Table of Contents:
Why is it better to book rental services in advance
Briefly about the deposit, franchise, insurance
Car rental at the airports of Sardinia
How to book a car in advance using online services
Car rental in Sardinia
Sardinia is a popular resort destination famous for its beach holidays. However, it is not only turquoise water and white sandy beaches that attract tourists to Sardinia; the island also boasts numerous cultural and historical attractions, as well as atmospheric towns and special local vibes. By European standards, Sardinia is a fairly large Italian island, and to travel around it from north to south or from west to east, or simply to see the main attractions and find secluded beaches, it is best to rent a car, since public transport in Sardinia is limited to a few routes.
You can find rental offices in Sardinia in any more or less large town; this option is extremely popular. However, most tourists prefer to rent a car immediately upon arrival, which means that rental offices in Cagliari and Olbia, where there are international airports, are in greatest demand.
In order to rent a car in Sardinia, it is enough to have a basic package of documents with you including a passport, an international driving license and a bank card to pay for services. The registration procedure takes place in several stages:
- car selection
- checking details
- signing an agreement
- registration of insurance
- rental payment
- blocking of deposit
Many tourists use online services to book the desired class of car in advance. In this case, you can save both time on registration and money (on the spot it is usually more expensive). You can book the class of car you need in advance via various specialized online services, such as:
Discover Cars is a service for searching, comparing and saving on car rentals;
Economybookings is a service for comparing offers from rental companies around the world.
Why is it better to book rental services in advance
Car rental in Sardinia is a very popular option among travelers, since public transport on the island is poorly developed. This is why renting a car is in great demand, especially during the so-called “high” season. In order not to find yourself in a situation where the class of car you need is not available and you have to rent a car of a more expensive class, it is better to book the required class of car in advance, ideally no less than 2-4 weeks before the date of the intended trip.
During the holiday period, such a reservation will allow you to choose the desired class of car, whereas on the spot you will have to choose from what is left. Rental offices in Sardinia offer cars of various classes for renting including mini, economy, compact, medium-capacity, family cars, minivans, SUVs, premium cars and others.
It is also worth remembering about the deposit, which is blocked on your card for the rental period. The cost of the deposit usually depends on the class of the selected car. If no damage occurred to the car during the rental period, then the deposit amount will be safely unblocked on the card within 2 weeks – 1 month after returning the car to the rental company (the specific timing depends on your bank), so you should not be afraid of blocking the deposit when renting a car, because this is a general practice that is used by almost all international distributors.
Briefly about the deposit, franchise, insurance If the price of renting a car is not high, then the deposit amount is usually quite large. This amount will be blocked on the card as a deposit in case of damage to the car. You can avoid this by taking out full insurance; Standard insurance covers your expenses in case of an accident, but only above the deductible amount. You will have to pay the franchise. The amount of the deductible in case of an accident is specified in the agreement; please pay attention to it; Full insurance usually covers both the deductible and the deposit, and also covers damage to glass, mirrors, tires, wheels, etc. (more specific conditions can be found in the agreement). Traffic violations (fines issued) are NOT covered by full insurance! The cost of full insurance is daily and, accordingly, depends on the number of rental days.
You can find rental offices both in the cities of Sardinia and at the airports.
Car rental at the airports of Sardinia
Renting a car in Sardinia at the airports is a very popular option and gives complete freedom of action when moving. Do not forget that a rented car can also serve as a transfer from the airport to your hotel. The main airports in Sardinia are located at different ends of the island – in the city of Cagliari and the city of Olbia.
At Cagliari Airport, 22 + more different car rental companies have offices, including such well-known companies as Alamo, Noleggiare, Firefly, Ecovia, JoyRent, Sicily by Car, Avis, Green Motion, Thrifty, Hertz, Europcar, InterRent and others. The total fleet of Cagliari airport is about 140 cars, and rental prices start from 15 euros/day, which is quite cheap not only by the standards of Italy, but also of the whole of Europe. Rental offices are located either in the airport terminal under the sign “Car Rental Center”, or near the airport, and then free shuttles operate from the terminal to the rental point.
At Olbia Airport, the rental car fleet is no less extensive, and among the rental companies are such as Alamo, Autovia, Avis, B-Rent, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, InterRent, Locauto, Maggiore and others. The rental price at Olbia Airport also starts from 15-19 euros/day; you can choose to rent a car of any class including mini, economy, compact, medium-capacity, family, minivans, SUVs, etc. By analogy with Cagliari Airport, at Olbia Airport rental points are open both in the terminal and nearby. You should look for the “Car Rental Center” sign.
When choosing a car to rent, you should pay attention to the rental conditions, for example, what are the mileage conditions:
- unlimited
- limited mileage (if limited, what is the limit and is it sufficient for the number of your trips);
what are the fuel conditions:
- the most common option is to return and receive it with a full tank
- advance payment for fuel (in this case, a refund will be made for unused fuel when returning the car).
To clarify all the car rental options available for your dates at Sardinian airports, be it Olbia or Cagliari, you can carry out an independent search, indicating the place of picking up and returning of the car and the actual dates:
In Sardinia you can choose petrol and diesel cars, with manual or automatic transmission, with or without air conditioning. In addition, you can often find various special offers that give additional bonuses. Also, early booking often provides benefits such as free cancellation or changes to the order 48 hours before the start of the rental, theft coverage, accident coverage, etc (when booking in advance via online services).
Driving rules in Sardinia
It is customary to refuel in Sardinia with gasoline with an octane rating of 95 and 98, or diesel. Gas stations operate in manual mode; payment is made at the cashier. Within the city limits of Sardinia, gas stations may close for lunch breaks; in addition, they do not operate around the clock, but on highways outside the city, gas stations operate without a lunch break 24 hours a day.
The speed in cities should not exceed 50 km/h, and parking rules should also be followed: places surrounded by white stripes are free parking; spaces surrounded by blue stripes are paid parking. Payment for parking spaces is made at automatic parking machines. The speed outside of the settlements is 90 km/h.
Roads in Sardinia are of excellent quality and, unlike mainland Italy, there are no toll roads, making traveling around the island a cheap alternative to public transport. Please, note, that in Sardinia, both in cities and in rural areas, there are many one-way roads, as the “senso unico” sign will warn you about it. Drivers are required to use low beam headlights at any time of the year and at any time of the day. Driving with headlights off is strictly prohibited.
How to book a car in advance using online services
1.On the main page of any online service, you must fill in the basic information for the search including place of picking up and returning, dates of your trip and the age of the driver. Please, note, that if you wish, you can select one pickup location and another return location. This option is convenient if you have a non-circular route around the island. It will cost a little more, but it will allow you to comply with the planned logistics of movement. So, let’s fill in:
- Pickup location
- Return location
- Dates
- Age
2.Next go to the page of available options. Here you will see all the options available for your travel dates. The search page will indicate the pick-up location (airport or city). Having chosen the appropriate one, you will see the car classes open for booking, companies, cost of services, rental conditions, etc. For a more precise search, you can apply additional filters and specify the required services. So, for example, a tourist on a trip may need:
- A navigator
- A child seat or a booster seat
- chains (for trips to the mountains, deep into the island)
- A trunk
3.Be sure to pay attention to the rental conditions of the option you have chosen. They can be found in the lower right corner under the rental offer. In the window that opens, you will see the following information: documents required for reservation, amount of deductible and deposit, insurance options, payment methods.
4.Having selected the appropriate option and clicking the “Book” button, you will be taken to a page for specifying your personal data. As a rule, this is your last name and first name, email address and telephone number, as well as flight number.
♠ Attention! Please indicate the correct email address, because an electronic voucher will be sent there, which must subsequently be printed and shown at the car rental counter.
5.Payment for the service is made by card. It may be the full or partial cost, depending on the terms of renting. Please, note, that even if you pay the full price on the website, you will still have to present your bank card at the rental office to block the deposit.
In general, renting a car in Sardinia is a more than justified expense. This is not only convenient, safe and comfortable, but also allows you to see those places on the island that are simply not accessible by public transport. Most of the motorways in Sardinia are panoramic; there are special places for stops, so while driving a car you can see the real picturesque Sardinia with its magnificent countryside.
| Where | Where | Distance | Route |
| Cagliari | Olbia | 270 km (167, 77 miles) | No. E25 and 131 |
| Olbia | Alghero | 140 km (87 miles) | No. SS597 and SS729 |
| Cagliari | Villasimius | 50 km (31 miles) | No. SP17 |
| Olbia | Costa Smeralda | 30 km (18,64 miles) | No. SP73 and SP94 |
| Cagliari | Mount Ortobene | 186 km (115,5 miles) | No. E25 and 131 |
| Cagliari | Su-Nuraxi village | 65 km (40,38 miles) | No. E25 and 197 |
| Olbia | La Maddalena National Park | 50 km (31 miles) | No. SS125 |
The cost of car rental in Sardinia is lower than in mainland Italy, and there are no toll roads, so this type of transportation is also cheap one. To register a rental car, it is enough to have basic documents, and the procedure itself will not take much time.
Take a note! When going on a trip to Italy, do not forget to take out a travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerged medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase an insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: Tobias Scheck
The author is Julia Mam
Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more…
