Hello all...I have just done a mappy.com search from Cala Gonone (Orosei area I believe) which is on the northeast coast, to Alghero. The way it comes up it looks like I have to head north toward Olbia first from Cala Gonone before I can then head west to Alghero. Our itinerary is fly into Oblia, drive to Cala Gonone, then Alghero, then Castelsardo and then back to Olbia to fly back to Rome. There must be a way to get to Alghero without having to head back up toward Olbia? Any suggestions on best map/driving books for the area? Maybe they are just giving me express roads to travel. I don't know but any info would be appreciated.

Thanks very much.

Yes, they are giving you the express roads.
You can go from Cala Gonone to Alghero via Nuoro, Macomer and Bosa.
Beware that the roads are very winding, speed is limited and it will take you much longer. On the other hand, you'll be driving through a beautiful part of Sardinia.

Here is a map :
http://www.mondosardegna.net/cartina/img/sardegna.jpg

Okay...we are not in a rush to get there really and want to enjoy the scenery. I just prefer to not go backwards and it sounds like a beautiful drive. We will probably stop along the way, but if we did not, approximately how long would it take us to reach Bosa do you think? That is a place I wanted to explore so maybe we would do it on the way to Alghero.

Thank you.

Nuoro to Alghero is approx. 154 km and you can't drive fast on small roads. To give you an example, it took me an hour to drive from Bosa to Alghero (50 km) because the landscape is absolutely stunning (and the road very winding).
I would count on 3 hours, plus the time to get from Cala Gonone to Nuoro .... but you'll miss a lot if you don't stop anywhere.

Thanks very much. I definitely plan to stop along the way and enjoy as much as possible. I just wanted to have an approximate idea of time. We wanted to also explore Bosa and are now thinking of doing so on our way to Alghero from Cala Gonone so we don't have to double back later. Do you think it is safe to leave our luggage locked in the car for a a few hours in Bosa? I get the feeling that Sardinia is fairly safe. What do you think?

Mikster - Leaving luggage in a parked car is always a risk - in Sardinia, in mainland Italy ... or anywhere else.

I guess I know it is a risk...was planning to leave it in the trunk out of sight. Just trying to utilize my time as best as I can. Want to explore Bosa without doubling back, if possible.

On another note: has anyone driven from Castelsardo to Oblia airport? Is it a fairly easy drive and should we allow for more than two hours to ge there? We have to return our car rental and leave time to catch a flight back to Rome.

Mikster :
I never felt unsafe in Sardinia, which doesn't mean I was not cautious.
Bosa is a fairly busy town. It is not a desert ! If you leave your car in the main avenue leading to the center (there is a gas station on the left side of the road) it should be reasonably safe during the day. Lots of people walk or drive by.
You can also look for a paying parking lot.

You'll need more than 2 hours to get to Olbia via the coast road.
I would backtrack and find the Sassari to Olbia main road which is excellent and count on 3 hours at least, depending on traffic.

Is the airport at Olbia very large? My concern is that our flight on Meridiana leaves at 11:20 AM and we have to return our car rental, which would mean leaving our hotel in Castelsardo by around 6:30 AM I guess in order to give us enough time. Maybe I will just switch my flight back to Rome to something a little later so I don't have to stress. I hate having a wonderful, relaxing holiday and then doing myself in at the end worrying about catching flights, etc. I have to think about this.

Thanks for all of your help.