So, I landed at Elmas Cagliari, ready for my Sardinian adventure. My brain was full of tips I’d picked up – you know how it is, you try to prepare. I’d heard the buses in Cagliari city were top-notch, and that was part of my initial, let’s say, ‘rough plan’.
But here’s the thing, my plan wasn’t just about Cagliari. I wanted to see more, get out there. My goal was to explore those little spots, the ones you don’t see from a tour bus window. And that’s where things got a bit more complicated right from the airport.
Making the Call at Elmas
I remember standing there, watching everyone else. Some folks made a beeline for the bus stops. Others, like a herd, were heading towards the car rental counters. And man, those queues were something else. I’d heard whispers about car shortages, and seeing those lines, it felt real. It wasn’t just a ‘walk up and get a car’ kind of deal.
My “practice” for this trip really started at that moment. I had to weigh things up. Sure, trains go north and south, and those ARST buses reach the villages. Comfy, they say. But the word that kept buzzing in my head was ‘infrequent’. If you’re trying to be spontaneous, ‘infrequent’ is a bit of a buzzkill, isn’t it? I didn’t want my exploring to be dictated by a sparse bus schedule.
- Option 1: Stick to the buses and trains, be patient.
- Option 2: Brave the car rental chaos.
- Option 3: Drastically change my itinerary (not happening!).
I thought back to a trip years ago, somewhere else, where I relied solely on public transport in a rural area. It was… character-building, let’s say. Lots of waiting. Lots of missed connections. That memory pretty much made my decision for me right there in Elmas.
So, I took a deep breath and joined one of those long car rental lines. It ate up a chunk of my arrival day, not gonna lie. And yeah, it was a bit pricier than I’d hoped. But getting those keys in my hand? That felt like freedom. Suddenly, all those remote beaches and mountain villages felt within reach, not just dots on a map I might get to if the bus timings worked out.
My Two Cents on Getting Around from Cagliari
Looking back, for the kind of trip I wanted – real exploring, on my own schedule – the car was the way to go, despite the hassle at the airport. If you’re just doing a city break in Cagliari, sure, the bus is probably your best friend. But Sardinia is a big island, and its best bits are often hidden away. You just can’t get to some of those natural wonders easily without your own wheels. That’s just my experience, my little bit of “practice” from that trip starting at Elmas Cagliari. You figure out pretty quick what works for you once you’re on the ground. And for me, it was about making sure ‘infrequent’ services didn’t define my adventure.
