rome to Sardinia is really easy.
Rome is one of the biggest cities in Italy and 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 stopovers for guided tours of Italy.
There are two airports and a (nearby) touristic harbor from where every day thousands of people arrive and depart, including Rome to Sardinia flights, and the Rome to Sardinia ferry, especially during summer, 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.
Let’s find out the different ways (and means of transportations) available to get to Sardinia from Rome.
Table of Contents
How To Get From Rome To Sardinia
Rome to Sardinia Flights
Rome has two airports and they both serve Sardinian airports with a few routes.
Ciampino (CIA) airport is served by low cost airlines; whereas Fiumicino (FCO) – which is, incidentally, a small city in itself – serves flight by regular airlines, as well as some budget ones.
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 week 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).
Rome to Sardinia Flights Schedule
Flights from Rome to Sardinia are very frequent, and this is the easiest – and usually also cheapest – option to travel from the Italian capital to the island.
Flights usually take about 50 minutes (though by schedule it’s one hour and ten minutes) from either airport in Rome, and once at the airport, you can either get to the center of town by public transport, taxi or even rent a car to roam the island.
At the time of writing, flights under the territorial continuity regime from Fiumicino Airport are operated by Aeroitalia, Volotea and Ita.
Fiumicino – Cagliari (Flight duration: 1 hour and 10 minutes)
There are between 7 daily flights from Fiumicino to Cagliari, scattered throughout the day. They are all operated by Ita at the moment. The schedule changes regularly, but you can check it online here.
Check out the schedule and book your flights from Rome to Sardinia here.
Ciampino – Cagliari (Flight duration: 1 hour and 5 minutes)
Flights from Ciampino to Cagliari are operated by Ryanair. There usually is one daily flight, but there are days during which there are two flights. Flights leave at different times every day, and the schedule changes regularly, so you are better off checking it online here.
Check out the schedule and book your flights from Rome to Sardinia here.
Fiumicino – Olbia (Flight duration: 1 hour and 5 minutes)
There are 3 daily flights connecting Fiumicino to Olbia – one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, operated by Aeroitalia and Volotea. The flight schedule is often subject to change, but you can check it online here.
Check out the schedule and book your flights from Rome to Olbia here.
There are no direct flights from Ciampino to Olbia.
Fiumicino – Alghero (Flight Duration: 1 hour and 10 minutes)
There are 2 daily flights from Fiumicino to Alghero – one in the morning, one in the afternoon, operated by Aeroitalia. The flight schedule is changes frequently, but you can check it online on their official website.
Check out the schedule and book your flights from Rome to Alghero here.
No direct flights are operated from Ciampino to Alghero.
How much do flights from Rome to Sardinia cost?
The price of Rome to Sardinia flights varies a lot depending on the airline, on the time of year, and on the day and exact time you wish to travel, and if you are traveling with a budget airline also on any additional perks you wish to add.
Ryanair is the cheapest airline as long as you travel with a small purse or personal item. It gets more expensive as soon as you add carry on or checked in luggage, priority boarding or a specific seat.
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 Fiumicino with main carrier ITA Airways. In any case, book well ahead of your travel date to have a bit more availability and cheaper prices.
You can check the prices of flights from Rome to Sardinia on the Omio app here.
Rome to Sardinia ferry
Taking a ferry to Sardinia might be a little bit more of a hassle, but it has its positive points too. If you want to get around the island with your own car or motorbike, rather than renting one, a ferry 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.
The duration of the journey varies depending on the sea conditions, time of the day, route and company operating the ferry.
Rome to Sardinia ferry schedule
Contrary to flights, ferries 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 Tirrenia 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 10:00 pm every Tuesday. The trip takes around 7 hours and 30 minutes.
Check out the schedule and book your Rome to Sardinia ferry here.
As you can see, 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
- Which Are The Best Flights From Dublin To Sardinia?
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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!
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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
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.
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
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!
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?
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,
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
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!