- Cheap Travel
- Family Travel
- Posted: 20/02/2025
Our Family Sardinia Holiday
Is a Sardinia Holiday Worth It on a Budget?
Yes, absolutely. We did a two-week Sardinia holiday, flights, airport parking, car hire, and accommodation for a family of four, for just under £1,800. Package holidays to Sardinia can look eye-watering, but a self-drive road trip with a bit of planning brings the cost right down.
During the month of July, we embarked on an unforgettable road trip across the beautiful island of Sardinia. We have had this trip on our bucket list for a long time, so we wanted to make sure our Sardinia travel itinerary was perfect. With so many amazing places to visit, it can be overwhelming deciding where to actually go.
We wanted to keep this trip cheap. You know by now we don’t like to spend a lot of money on our adventures. As with our recent Lapland on a budget trip, we love to prove you can visit anywhere on the cheap, with a little bit of savvy planning! We have visited the glamorous Cinque Terre on a budget, and the Maldives on a budget – we really believe anything is possible with a bit of compromise and most importantly, optimism!
Planning your Sardinia Holiday
Planning your Sardinia travel itinerary involves a blend of research, prioritisation and some flexibility, especially if you have a tight budget. Start by identifying the key regions and attractions you want to visit, such as the historic charm of Cagliari, the pristine beaches around Cala Gonone, picturesque towns like Golfo Aranci. Allocate enough time for each location, considering travel distances and the activities available. Importantly decide if one airports will work best, or if you are simply happy to fly to the cheapest.
Where to fly in to for Sardinia?
Sardinia has three main airports, each providing convenient access to different parts of the island. Cagliari Elmas Airport (CAG) is the largest and busiest, located near the capital city of Cagliari in the south of the island, making it ideal for exploring the southern regions. Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) serves the northeastern part of the island, including the glamorous Costa Smeralda and the La Maddalena Archipelago, making it a popular choice for visitors seeking luxury and beautiful coastline. Alghero Fertilia Airport (AHO) is situated in the northwest and offers easy access to the charming town of Alghero and the surrounding coastal areas.
Alghero Fertilia Airport (AHO) – West of the island
Ryanair offer budget flights to AHO airport from Stansted. There are some fantastic prices in October when the weather will be lovely and crowds much reduced. These example flights in October start from £30 return.
Cagliari Elmas Airport (CAG) – South of the island
Easyjet, Ryanair and British Airways offer flights to Cagliari from London airports.
Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) – North of the island
If you want to fly from the north of England, Olbia may be a better option. You can access this airport from London, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham. You can investigate flight prices here.
How did we travel there?
We used our Avios points to get discounted flights with British Airways. I have been collecting them forever and have never got round to using them. We flew from London Gatwick to Cagliari and it cost £175 for all 4 of us! London Gatwick is a huge trek for us, but it was the only real option we had to get there.
Sardinia Holiday – Airport parking
We drove a significant distance to get to London Gatwick. Airport parking is something you need to book as soon as you have flights. Prices only tend to go in one direction. We used our discount parking link which you can try out. It has great discounts for many airport car parks. We paid £121 for 2 weeks parking at Purple Parking Gatwick. It was much cheaper via our link compared to other websites.
Sardinia Road Trip – Car Hire
So you have found your flights and you have your dates for the trip. The next thing you want to think about is car hire. The sooner you book this the better. Car hire is never a thing to leave until the last minute, unless you want to be stung with the cost. Use a comparison site like the one linked below. Decide the size of car you need and make sure it will fit everything in. We chose a bigger car for this trip (our first as a family of 4) and with the luggage, pram, car seats, it was still a squish!
We used the company Noleggiare, easily recognisable with its neon pink signs. We found the prices to be really reasonable and we didn’t have any issue when returning our car. We spent £401 for the two weeks and we took our own car seats. We also arranged our own excess insurance.
You can learn more about hiring a car abroad on our blog post.
Sardinia Holiday Itinerary
Where to stay in Sardinia?
Our Sardinia Road Trip can be summarised as below:
- Fly into Cagliari
- Pick up car hire and drive to Nora (4 nights)
- Drive to 4 mori family village (4 nights)
- Drive to Cala Gonone (2 nights)
- Drive to Golfo Aranci (3 nights)
- Drive down to Cagliari for flight home tomorrow (1 night)
- Drop off car hire before flying home
I will link the places we stayed and the price we paid. It is worth noting we were travelling with my parents. So each accommodation was for 4 adults and 2 little ones. We split the price accordingly. The prices I am quoting are what we paid for our family of 4, not for the whole place. Travelling with family or friends is a good way to keep costs down. An apartment or house with multiple bedrooms is often great value when split between multiple couples / adults.
Our stay in Nora, Pula – Surf House
We stayed in a lovely little 3 bedroom house surrounded by fruit trees. It was a short walk to the beach (in the photo above you can see the house with its little pool in the bottom middle section). “Surf House” has great reviews and was a fantastic price at £372. There was a lot of space for parking, a BBQ in the garden, a small pool and most importantly air conditioning! It doesn’t seem to be available for rent at the moment (which I appreciate isnt helpful for you!)
Holiday park in Sardinia – 4 Mori Family Village
For the next part of our trip we based ourselves at 4 Mori Family Village. We booked this park via The Sun Holidays for £200. We were staying in the ‘Comfort’ accommodation and my parents were in the “Classic” – these were identical aside from the Comfort option being slightly more modern. Both had well equipped kitchens, air conditioning and an outside terrace area.
The park is fantastic for families. It is close to a lovely beach, has a pool with waterslide and splash area, kids club, great evening entertainment and they will organise excursions for you. One bizarre thing to mention is you need to wear swim caps in the pool! These can be bought on site. The restaurant here is lovely, we ate there every night and found it to be great value. (Around €100 for 5 of us to eat dinner with desert and drinks).
Cala Gonone – Appartamento Blue
Our 3 bedroom apartment in Cala Gonone had the most amazing view and was good value. It’s worth noting it is up a STEEP hill. But is a short distance to the harbour and beach. We enjoyed our meals out on the balcony cooked in the well equipped kitchen. We paid £186 for our two nights here. To find it search Appartamento Blue on Booking.com.
On our main day in Cala Gonone we did a boat trip to explore some of the amazing near by beaches. It was great value for a full day out, you can check availability and book it below.
Golfo Aranci – Dependance by Valentina
This was a great find. The house is in the grounds of the owner with its own pool. It was a lot more sleek and modern than we were expecting. It has AC in both bedrooms and one modern bathroom with shower. The downsides are the kitchen (it is a BBQ outside with one stove top and a sink). There isn’t a huge amount of plates / bowls etc but there is a fridge, coffee machine and microwave inside. The pool more than makes up for it, especially for our 5 year old son.
As you are in the grounds of the owner, their pets (dogs and cats) will come round to see what you are doing (they never went inside our house though) – worth mentioning for anyone who really doesn’t like animals.
It was a great base for exploring the Emerald Coast and for our La Maddalena boat tour which you can learn more about and book below.
Our portion of this place cost £245.50. You can learn more about this accommodation here.
La Maddalena boat tour
The boat tour we did was fantastic. Highly recommend for anyone in the area. A lot of the tours run on big crowded boats but this one was small (pictured below) and therefore much more relaxing. There were only 10 of us on board. There is a sheltered area on the bottom of the boat and a roof top for sunbathing.
Lunch and drinks were included in the price and honestly, it was one of our best days in Sardinia. If you want to explore this beautiful area, I highly recommend this particular tour.
Final stop – Best Western Hotel Residence Italia
As we were flying home relatively early and we were driving to Cagliari from the north, we spent our last night in a hotel close to the airport. We wanted something comfortable with free parking and so booked at this Best Western. The photos on the booking page definitely cat fished us slightly, however it was £95 for the night for a huge room for the 4 of us. The room was clean, had a little kitchen and a balcony. It was only a short drive to the airport from here so we would definitely recommend it for the purpose we used it.
There isn’t a restaurant, but a quick look on Justeat found lots of pizzerias which we ordered for dinner. We got 5 large pizzas for €30!
Best Time to Visit Sardinia
July and August are peak season: temperatures sit around 30°C, the sea is at its warmest, and the beaches are genuinely busy. We went in July and loved it, but if you want fewer crowds and lower prices, May, June, and September are brilliant alternatives. The weather is still warm enough for beach days and the roads are far more manageable.
October is worth a mention too. The weather stays mild, flights to Alghero in particular drop significantly in price, and the island has a completely different, quieter feel. If you are travelling with school-age children and can only go in the summer holidays, July is perfectly fine, just book everything early and expect more company on the beaches.
Which Part of Sardinia Is Best to Stay?
It depends entirely on what you are after, and honestly the best answer is: try to cover more than one region if you can. Here is a quick breakdown based on our own road trip.
- South (Cagliari and Nora area): Great for history, calm beaches, and easy airport access. Cagliari is a proper city with a beautiful old quarter. Nora has Roman ruins right by the sea. We started here and it set a brilliant tone for the trip.
- Central-east (Cala Gonone): This is the dramatic, rugged side of Sardinia. Steep gorges, clear water, and boat trips to beaches you genuinely cannot reach by road. Two nights here was not quite enough.
- North-east (Golfo Aranci and the Emerald Coast): This is the postcard Sardinia. The water colour around La Maddalena is extraordinary. It is also the priciest part of the island, but staying a little away from the Costa Smeralda keeps costs reasonable.
- North-west (Alghero area): We did not cover this on our trip, but Alghero is consistently recommended for its Catalan character and quieter beaches. Ryanair flies there direct from Stansted, which makes it a practical entry point.
If you only have one week, choose a base and do day trips. If you have two weeks, a road trip covering south to north (or north to south) gives you the full picture.
Our Sardinia holiday – Overall cost
Our Sardinia road trip was absolutely amazing. Our two week trip with flights, parking, accommodation and car hire came to just under £1800 for our family of 4. Lots of people say they haven’t visited Sardinia as it is too expensive. We notice package holidays here tend to be extortionate, however putting a trip together yourself and making some savvy choices can mean you get to visit on a budget!
Key Takeaways
- Two-week Sardinia holiday for four: under £1,800 booked DIY.
- Book car hire and parking early, prices rise fast.
- June, September, and October beat July for value and space.
- South to north road trip covers beaches, drama, and turquoise water.
- 4 Mori Family Village: best pick for families with young kids.
- La Maddalena small-group boat tour: the trip highlight.
FAQs
What is the best month to go to Sardinia?
June and September are the sweet spot: warm enough for beach days, far fewer crowds than July and August, and noticeably cheaper for flights and accommodation. July and August are peak season and perfectly enjoyable, but book everything well in advance. October is a great shout for mild weather and the lowest prices, especially if you fly into Alghero.
Is Sardinia cheap or expensive?
Sardinia has a reputation for being expensive, and package holidays there can be pricey. But a self-drive DIY trip is a different story. We did two weeks for a family of four, flights, parking, car hire, and all accommodation, for just under £1,800. The key is avoiding package deals, booking accommodation independently, and using a comparison site for car hire. If you can book your flights with Avios points, even better!
Do you need a car for a Sardinia holiday?
A car makes a Sardinia holiday significantly more flexible. Public transport connects the main towns but many of the best beaches are only reachable by car or boat. Book car hire as early as possible, prices rise sharply closer to your travel date. A comparison site is the quickest way to find the best deal.
Which is nicer, Sicily or Sardinia?
They suit different trips. Sardinia is known for its beaches, crystal-clear water, and quiet, nature-first feel. Sicily leans more into history, food, and city culture, with Palermo and the Greek ruins at Agrigento as highlights. For a beach-focused family road trip, Sardinia wins. For history, culture, and cuisine on a shorter break, Sicily is hard to beat.
Where should I fly into for a Sardinia road trip?
It depends on your route. Cagliari (CAG) in the south is the largest airport and a great starting point for a south-to-north road trip, which is exactly what we did. Olbia (OLB) in the north-east is ideal if you want to head straight to the Emerald Coast. Alghero (AHO) in the north-west is served by Ryanair from Stansted and is particularly good value in October. If you are doing a full island road trip, flying into one airport and out of another is worth considering.
How much does car hire cost in Sardinia?
Car hire costs vary depending on how early you book and what size of vehicle you need. During our visit, we spent £401 for two weeks with the company Noleggiare. We took our own car seats and arranged separate excess insurance, which kept overall costs down. Book as early as you can, prices rise the closer you get to your travel dates, and last-minute hire can be very expensive.
What is 4 Mori Family Village like?
4 Mori Family Village is a fantastic holiday park for families. It is right on a lovely beach and has a pool with a waterslide and splash area, a kids club, evening entertainment, and organised excursions. The ‘Comfort’ and ‘Classic’ accommodation options both come with well-equipped kitchens, air conditioning, and an outside terrace. One thing to note: you need to wear a swim cap in the pool (these can be bought on site). The on-site restaurant is great value, around €100 for five people including dessert and drinks. We booked via The Sun Holidays and paid £200 for our portion of the stay.
Is the La Maddalena boat tour worth it?
Absolutely, it was one of the highlights of our entire Sardinia holiday. Unlike many tours in the area that run on large, crowded boats, the one we took had only 10 people on board, which made for a far more relaxed experience. There is a sheltered area below deck and a rooftop for sunbathing, and lunch and drinks were included in the price. If you are staying in the Golfo Aranci or Emerald Coast area, this tour is well worth booking.
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Check out our recent Sardinia content
Would you visit the “Caribbean of Europe”?!
It’s fantastic to find somewhere that isn’t rammed with British tourists (no offence friends 😆) in fact we didn’t hear another British voice whilst we were there. Not one Irish bar or karaoke in sight.
The beaches here are out of this world. I’m going to be sharing lots about this trip over the coming days, with a blog post detailing all the places we stayed with links and advice on how you can recreate our trip!
We booked our boat trips with @getyourguide which I’ve added links to in the blog post. We received a voucher towards some of the payment of the trip.
Best of all, two weeks for our family of 4, in July, for fights, all our wonderful accommodation, car hire and parking - only came to £1800! 💰 I’ll do a cost breakdown soon ❤️
#getyourguidecommunity #sardinia #familytravel #thetravelmum #budgettravel #roadtrips #visitsardinia @getyourguidecommunity
This is a fantastic family holiday option - a little hack we share often is to book holiday parks with The Sun holidays - we are paying £50 a night to stay here!
AD | Another hack you need to get onto is eSims and we use @jetpacglobal - we get through tons of data when travelling, especially if the WiFi isn’t great. It’s been brill so far on this trip. You get free lounge access if you register your flight on the app and it’s delayed. A great silver lining to any flight delays you encounter!
Have you used an eSIM before?
#sardinia #thetravelmum #familytravel #cheaptravel #budgettravel #traveldeals #esim #holidayparks
This could easily be one of our favourite islands, and we’ve only been here 4 nights 😆
We are currently in SARDINIA! and oh my goodness, it is BEAUTIFUL. We are doing a road trip from south to north, stopping off at lots of places along the way.
We flew from London Gatwick with BA. By using some avios points, we only paid £175 for our family of 4. Our rental car was £400 for 2 weeks (less than £30 a day).
It’s unusual to be somewhere and not hear a single British voice. Sardinia is VERY popular with Italians from the mainland and it’s clear to see why.
Combining the Italian food and culture with beautiful beaches and crystal clear sea is a recipe for a fantastic holiday destination.
Keep following for lots of information on this beautiful island 😍
#sardinia #sardegna #thetravelmum #familytravel #cheaptravel #roadtrips #travelideas #roadtripsardinia
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