Although Sardinia has a fairly well-developed bus service, many places can be reached 1-2 times a day, while some beaches cannot be reached at all. That's why renting a car is the best way to experience the beauty of Sardinia.
Where, when and how to book a car in Sardinia
When booking a car with a car rental company, generally the earlier you book, the cheaper it will be. This is especially true in Sardinia, where prices vary by tens of percent in winter and summer.
To make a reservation, we recommend using one of the comparison engines of all car rental companies, which will sort the results according to your chosen criteria.
The best option is to rent a car directly at one of the three international airports. Check the current availability and prices of cars:
Car rental prices in Sardinia
Renting a car in Sardinia is cheap in low season and very expensive in high season. The price depends on the length of the rental, the longer the rental, the cheaper the daily price will be. In Sardinia, the earlier you book the car, the cheaper the rental will be. Examples of prices (the first amount is when booking about 5 months before the trip, the second amount when booking 1 month before the trip to illustrate the difference):
- 7-day rental in summer - from 250 eur
- 4-day rental in summer - from 100 eur
- 7-day rental in winter - from 120 eur
- 4-day rental in winter - from 80 eur
Always read the detailed rental conditions and especially the insurance, which you can also find on Booking.com. Some rental companies include insurance in the final price, elsewhere you will have to pay extra, between 5 eur and 10 eur per day depending on the type of car and the length of the rental.
International driving licence and other documents
Sardinia is part of the European Union, so there is no need to arrange an international driving licence. The rental company will also accept a national driving licence from any EU country.
In case you hold a driving licence from a non-EU country, Norway, Switzerland or Iceland, get an international driving licence with your licence.
Car rental companies usually require a credit card to rent a car, and will often lend on a debit card, but either on less favourable terms or with a very high deposit often exceeding even 1 000 eur.
Petrol prices and parking
Petrol is expensive in Sardinia and prices are above average compared to other places in Europe.
Prices range from 1,65 eur to 2 eur per litre.
There is a good density of petrol stations and you will find petrol stations in all major towns. For example, you can see a price graph on the following website: fuel-prices.eu/Italy
Parking is easy in Sardinia, with large car parks at most beaches and tourist attractions. However, in the vast majority of at least somewhat touristy destinations, parking is charged - about 5 to 8 eur per day, even less in towns.
Traffic and traffic regulations
Main roads are in very good condition, while secondary roads are very winding and their condition is often very poor.
The more relaxed view of traffic regulations held by Italians should be taken into account. They don't drive downright dangerously, but especially at junctions in smaller villages it's a good idea to take care even when you're driving on the main road.
Traffic regulations are similar to all other European countries.
Thespeed limit is 50 km/h in the village and 110 km/h outside the village. But because of the mountainous terrain, you can barely go 80 km/h outside the motorways. The rules are the same at roundabouts (vehicles going round the roundabout have the right of way and you use your turn signal when leaving the roundabout).
Be aware that the use of turn signals in Sardinia is very rare.