Getting around Cagliari
CTM buses in the city and hinterland; ARST metro-tram from Piazza Repubblica to Monserrato (Policlinico) and Settimo San Pietro; Trenitalia trains from the Piazza Matteotti station, with the Elmas Aeroporto stop a few minutes away. Ferries to Civitavecchia, Naples, Palermo, Arbatax. Limited-traffic zones in the four historic quarters; a compact, cyclable city.
Sections: Arrival · Airports · Trains · Buses · Car & licence · Cycling · Accessibility
Buses, metro-tram, bikes
Urban transport is run by CTM, a consortium of the area's municipalities, with a bus network covering Cagliari and the hinterland (Quartu, Quartucciu, Selargius, Monserrato, Elmas, Assemini, Decimomannu), good frequencies on the main lines and the Poetto linked by the PF and PQ lines even in summer evenings; tickets and passes via app. The metro-tram, run by ARST, leaves from Piazza Repubblica and reaches Monserrato (Gottardo and the university Policlinico) and Settimo San Pietro, with stops in Pirri and Monserrato; the extension towards Piazza Matteotti and the Poetto is under construction. Those living in the centre move on foot and by bike: the city is compact, with cycle paths to the Poetto and along the salt pans.
Trains and airport
The Trenitalia station in Piazza Matteotti, facing the port, is the terminus of the lines to Oristano, Sassari, Olbia and Iglesias/Carbonia; the Elmas Aeroporto stop, on the same line, links the terminal to the centre in a few minutes with frequent services from morning to late evening. Cagliari-Elmas airport, managed by SOGAER, is Sardinia's main airport, about 7 km from the centre, with domestic flights (Rome and Milan under the territorial continuity scheme) and European ones, many seasonal. ARST coaches to the rest of the island leave from the Piazza Matteotti station.
Port, roads, ZTL
The historic port, managed by the Sardinian Sea Port System Authority, faces Via Roma: scheduled ferries to Civitavecchia, Naples and Palermo (Grimaldi, Tirrenia) and to Arbatax, a cruise terminal; the canal port to the west is for containers and industry. In the city the four historic quarters (Castello, Marina, Stampace, Villanova) are limited-traffic zones with cameras; paid bays cover the centre and the Poetto in summer. The SS131 Carlo Felice leaves the city towards Oristano and Sassari, the SS554 is the hinterland ring road, the SS125 leads to Villasimius. Airport travel times in the data block.
Data
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/20/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-04-30
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