Where to park in Cagliari

Cagliari is one of the easier Italian cities for parking. The four historic quarters, Castello on the hill, Marina by the port, Stampace and Villanova, are limited traffic zones, but they are small, and around them there are multistorey car parks open day and night, blue lines at one euro an hour and several large free car parks ten or fifteen minutes away on foot. The only real difficulty is the Poetto beach on summer weekends.

• € 1.00an hour on blue lines
• € 10the most you pay in a day on blue lines
• 13:00-16:00free lunch break, every day
• 700free spaces at Marina Piccola, at the Poetto beach

Car parks, one by one

Car parks on the map

Positions on the map are approximate: follow the road signs for the entrance.

The ZTL: where you cannot drive

A ZTL (zona a traffico limitato) is an area where only authorised vehicles may drive during certain hours. Cameras at each entrance read the number plate, and the fine arrives by post weeks later, also abroad and also through the car hire company, which adds its own fee. The sign is a white circle with a red border; an electronic panel below it says varco attivo (do not enter) or varco non attivo (you may enter). Satellite navigators often ignore the ZTL: trust the signs.

Cagliari has separate ZTLs for Castello, Marina, Stampace (upper and lower) and Villanova, plus one along the Poetto seafront. Each has its own hours, mostly in the evening, at night and early in the morning, and they have been changed several times: the only reliable source is the sign at each entrance and the city website. Since everything inside is a short walk from the car parks listed below, there is no reason to drive in.

If your hotel is inside the ZTL, write to it before you arrive: many can register your number plate for the time needed to unload.

Street parking: what the colours mean

Blue lines cost €1.00 an hour or part of an hour in every zone, with a ceiling of €10 a day, from Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 20:00. The break from 13:00 to 16:00, Sundays and public holidays are free. Stalls are managed by Parkar, a company of the local transport operator CTM, and in some areas by APCOA. Pay at the meter with coins or card, entering the number plate, or by app. Hybrid cars pay the normal rate; fully electric cars are exempt only with a municipal permit.

• Blue lines: paid parking. Pay at the meter, entering your number plate, or with an app, and check the sign for the hours.
• White lines: free, sometimes with a time limit and a parking disc.
• Yellow lines: reserved for residents, disabled badge holders, taxis or deliveries. Never park there.
• No lines: look for signs. A tow-away symbol means the car will be removed.

Good to know

• Prices of the multistorey car parks are shown at the entrance: they are not included here because we could not verify them.
• For Castello, park at Regina Elena or in Bonaria and walk up: the quarter is a maze of one-way lanes with a ZTL.
• For the Poetto on summer weekends, arrive before 10:00 or take the bus from the centre: the blue lines along the seafront fill up early.
• From the airport the train reaches the centre in a few minutes: for a short stay in town you do not need a car at all.

Sources

• Comune di Cagliari
• Parkar
• Telepass, strisce blu a Cagliari
• Telepass, parcheggiare a Cagliari

Checked in November 2026

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