Sardinia: Five budget travel tips to help you save on your trip
In late spring, before the summer season really gets going, Sardinia casts quiet spells. The Costa Smeralda, developed in the 1960s as a center for luxury tourism, has given Sardinia a very pricey reputation. This part of the island is relatively small and much of Sardinia is wonderfully budget-friendly to boot.
We didn’t do Sardinia the way most do: Instead of the desperately beautiful green waters and perfect beaches of the Costa Smeralda, we found wildflower-strewn highlands, lost chapels and countryside villages, and megalithic structures. We also headed for the seawall-protected city of Alghero, the eastern limits of the Catalan-speaking world, where some street signs are in Catalan as well as Italian.
Sardinia budget travel tips
Regardless of where in Sardinia you travel, here are five tips to help you explore enchanting Sardinia in the springtime (or anytime of year!) on a budget.
1. Prioritize your itinerary
Sardinia is huge. You won’t be able to see it in one trip unless you move like a roadrunner or have a few months to kill. Top to bottom, it’s 265 km (165 miles) long. The second-largest island in the Mediterranean — Sicily is just slightly bigger, though with a vastly larger population — it is geographically and culturally varied.
Focus on a region or two of the island. We turned our energy on the northern third of the island — two beach days near Golfo Aranci north of Olbia, followed by three nights at an agriturismo in the village of Sindia, then ending with two nights in the west coast city of Alghero. This was a fantastic itinerary for a small group of friends or family.
An outdoor terrace at Agriturismo Il Cardoncello.
2. Explore Sardinia’s agritourism
Farm stay properties (agriturismo) are a fantastic way to experience Italy. We lucked into a particularly exquisite one just outside the village of Sindia, called Il Cardoncello di Sindia. The farm’s main product is mushrooms, which found themselves into just about every dish that came out of the kitchen. At our agriturismo, we took all of our meals in the large dining room.
Sindia is a quiet, pretty town awash in wildflowers in springtime. It’s well placed for day trips to the charming, bustling town of Bosa. And it is full of surprises. The owner of our agriturismo told us about a megalithic nuraghe hidden inside a local resident’s house. We visited, passing through a very proper house to see a nuraghe filled with local cheese and various heritage tools. It was pretty amazing, and certainly worth the €3 admission.
Related: Search hotels in Sindia and Bosa
3. Rent a car to explore the island
There is a train network on Sardinia and that iconic Trenitalia font, seen on train station signage, is a reminder — one you might need from time to time — that Sardinia is, in fact, part of Italy.
But the trains themselves are not the best way to explore the island. Many lines have been closed; others are only open for tourist use and are therefore impractical as a method of transportation. You will probably need a car to get to out-of-the-way villages and hidden beaches.
The charming seaside town of Alghero on the eastern coast of Sardinia. Photo: Anna & Michal
4. Dress appropriately
Unless you’re visiting in the thick of summer, don’t expect reliable scorching heat just because you’re in the Mediterranean! In late May the beaches of the Golfo Aranci were windy, while Sindia was chilly and wet. Alghero was hot during the day and cool at night. We needed our sweaters and sweatshirts not just our swimsuits and shorts.
5. Appreciate scale
Sardinia is big. Huge volumes of tourists visit Sardinia; add to that more than 1.6 million inhabitants, and you end up with serious market demand. In particular, Sardinia’s selection of supermarkets is far more impressive than the typical offerings to be found on a Mediterranean island. The Italian Conad supermarket north of Olbia is massive — and carries a huge selection of local produce, so you don’t need to eat tasteless vegetables exported from thousands of kilometers away.
Find cheap hotels in Sardinia
Search now for hotel deals in:
• Alghero
• Bosa
• Cagliari
• Golfo Aranci
• Olbia
• Sindia
Your Sardinia budget travel tips
Have some advice to share about ways to save on your trip to Sardinia? Tell us in the comments section below!
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Very helpful post, Alex! Great budget travel tips, exactly what I needed right now!