Do you need a car in Alghero?
It depends on where your trip actually happens. Alghero's old town does not require a car — the Catalan-flavored centro storico, its bastioni walls, and the harbor front are compact and entirely walkable, and the AL.FA bus line connects the airport to the center for about €1. But the moment your itinerary reaches beyond the old town — the beaches of the Riviera del Corallo (Le Bombarde, Lazzaretto), Neptune's Grotto at Capo Caccia, Porto Conte Natural Park, or the scenic coastal drive north to Bosa — the calculation flips. Sardinia's public transport outside its city centers is thin, and several of these sights get only a handful of daily connections or none at all. The practical approach echoed across local sources is to enjoy the old town on foot first, then pick up a rental only for the day trips that public transport genuinely cannot cover.
- Alghero's historic center (centro storico, the bastioni) is fully walkable, and the AL.FA airport bus (~€1, 25-30 min) reaches the center directly — you do not need a car for the old town itself.
- The airport (AHO) sits about 10km out — further than Cagliari or Olbia — and the AL.FA bus runs only once an hour, so time a late or early Ryanair connection carefully.
- Beaches and sights outside the old town are the real reason to rent: Riviera del Corallo, Neptune's Grotto, and the coastal road to Bosa have thin or seasonal public transport, making a car close to essential.
- Alghero's ZTL is active 365 days a year in multiple short windows (00:00–08:00, 10:30–14:30, 16:30–24:00) rather than just summer hours — a common surprise for visitors expecting a simpler restriction.
The airport is 10km out, and the bus runs only once an hour
Alghero-Fertilia Airport (AHO) sits roughly 10km from the city center — noticeably further than Cagliari or Olbia. There is no airport train. The AL.FA (ARST) bus line runs hourly, roughly 05:20–23:00 from the airport and 05:00–22:30 from the city, takes 25-30 minutes, and costs about €1, dropping passengers on Via Catalogna right by the old town. A taxi takes 10-20 minutes for a fixed rate starting around €25, with a roughly 40% surcharge for night pickups (00:00–07:00). Because the bus is hourly rather than every 15-20 minutes, an early-morning or late-night Ryanair arrival needs its connection planned in advance rather than assumed.
The ZTL runs all year, in short overlapping windows — not just a summer rule
Alghero's ZTL covers the entire historic center — Porta Mare, Banchina Dogana, Via Sassari, Piazza Porta Terra, Via XX Settembre, Piazza Sulis, and the bastioni (Cristoforo Colombo, Marco Polo, Pigafetta, Magellano). Unlike some Sardinian cities where restrictions apply only in summer, Alghero's ZTL is active 365 days a year, in three separate daily windows: 00:00–08:00, 10:30–14:30, and 16:30–24:00 — leaving only two short driving windows, 08:00–10:30 and 14:30–16:30. Via Mazzini is an exception, restricted only 20:00–07:00. The safest approach, echoed by every local source, is to park outside the walls and walk in rather than try to time an entry around the gaps.
Parking is seasonal at the main lot — free half the year, paid the other half
Piazzale della Pace, the main parking area facing the harbor next to the old town, is paid from May 1 to October 15 and free from October 16 to April 30 — including the blue-line spaces, which is a seasonal swing worth knowing before you park. Piazza dei Mercati offers covered parking within walking distance of the main sights. On-street lines follow the standard code: white is free, blue is paid (roughly €1/hour, sometimes €0.50 per 30 minutes), yellow is reserved.
Some rental agencies carry recurring damage and deposit complaints
Reviews on Trustpilot and Tripadvisor repeatedly flag Viaggiare Rent for disputed damage charges — up to €500 — on pre-existing scratches that weren't documented at pickup, with some reviewers calling it a scam. Felirent and Vitarent carry mixed service complaints. A recurring pattern across several agencies is a deposit hold of around €900 even with full insurance purchased, along with pressure to buy additional coverage when a card is declined, and fuel tanks that weren't actually full at pickup. Photograph the car, including the fuel gauge, before driving off, and get a clear refueling receipt at return.
The coastal road to Bosa is stunning but has no fuel stops along the way
The SP105/SP49 route north to Bosa runs about 49km and takes roughly an hour without stops, past pink trachyte cliffs, hidden coves (Cala Managu is a standout), old watchtowers (Torre Badde Jana, Torre Argentina), and the Nuraghe Appiu. It is widely rated one of Sardinia's most scenic drives, but it's also demanding — tight curves and frequent braking, especially through the middle stretch. There are no gas stations along the route, so refuel in Alghero before setting out.
