Good advice on car hire in Sardinia – Hire a car in Alghero
Cartrawler Italy - Compare car hire in Sardinia
Sardinia is a part of Italy and is the second largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily.
The city of Alghero on the Italian island of Sardinia has a population of around 44.000. It is situated on the north west of Sardinia and is known by the locals as S'Alighèra.
The airport in Alghero is the second largest on the island and is known either as Fertilia Airport or Alghero International Airport.
Low fare airlines Ryanair fly to Alghero Sardinia from London Stansted. Also Thomson Fly operate a service from London Gatwick and finally theres BMI who provide a service from East Midlands.
The roads on the second largest island in the Mediterranean are good, and as there are many points of interest of this island covering an area almost three times the size of Yorkshire, many visitors choose to hire a car in Sardinia.
Many hire companies in Sardinia
You will encounter a large selection of car hire companies at Alghero airport – AHO as well as at the largest international airport in Sardinia Cagliari-Elmas – CAG including Avis, Hertz Italiana, Autoeuropa-Sicily by Car, Europcar, Dollar-Thrifty, Sardinya Rent-A-Car, Eurorent, Mida Rent, EasyCar, Pinna Rent a Car, Matta Rent-A-Car, Ruvioli Rent-A-Car, Pintauro Rent-A-Car, Budget to name a few. Some of the hire companies only operate out of one of the two Sardinia-airports mentioned above.
The third international airport in Sardinia is called Olbia-Costa Smeralda Airport – OLB. Here you will find some well known Italian hire companies such as Maggiore, Autonoleggi Dementis (Avis), Eurorent, Italy by Car, Ellepì Autonoleggio and Matta.
Prices for car hire in Alghero, Sardinia
Hiring a car during the summer time is often a little more expensive in Italy than it is in other southern European countries. You can expect a hire car in the smallest group available to cost no less than £190 for a week’s car hire in Italy during the height of the season in July and August.
It is advisable to book car hire in Southern Europe well in advance of your holiday. We saw instances in the summer of 2011 where the price for hiring a Ford Fiesta type vehicle for one week in Sardinia cost between £240 and £270. If possible we would recommend booking your hire car in Sardinia 6-8 weeks before the holiday is due to commence.
Things can take time in Italy. It is worth noting that if you wait until the last minute to book your hire car in Italy there is a risk that you will not receive a booking confirmation from the Italian hire company. It is therefore advisable to book the hire car no less than 72 hours before collection.
Hire a convertible in Sardinia outside of the tourist season
You may find convertibles available at a low rate if you are travelling in Sardinia outside of the main tourist season (for example in September or October) or ranging from £215 to £265 for a week’s car hire.
The price for hiring a convertible during the summer months in Sardinia is usually between £365 and £420 for a week’s car hire depending on availability.
Minibus in Sardinia
It is of course possible to hire a minibus in Italy and on the Italian islands such as Sardinia.
It can be quite expensive to hire a minibus in Italy during the main tourist season, but if you are lucky you may be able to find special offers on minibus car hire in Italy at around £430 for a week’s car hire in Alghero Airport.
Car hire in Sardinia – terms and conditions
Keep in mind that car hire insurance in Sardinia, as it does in the rest of Italy, usually carries a very high excess of around €1000 - €1500, even on the smallest rental vehicles. Larger vehicles usually carry an even higher excess for theft.
The insurance on hire cars in Sardinia is usually comprehensive, but it is definitely worth considering taking out additional insurance against the relatively high excess.
It can also be quite expensive to hire additional extras in Sardinia such as a child seat and satellite navigation.
Note that some hire companies in Italy demand payment for a tank of petrol upon collection of the car, and expect you to deliver it back empty. The terms and conditions of your hire contract will confirm whether the car should be delivered with an empty tank.
Sardinia – a popular holiday island in Italy
The Italians see Sardinia as a relaxed island where the traffic is not as hectic as it is in the rest of Italy. There are no motorways in Sardinia. The Carlo Felice main road connects the south of the island nicely with the north.
Sardinia has got many historic and cultural points of interest spread out across the entire island. One of the best known is Su Nuraxi (world heritage site) by the city of Barumini in the south of Sardinia.
Sardinia is in general a very popular holiday island amongst the Italians. The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi often spends his weekends in Sardinia.
