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).