Visiting Cagliari for a Game?

Cagliari is served by Cagliari Elmas Airport (CAG), also known as Mario Mameli Airport, located just 7–8.5 km northwest of the city center. The fastest and cheapest way into the city is the train from the adjacent Elmas Aeroporto station — a 5-minute walk from the arrivals terminal — which reaches Cagliari Centrale at Piazza Matteotti in about 10 minutes for just €1.30, running roughly every 10–30 minutes from 5:30 AM to 11:00 PM. Taxis are available 24/7 outside arrivals and cost approximately €17–27 during the day for the 12–15 minute ride; Uber does not operate in Cagliari.

City transit is run by CTM, whose orange buses cover the entire urban area; a single 90-minute ticket costs around €1.30–€2.00 when bought in advance at tabaccherie or newsstands, or up to €2.50 on board, and a daily pass runs about €3.30. The Metrocagliari light rail (main station at Piazza Repubblica) connects the city center to suburbs like Monserrato and is included on the daily pass, though its routes are limited for sports-focused travel. A car is not recommended for the city center due to ZTL restricted traffic zones and heavy traffic, though renting one is useful if you plan to explore the wider island of Sardinia.

The most convenient base for sports fans is the area around Piazza Matteotti and the Marina/Stampace districts — both are central, walkable, and sit right at the hub where trains from the airport arrive and CTM buses to the stadium depart. The Castello hilltop neighborhood offers atmospheric accommodation with easy downhill access to transport links. Budget hotel double rooms run roughly €60–90 per night, with mid-range options in the €100–150 range; prices spike significantly in summer (July–August) when beach tourism peaks, so visiting fans attending a Serie A match in autumn or spring will find much better availability and rates. Book early for high-profile fixtures, as Unipol Domus consistently draws near-capacity crowds of around 16,000.

Cagliari Calcio, known as the Rossoblù, are the only professional football club in Sardinia and carry enormous regional pride — they are famously the first team south of Rome to win the Serie A title, which they did in 1970 led by the legendary Gigi Riva. The Unipol Domus sits in the Sant'Elia district about 3 km from city center, reachable via CTM lines PF or PQ from Piazza Matteotti, and the Curva Nord is the place to be for the most passionate home atmosphere. The ground is a temporary modular structure while a new permanent stadium is being planned for the same site, so visiting now means experiencing a chapter of the club's transitional history. Beyond football, Cagliari's setting on the southern tip of Sardinia means matchday trips can easily be combined with visits to Poetto Beach (just steps from the stadium) and the Molentargius natural park.