Alghero - A Rough Guide

There are buses from Alghero Airport to Alghero town - but an easier way to travel is to book your own private airport transfer. Taxis can be pre booked in advance online at Holiday Taxis - so no queuing or waiting. Airport Taxis will provide a return transfer for  up to 3 people to Alghero for around £70  - That works out at about £23 each for the return journey. Sure - the bus might be a lot cheaper - but the taxi will drop you to the door of your hotel and pick you up there at the right time. No need to check bus timetables and buy tickets and find the bus stop . (Buying a bus ticket in Alghero is not as easy as you think - you can’t get on a bus without a ticket!). The taxi driver will meet you at arrivals with your name on a board - so you won’t miss them.

Book your Airport Transfer from Alghero Here

With all the extra flights into Alghero this summer - tourists are being advised to make sure they have their car hire booked in advance. One website was talking about a shortage of cars for hire in summer 2009 because of all the new routes opened up by Ryanair.

We did a quick check of Alghero car hire prices booked online for a week in August 2009. The comparisons were done on May 23rd 2009 for 7 days car rental from August 8th to August 15th 2009

Auto Europe were offering a 2 door Fiat Panda with Air con for £180.12 for 7 days.

Holiday Autos quoted me £193 Pounds for an Opel Corsa for the same 7 days.

£205.01 Pounds at Hertz Car Hire would get me a Fiat Panda 2 door for the week. (Paid in Full in advance)

Easycar prices for Alghero were in Euros and I was quoted 207.34 Euros for a 4 door Vauxhall/Opel  Corsa (This is about £236 Pounds)

The cheapest price available from Avis was £250.57 for an Opel Corsa

Europcar had a Fiat Panda 4 door for the price of €245.30 Euro (about £279 GBP)  almost 100 pounds more than the cheapest quote I obtained.

The prices above were the lowest priced cars on offer from each company at Alghero Airport on the day I was quoted. Prices will change by the day and availability too. Book early to avoid getting a car you don’t want or a more expensive price.

For people who want to spend a bit more or need a bigger car for the family - the following cars were also available.

Holiday Autos had a VW Caravelle 9 seater minibus for £567 Pounds
£411 pounds would get you a mini cooper convertible from Auto Europe

Ryanair are introducing a twice weekly flight  (Fri & Mon) flight from Ancona to Alghero from early June and there are the usual reasonably priced introductory fares. Great idea for a short break in the sun.

Ryanair will open a  new route to Alghero in Sardinia from Memmingen (approx 75kms west of Munich) . Flights begin in starting May 2009

Ryanair celebrated their new Memmingen (Munich West) Airport, seven new routes and 500,000 passengers by knocking 50% off its 1million lowest fares for travel across its European network in April, May and June which are available for booking from midnight tonight on the airlines website.

Ryanair is building up it’s Italian market and trying to take advantage of the poor state of Alitalia.

It said it was planning to open two new bases on Sardinia at Alghero and Cagliari, in March 2009. The two bases will create eight new domestic and 11 new international routes to and from the island.

Ryanaie-  Europe’s biggest low-cost carrier - also said it was also increasing its services between Rome Ciampino and the Milan region to five a day from late next month and was adding a new twice-daily domestic service between Rome and Trapani in Sicily in December.

Alghero and Cagliari will become the group’s sixth and seventh bases in Italy with locally based aircraft in addition to Rome, MilanBergamo, Pisa, Bologna and Forli.

It said it would base one 189-seat Boeing737-800 in Alghero and would operate a total of 18 routes to and from the north Sardinian city with two aircraft based at the Cagliari base offering 19 routes initially.

Easycar have an desk at arrivals in Alghero Airport. Easycar usually have some of the lowest prices for hire cars. You can book your car hire in advance at Easycar to avoid being left without a car when you arrive.
A taxi from the airport to Alghero will cost you more than a full day’s car hire. The buses in Alghero are OK - but you can’t beat the comfort and flexibility of a hired car. Get to see all those out of the way places at your own pace in comfort. Book Here..

Europcar Car rentals have a car hire desk at Alghero airport in Sardinia Italy.
You can book your car hire in advance online and pay nothing until after you have returned your car.
Visit Europcar
website to check prices and availability of cars. Book early.
Of course - cars drive on the right in Sardinia - and expect to hear a few horns being blown if you delay at lights - drivers seem to like blowing horns in Sardinia.

Flights to Alghero Airport in Sardinia from the UK and Ireland

Flights to Alghero From Liverpool Tuesdays and Saturdays Ryanair :depart 07.05
Dublin to Alghero Ryanair : Depart Sat 15.20 , Monsay and Friday 15.55
London Stansted to Alghero :Ryanair - Daily times vary.
East Midlands to Alghero : Ryanair Mar to oct depart 16.45 Wed and Sun

Charter companies
Gatwick Thomsonfly Sat 07.45 May to Oct
Birmingham Flybe Depart 6.15 Sat May -Oct
Southampton Flybe Sat 6.30 may- oct

Avis is another well known car hire company with a desk at Alghero airport.
You are usually better off booking your car hire before you arrive at Alghero airport - that way you have more chance of getting the type of car you want. Also you avoid the queues and hassle at the airport and any potential language problems. With an advance booking you can just show the staff the booking confirmation - no problems trying to translate MPV into Italian.
Tips: Air con in Sardinia is essential in the summer.
Petrol in Aug 2008 was 1.42 Euro a litre in Alghero.
Many petrol pumps are pre-pay in Sardinia
Book your car hire at Alghero with Avis here