Public Transfer Guide
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le 4copertineINGLESE.qxp:Layout 1 17-02-2007 20:34 Pagina 3 Public transfer guide ASSESSORATO DEL TURISMO Public transfer ARTIGIANATO E COMMERCIO Viale Trieste 105, 09123 Cagliari guide General information www.sardegnaturismo.it Public transfer guide © 2007 Autonomous Region of Sardinia Published by the Office for Tourism, Handcrafts and Commerce of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, Viale Trieste 105, 09123 Cagliari. Texts: Simone Deidda, Rosalba Depau, Valeria Monni, Diego Nieddu Co-ordination: Roberto Coroneo Impagination: Alfredo Scrivani Photos: Piero Putzu, Lino Cianciotto, Gianluigi Anedda, Donato Tore, Giovanni Paulis, Piero Pes, Paolo Giraldi, Renato Brotzu, Archivio Ilisso. Texts composed with Frutiger [Adrian Frutiger, 1928] Printed: february 2007 The Office for Tourism, Handcraft and Commerce of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia has published the information cited here for information purposes only, and for this reason it cannot be held liable for any printing errors or involutary omissions. Print and preparation: Tiemme Officine grafiche srl Tel. 070/948128/9 - Assemini (Cagliari) Public transfer guide General information Contents Coming to Sardinia, pag. 9 It may help to get an overall idea of 10 The railway system 10 The road transport system 14 The internal air connection system 15 The internal sea connection system 15 What you will find 17 At the Seaport of Cagliari 17 At the Airport of Cagliari-Elmas 21 How to reach from Cagliari 25 Sites of historical-archaeological interest: 25 Barumini Bosa Dorgali Laconi Goni Guspini Nora Orroli Tharros Protected marine reserves: 29 Asinara (Stintino) La Maddalena (Palau) Orosei San Giovanni di Sinis Tavolara Villasimius Thermal facilities: 33 Fordongianus Sardara Other main towns: 34 Carbonia Iglesias Lanusei Nuoro Olbia Oristano Sanluri Sassari Tempio Tortolì Departure points 37 Of railway connections 37 Of road connections 37 Notices 37 What you will find 39 At the Seaport of Porto Torres 39 At the Airport of Alghero-Fertilia 41 How to reach from Sassari, 44 Sites of historical-archaeological interest 44 Barumini Bosa Dorgali Laconi Goni Guspini Nora Orroli Tharros Protected marine reserves 48 Asinara (Stintino) La Maddalena (Palau) Orosei San Giovanni di Sinis Tavolara (Porto San Paolo) Villasimius Thermal facilities 50 Fordongianus Sardara The other main towns 50 Cagliari Carbonia Iglesias Lanusei Nuoro Olbia Oristano Sanluri Tempio Tortolì Departure points 53 Of railway connections 53 Of road connections 53 Notices 53 What you will find 54 At the Seaport of Olbia Isola Bianca 54 At the Airport of Olbia 56 At the seaport of Golfo Aranci 60 At the seaport of Santa Teresa di Gallura 61 At the seaport of Palau 62 How to reach from Olbia, 64 Sites of historical-archaeological interest: 64 Barumini Bosa Dorgali Laconi Goni Guspini Nora Orroli Tharros Protected marine reserves 67 Asinara (Stintino) La Maddalena (Palau) Orosei San Giovanni di Sinis Tavolara (Porto San Paolo) Villasimius Thermal facilities 68 Fordongianus Sardara The other main towns 69 Cagliari Carbonia Iglesias Lanusei Nuoro Oristano Sanluri Sassari Tempio Tortolì Departure points 70 Of railway connections 70 Of road connections 70 Notice 71 What you will find 71 At the Seaport of Arbatax 71 At the Airport of Tortolì 71 At the Seaport of Portovesme 72 At the Seaport of Calasetta 73 Before commencing your trip 74 by ship 74 by plane 77 by coach 83 by train 86 Notice 87 Coming to Sardinia, and especially trying to wander about Sardinia without relying on one’s own means of transport, may sound like an original idea, in some respects not without hassles, but which can nonetheless hold pleasant surprises as well as unexpected emotions. The public means of transport that guarantee mobility within the Island are essentially coach lines and the train, with the addition of the ferries connecting the lesser islands of San Pietro and La Maddalena. The Island’s road network is overall lacking and, on long stretches, obsolete, there are no motorways and, technically speaking, not even highways. Not surprisingly this affects the maximum speed limit, which is about 90 km/h. In coach transport, this causes inadequate scheduling, impractical timetables and discouraging trip times. The picture does not change even looking at the railway transport: indeed, in Sardinia the Trenitalia railways ‘proudly’ defy electrification and double tracking, which, not surprisingly, has detrimental effects on the comfort and length of the journey. The Ferrovie della Sardegna (Sardinian Railways) also operate (under commissarial government management) across the Island, winding their way along tracks of stunning beauty, which plunge the narrow-gauge railway through woodlands, ravines and mountain passes, crossing bridges and tunnels of unmatched magnificence. The Ferrovie della Sardegna cannot be regarded as a practical means of transport, owing to their unfriendly timetables and trip times, although they do make for an original and unique opportunity to discover and enjoy secluded views of the Region. Therefore, should you, in spite of the above, be still determined to get to know the Island, then this guide is just what you need. It is meant for all of you, tourists with the spirit of the traveller, who are keen not only to see but also to understand a place. 9 It may help to get an overall idea of the public transport system within Sardinia, which consists mainly of a railway and a road component, even though some interregional sea and air connections are also present. • The railway system of Sardinia articulates over (i) a main line, formerly part of the Ferrovie dello Stato (the Country’s Railways, now managed by RFI and served by Trenitalia S.p.A.), which links the principal town (Cagliari) to the seaports located in the north of the Island and to the towns of Carbonia and Iglesias, and (ii) some narrow-gauge lines, managed and served by the Ferrovie della Sardegna. The Sardinian backbone (completed about 1883) traverses the Island from south to north connecting the town of Cagliari with Porto Torres, one of the main ports of call for the passenger and goods maritime traffic travelling to and from the Island. However, despite a distance of only about 230 kilometres, trip times are quite protracted (over 4 hours) and the average price for a second-class ticket is around 13 Euro. At Decimomannu, a major agricultural centre in the Campidano region only 19 kilometres from Cagliari, the Sulcitan main section branches out, and bending sharply westwards connects, through the junction of Villamassargia, the principal town with the mine centre of Carbonia and the town of Iglesias. Again, trip times are quite protracted, taking over one hour to cover a journey of less than 70 kilometres. The price for a second-class passage is around 3 Euro. Past Oristano (located at about the 100th kilometre) in the vicinity of Macomer (about 150th kilometre), the backbone crosses the narrow- gauge railway Nuoro-Macomer-Bosa, whose station is situated in the proximity of that of Trenitalia. 10 The Ferrovie della Sardegna company, on the other hand, operates all-year- around only the scheduled connection from Macomer to Nuoro, with trip times of about 80 minutes. Whereas the section Macomer-Bosa (a tourist service known as Trenino Verde della Sardegna-Sardinian Green Minitrain), is regularly served only on Saturdays and Sundays from 2nd July to 28th August. However, the Ferrovie della Sardegna company offers the possibility to hire the carriage for personalised journeys along the narrow-gauge network. For further information, call the toll-free number 800 460220 or visit the Internet website: www.treninoverde.com. After Macomer, the line winds its way northwards up to the terminus of Porto Torres, crossing, before reaching the Turritan sea port, the hubs of Chilivani and Sassari. At Chilivani (a town located in the vicinity of Ozieri renown for its horserace activities and featuring the only real racecourse on the Island), the Gallurese main section branches out of the backbone and, bending north-eastwards continues up for about 80 kilometres until it reaches, passing through the town of Olbia, the seaport of Golfo Aranci. Once Green Train again, trip times are quite protracted: it takes over 4 and a half hours to reach Cagliari and the price (for a second-class seat) is about 15 Euro. In the town of Sassari, the main line crosses another narrow-gauge railway: the Alghero-Palau, whose trains depart from a side section of the Trenitalia railway station. Also in this case, the Ferrovie della Sardegna company guarantees regular scheduled connections only for part of the section, namely that reaching 11 Sassari from Alghero. From Sassari, the line splits into two main sections, one of which leads to Sorso whereas the other continues towards Nulvi. Trip times are 35 minutes to reach Sassari from Alghero, another 50 to continue over to Nulvi, and 15 to connect Sassari with Sorso. Also, the Ferrovie della Sardegna company offers the possibility to continue from Nulvi to Tempio and Palau via one of the tourist lines of the Trenino Verde della Sardegna. The connection to Tempio operates only on Green Train Wednesdays from 22nd June to 7th September; whereas that continuing from Tempio towards Palau operates every day, except Mondays and Tuesdays, from 22nd June to 11th September. Trip times are 150 minutes to get from Nulvi to Tempio, and another 90 to reach Palau. For further information call the toll-free number 800 460220 or visit the Internet website www.treninoverde.com. The railway network picture of the Island is completed by the narrow- gauge railways connecting the town of Cagliari to Arbatax and Sorgono. o in this case, the Ferrovie della Sardegna company guarantees regular scheduled connections for only part of the line, i.e. the Cagliari-Mandas- Isili, with trip times of about 120 minutes.