Cagliari Elmas Airport (IATA code CAG) is located in the district of Elmas, four miles to the west of Cagliari proper. In 2017, it served 4.1 million passengers, making it the fourteenth-busiest airport in Italy. Cagliari is deemed a `focus city` by Ryanair, and as such the airline flies from Cagliari to nearly two dozen European destinations. There are also year-round flights to Milan, Rome and Malta with airlines such as Alitalia and Air Malta. In nearly all cases, your trip to Sardinia will begin with an arrival at Cagliari Elmas Airport.

A taxi rank is located outside the arrivals hall; a daytime fare from the airport to the hotels in Cagliari proper starts at €15-€20. Prices can rise per piece of baggage handled to the tune of €2-€3 per bag. Fares can also rise to €25-€35 after 10 p.m., on weekends and on public holidays.

You can also take the train from Elmas Aeroporto station to Cagliari train station in the Marina district; the fare costs approximately €1.50 and tickets can be bought in the arrivals hall or in the train station. The trip takes approximately 20 minutes; the first train leaves at approximately 5:30 a.m. and the last one leaves around 11 p.m. The trains from the airport run on an altered schedule between December 9 and January 9. For more information on the train from Elmas Aeroporto station, visit www.cagliariairport.it/en/local-transportation/154-servizo/trasporto-locale/832-train.html.

Driving directions to Cagliari: Take the SS391 out of the airport for 0.4 miles, and then keep right to get on the SS130. After 0.6 miles, the SS130 changes names to Viale Elmas. 1.7 miles after that, the road merges with the Viale Monastir to become the Viale Sant`Avendrace and then the Viale Trieste. After driving 3.9 to 4 miles in total from the airport, you will keep right onto the Via Roma. You are now in the Marina district. After a quarter-mile, you will pass Cagliari train station. To go to the Castello and Stampace districts, turn left onto Largo Carlo Felice, about 0.45 miles after you keep right onto Via Roma.

If you are picking up a car which you reserved with TripMasters, you will be picking it up at Cagliari Elmas Airport and not in Cagliari proper. The vast majority of the car rental companies are situated between parking lots P1 and P2 outside the arrivals hall. Sixt and Sardinya Rent a Car are located in the vicinity of the arrivals hall, with Sixt inside and Sardinya Rent a Car outside.

You can take the aforementioned 20-minute train ride from Elmas Aeroporto station to Cagliari station, located on Piazza Giacomo Matteotti. There is a taxi rank on the Piazza where you can queue for a cab upon arriving in Cagliari proper.

Bus service in Cagliari is run by CTM (Consorzio Trasporti e Mobilita, www.ctmcagliari.it, website in Italian and English). Buses run seven days a week beginning at roughly 4 a.m. on major lines, and the last buses of the evening run between 12:30 and 1 a.m. Tickets can be bought from CTM vending machines at select stops, newspaper stands, and tobacconists (noted by a black and white T above the shop door). Tickets are clipped once on board and it is not possible to attempt boarding a CTM bus with the intent of not purchasing a ticket. Tickets are roughly €1.50 for adults when bought in advance, and €2 if buying while boarding from the driver. These prices entitle the rider to one ride on one bus line: you can buy a ticket for €2.50 to ride unlimited for two hours, €4 for a one-day ticket and approximately €15 for a weekly ticket. The multi-ride tickets are also valid on the Metrocagliari tram line.

Lines that will be of most use to visitors are Lines 5 (kelly green on the CTM map) and 8 (orange). Lines 5 and 8 run every day except Sunday. Line 5 connects Bonaria, Villanova and Marina with the Castello di San Michele; Line 8 connects the sights in Castello and Stampace. For a full map of bus routes, visit www.ctmcagliari.it/download_documento.php?id=2503.

Hailing taxis from the street is fine to do, but most people either go to taxi ranks or call ahead. Taxis tend to be white in color if they are sedans, or silver/gray if they are vans. Cheating customers out of money is rare; just be sure that the meter is on before departing. Be warned that few taxi drivers speak English, so if you are navigating on your own, have your destination (with address) written down on a piece of paper.

There are taxi ranks at Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, Piazza della Repubblica and Largo Carlo Felice. Hotels will be happy to call taxis for you in advance if you ask them to do so. Fares start around €3 at flagfall, and rises to €5-€6 after 10 p.m., on weekends and on public holidays. Expect to pay €1-€1.50 depending on time of day/day of week per 0.6 miles. To call for a taxi, the most popular companies are Cooperativa Radio Taxi 4 Mori (+39 070400101, www.cagliaritaxi.com/en) and Radio Taxi Cagliari Rossoblu (+39 0706655, www.radiotaxirossoblu.com/en/index.php).

Self-driving is recommended only if you will be visiting cities further away from Cagliari, perhaps in different regions on the island of Sardinia. Having one`s own car is not necessary if you are staying in the vicinity of Cagliari and Quartu Sant`Elena. In fact, parking tends to be at a premium in many parts of the city, so having a car could give you more hassle than not. If you are reserving a car, you will be picking it up at Cagliari Elmas Airport, and not in Cagliari proper.

The historic areas of Cagliari (Marina, Castello, Stampace and Villanova) are fairly compact, at about three-eighths of a square mile altogether. The streets are easy to navigate and walking from one sight to another is recommended. Only a few sights are more than two miles away from the historic center. In those rare cases, it is recommended to utilize cars, taxis, or public transport. Our recommendation is to stroll to your heart`s content all over Cagliari.

Cagliari is a fairly safe city by European and Italian standards. We recommend that you do not walk down narrow and remote alleyways, but otherwise nearly every major street can be walked down whether it`s daytime or nighttime. Keep some basic safety facts in mind: Stick to well-lit and well-populated routes, keep your wits about you, and always look like you know where you are going, even when you may not. Be sure to keep your valuables on your person at all times, and never keep all of your money in one place; split up your cash into various pockets in your clothes.

There are three areas you should visit if you want to get authentic Sardinian souvenirs such as handicrafts: the Via Roma in the Marina district; Largo Carlo Felice, where there are a lot of local shops with fascinating local products; and the artisan store Artigianato Sardo I.S.O.L.A. off the Piazza Salento at Via Ottone Bacaredda 176. If you want a North American shopping mall-type experience, Le Vele & Millennium is located on Via delle Serre between Cagliari and Quartu Sant`Elena.

Sardinia, like the rest of Italy, uses the euro (€) as currency and U.S. dollars are not accepted for payment. Please be sure to have the correct currency on hand or be prepared to exchange your dollars for euros upon arrival. Currency exchange desks and ATMs can be found at the airport and many locations throughout the city.

Nearly all Sardinians speak Italian, and a majority also speak Sardinian. As far as English is concerned, you will notice that it is spoken at nearly every hotel in Cagliari, and at many tourist attractions, but otherwise it will be difficult for you to find people who speak fluent English. You will find that restaurants in many locations in Cagliari have English translations, and even though many people may not be able to converse with you on a level you may desire, they will go out of their way to help you if you learn a few basic phrases in Italian. We recommend yes/no (sì/no), greetings such as buongiorno (good morning/good day) or buona sera (good evening), and numbers from 1-10. To say `Do you speak English?`, say `Lei parla inglese?`

The legal drinking age in Sardinia, as it is in the rest of Italy, is 18. Keep your passport with you as it doubles as proof of age and identification.

If you are renting a car, do not drive after consuming alcohol. A blood alcohol content level of 0.05 is considered the legal limit. Random breathalyzer tests are common.

Nightlife in Cagliari is varied and plentiful. You will see bars and nightclubs around the Marina district, near Via Roma, and also north of Largo Carlo Felice in a cluster around Piazza Yenne. The Piazza Yenne is right next to the University of Cagliari, and the nightlife scene revolves around students as much as it does tourism. Be sure to check out a cluster of bars and nightclubs on Via Goffredo Mameli also, just north of where Viale Trieste and Via Roma diverge.