Sardinia Road Trips: 7, 10 or 14 Days

Seven days: choose north or south

For the north, arrive in Olbia on day 1 and continue to Palau for nights 1–3. Give day 2 to one Costa Smeralda bay and day 3 to a full La Maddalena ferry or boat outing. Transfer to Alghero on day 4 for nights 4–6. Its two full days cover the old town, beach or one selected excursion. Depart from Alghero on day 7.

That is six nights and two main bases. A very late arrival can replace the first Palau night with Olbia. If flying out of Olbia, replace the final Alghero night with Olbia and use part of the last sightseeing day for the return drive. That journey is not included in the original Alghero-departure plan.

For the south, use night 1 Cagliari, nights 2–5 Villasimius and night 6 Cagliari before flying on day 7. Chia can replace Villasimius entirely. This version omits Golfo di Orosei so the week retains usable beach time.

Ten days: three bases, three nights each

• Days 1–3: Villasimius, three nights. Arrive through Cagliari; use two full days for one chosen beach and another southeast-coast visit.
• Day 4: Transfer to Cala Gonone for nights 4–6.
• Day 5: Cala Luna or a compatible Bue Marino combination, with confirmed boat and admission arrangements.
• Day 6: Free fallback day or a deliberate land visit; do not assume another guaranteed sailing.
• Day 7: Transfer to Palau for nights 7–9.
• Days 8–9: One mainland bay and a full La Maddalena day, ordered around conditions and bookings.
• Day 10: Drive to Olbia Airport and depart.

Three plus three plus three equals nine nights. A late-arrival Cagliari night replaces the first Villasimius night. La Maddalena can replace Palau as the base for those three nights, with the ferry then included in the base changes. Alghero is not an extra stop in this ten-day plan.

Fourteen days: east-coast flexibility and Alghero

Keep nights 1–3 in Villasimius. Cala Gonone gets nights 4–7, providing three full days instead of two. A boat outing, a separate reserved Goloritzé hike and a still-free day can then fit within the stay, subject to fitness and conditions.

Move to Palau on day 8 for nights 8–10. Drive to Alghero on day 11 for nights 11–13. One of its two full days can cover the road to Bosa and the town; keep the other for Alghero and the beach. Depart Alghero on day 14.

The count is Villasimius3 + Cala Gonone4 + Palau3 + Alghero3 = 13 nights. Bosa is an excursion, not another base. This is not a complete island circuit and does not contain an Asinara outing; that requires replacing a day plan or extending the trip.

Match booking rules to the activity

An ordinary ferry visit to La Maddalena differs from operating your own boat within the national park. Ask tour operators about included charges; individual vessel/activity permissions apply to the relevant activity. Cala Coticcio and Cala Brigantina trail access needs separately arranged authorised guidance.

Goloritzé also requires its own hiking reservation. A passing cruise or a parking place does not make the beach freely accessible. Decide these fixed outings after settling arrival, main bases and complete transfers.

A transparent ten-day budget

Calculation example for two adults sharing a room and car, ten days and nine nights: rooms 9 × EUR 130 = EUR 1,170; ten charged rental days × EUR 55 = EUR 550; food 10 × EUR 70 shared = EUR 700; fuel/parking EUR 180; one boat excursion 2 × EUR 75 = EUR 150; an assumed La Maddalena return-ferry allowance for two people and a car EUR 120. Total: EUR 2,870, or EUR 1,435 each and EUR 143.50 per person per travel day.

Every figure is an assumption for personal calculation rather than a current offer. Flights or the mainland ferry, one-way rental fees, local overnight taxes, cave admission and further activities are additional. Replace the inputs with actual quotations and check charged rental days against the pickup and return times. The driving and ferry guide helps match terminals, car arrangements and the final overnight stay.