After a month in mainland Italy, staying in Varenna, we want to spend 2 weeks in Sardinia. Where do we go to take a ferry to Sardinia, Genoa? Then, leaving Sardinia we want to go to the Amalfi Coast. Is there a ferry from Sardinia to Naples?
Posted by
North Carolina
2448 posts
This website
http://www.directferries.co.uk/sardinia.htm
should give you all the info, and booking capability, you will need.
Posted by
Centennial, CO, USA
1883 posts
You might consider flying to Sardinia out of Milan. It will take much less time than taking the ferry, and if you book early, the fares are not bad. Easy Jet or Alitalia both offer great options.
We are doing a self guided bike tour on Sardinia in 2015, and we are flying to and from Milan. Milan would be closest for you from Varenna, and coming back, you can chose to fly to Naples or Rome
http://www.alitalia.com/us_en/?WT.mc_id=search_Bing_Brand_US&WT.srch=1
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15164 posts
Fly. It's faster and ultimately cheaper.
A ferry is not cheap and from Varenna it takes forever (you'd need to reach Civitavecchia first). A ferry makes sense only to those (basically Italians and other Europeans) who are driving their own car and need to take it to the island, but in your case you will have to rent one anyway, therefore you might as well rent it in Sardinia (a car is necessary to visit Sardinia).
The 3 main airports on the island are:
Cagliari (CAG) in the south.
Olbia-Costa Smeralda (OLB) in the NorthEast
Alghero (AHO) in the NorthWest (this is primarily a RyanAir hub)
You can fly to the island from any of the 3 Milan area airports (LIN, MXP, BGY). MXP is a EasyJet hub, BGY is a RyanAir hub. LIN is the city airport used primarily by business travelers (like the Reagan National in DC) and where Alitalia reigns supreme (therefore probably pricier to fly from).
Amalfi is closest to NAP. Alitalia, Meridiana, Easyjet, Volotea all have flights connecting NAP to Sardinia (many in summer only however).
Posted by
OP
durango, CO
64 posts
Thank you Roberto. Can you recommend a charming bed and breakfast to stay in the main town, I think it's called Cagliari? Or any other areas of the island, accessible by public transport (i.e. train)?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15164 posts
I have never been to Cagliari. All the times I went I stayed in the north side of the island. However it has been a few years since I was in Sardinia last and in any case all the places I stayed needed a car for transportation.
Train transportation in Sardinia is of little use to a tourist. The train is mostly single track non electrified line which connects Cagliari- Oristano- Sassari- Olbia through the interior. So basically passenger train transportation is nothing compared to the mainland, rather it is underdeveloped like in the US or most developing countries. For public transport along the coast you will have to rely on buses. However also the buses connect only the towns, but the beauty of Sardinia lies in the secluded beaches on the coast and also the Gennargentu mountains in the interior. Therefore it would be really beneficial to you to rent a car once you land. Cagliari doesn't have much to offer, therefore you can head out as soon as you arrive (if you fly to CAG). I prefer the North, therefore I always landed at OLB. Driving in Sardinia is just as easy as driving anywhere else. Roads along the coast are two lane highways (freeways are only in the interior connecting the main cities) but they are all very good and well maintained. If you can drive at home, you can drive in Sardinia. Rent a car. You won't regret it.