hi there :) so when we moved to europe in 2019, we definitely had grand visions for how much we’d be able to travel. then COVID hit, and we all know how that story goes—no travel on any horizons. so we spent 2020 in Slovakia, finishing the renovations on both sides of our 2-family house, and also welcoming our 4th child. it was a magical year, to say the least. we had a newborn and infant for all of 2021, plus the pandemic was still afoot, so we stayed close to home for another year. as we got ready to turn the corner from winter to spring in 2022, we all felt ready to book a trip. but where? after a lot of back-and-forth, we settled on glorious Sardinia. i had been there years ago with a family i had nannied for when i lived in Prague, and ever since, i’d been dying to bring my whole family to experience the island. the trip was also purposely planned to coincide with our oldest’s 10th birthday, so we sprinkled the entire trip with surprises. we spent 3 weeks road tripping around Sardinia this past May. we didn't rely on any prior knowledge or research--when we tried to look into other traveling families’ itineraries, especially ones that were focused on camping, we came up short. so, we made it up as we went along, which is usually the best for us with our gaggle of kids, easygoing nature, and low demands regarding extra frills or fancy experiences. we made this as budget-friendly as possible for a family of 6 by bringing a ton of our own food from home, staying at campgrounds, having a lot of supermarket parking lot “picnics,” and exploring nature.

here are some general pointers about road tripping in Sardinia:

since we went in the off-season, it was pretty quiet on the island (Google Maps did take us to a lot of restaurants/pizzerias/gelaterias that were actually boarded up, which was a continuous disappointment), but the flip side of that was that it felt like we had the island to ourselves. it was super peaceful and spring was unbelievable, in terms of nature blooming and blossoming--incredibly vibrant. the water was still pretty cool, but the kids didn't mind. speaking of water, the sea was shallow everywhere we went—we’re not just talking about being able to walk out for a meter or so—at some beaches, the kids could walk out 10 or 15 meters from shore and still be standing. the water was so calm and crystal-clear, honestly ideal for families hoping their children can safely enjoy time in the water. i truly couldn’t have dreamed up better swimming/wading conditions—it seemed like magic.
there were cacti and sheep EVERYWHERE. neither ever stopped being fantastic :)
we have a VW Caravelle, which we packed pretty strategically. our roof box held our tent, sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, & cooking equipment, and the trunk held all of our clothes/shoes, toiletries, and food. we packed a TON of nonperishables (we’re vegetarians and prefer to eat our own food than eat out), which we relied on as we drove, when we got into a campground late, or when we were exploring somewhere for the day. we dipped into our food box every day, multiple times a day, and it made it so much easier to not have to scramble for food or find a supermarket while on the road. every other day or so, we stocked up on fresh fruits & veggies and also cheese, yogurt, & milk. we didn’t have a fridge in the car, only a cooler bag to keep things from spoiling too quickly.
each of the kids packed one tote bag of their own books/journals and small toys, plus we had one family bag with art supplies and extra books to share. we didn't pack bikes but we did bring the kids' foldable scooters, one skateboard, and the baby's stroller & carrier.
the plan was to camp exclusively, but there were some intense storms during our trip, so we ended up having to stay at one B&B and one agriturismo. these ended up being surprise splurges for us that we really appreciated—you don’t realize how much you miss mattresses until you’ve been road tripping and camping for weeks! we just called ahead whenever we were in a poor weather situation and we always ended up finding space somewhere.
if you're going to drive, be aware that there aren't many highways and when you're on local roads, the speed limit is slowwww (loads of twisty turns and hills), so be prepared to spend more time driving than perhaps you're used to. also, if you have your car, do not leave ANY valuables inside it if you’re going to be away for any extended amount of time (for example, when you park in a beach parking lot for the day). car theft is common in Sardinia, as tourists and their cars make easy targets.
don’t overpack! we definitely brought too many clothes, and they took up precious space in our car. layering is key if you go in spring or fall, so a thin sweatshirt/fleece for everyone plus a raincoat. we were glad we brought rain boots for the kids, too, so they didn’t just have Crocs or sneakers. we also brought everyone’s thin cotton beanie hats, which were helpful on rainy days when we still wanted to get out and explore. all of the campgrounds had laundry on site (always for an extra fee), so it’s really easy to pack capsule wardrobes for everyone and call it a day.
we took the ferry from Livorno to Olbia. on the way there, we took the night ferry because we just wanted the chance to sleep--we rode Grimaldi Lines and the ferry was awesome. we had a Junior Suite, which fit all 6 of us comfortably and had a private bathroom. on the way back, we took the daytime ferry so the kids could have the experience and so that we didn't have to pay the extra money for a private cabin.. we thought everyone would nap (the ferry ride is 8 hours), but that didn't happen, so if you don't want to chase your kids around a ferry all day, it might be best to go for the night ferry :) if you're bringing your car, you do have to get there 3 hours early (regardless of which ferry you take) and wait in line, which is super boring.. best to have snacks/books/cards/coloring, etc. ready for that waiting period before you can board the ship.
pro tip for families: Italian pharmacies sell acetaminophen suppositories over-the-counter for infants and children. genius!! our two youngest got a fast & furious virus while we traveled and spiked high fevers, and those suppositories were life-saving… so much energy was saved not having to try to coax either into swallowing medicine. if we had been at home, we would have just waited the fevers out, but it’s pretty hard to be sick while on the road and in a tent. i went to a pharmacy again before we left to get 2 more packs to throw in our medicine cabinet at home :)
another pro tip: before we left, our kids were quite concerned whether we would have enough money for gelato every day. so, they designed & created a “family gelato bank,” and in the weeks leading up to our trip, all the spare change we got from our regular shopping and errands went into the bank. by the time we left, we had about 77€ saved up. it still wasn’t enough to pay for all of our gelato for the entire trip (holy moly, gelato is pricey!), but it was super special to watch them bring the gelato bank into every single gelateria—they even snuck in some math while paying. most gelaterias didn’t allow us to use our own containers (we always try), but some did. if you’re camping and living out of your car/caravan, you’ll have bowls and utensils anyway, so it doesn’t hurt to ask.

here are some of the highlights from the trip:

both port towns—Livorno and Olbia—were lovely. we spent more time in Livorno, wandering the streets along the canals and enjoying Mercato Centrale, the large indoor market. we drew a bit of attention with all the children and many vendors were kind and warm, taking their time to chat with us and admire the children. we had a picnic at Fortezza Nuovo after getting fresh breads and cheeses at the market. there was a little playground and a lot of shade, so we opened our blanket and spent a few hours there. there's also a really nice skatepark near the water in Livorno, which delighted the kids.
our favorite beach in Sardinia was Lu Impostu in San Teodoro, which is only about 20min from Olbia. in that area, we stayed at Camping Tavolara in Porto San Paolo, which also has a lot of well-priced bungalows. they don't have direct beach access at the campground, but it's about a 7-minute walk to Spiaggia Porto Taverna, which was also fantastic, one of our favorites as well. the facilities were perfect and clean at the campground. there was a well-stocked market and we ate at the restaurant twice--delicious and reasonably priced. all the other beaches in the area are reachable by car--we also went to Porto Istana one day, as it's "famous," but Lu Impostu was muchhhh nicer, in our opinion. that was the area that also had our favorite gelateria on the whole island--Gelateria da Mimmo in Porto San Paolo.. yum!!!
our favorite campsite was Cala Ginepro in Orosei, and Orosei was also our favorite small city. the campsite also had bungalows (not sure about their pricing) but the best part was that it had 3 beaches accessible right from the property--2 sandy beaches and 1 rocky beach. there was also a very nice market, bar, restaurant, and playground, and the grounds and facilities were immaculate and large—plenty of space for the kids to roam around and play. the kids had a particularly wonderful time following snakes they saw slithering around the grounds.
from Tempio Pausania, we drove south to our favorite village in all of Sardinia, Cuglieri, and wandered the streets and trekked up to the basilica. it's a magical place that really needs to be experienced firsthand. sadly, the town also fell victim to terrible fires that spread across Sardinia in the summer of 2021. even so, it was the most charming town we found.
from there, we drove to Spiaggia di Is Arutas, which has incredible pebbles rather than sand--too gorgeous to describe, you just have to see it! while in the area you can also visit San Salvatore, San Giovanni, & Tharros if you're into history & the history of the island. after there, we took ourselves out to dinner for the first time as we passed through Oristano.
another fantastic day spent was at Parco Della Giara. we weren’t prepared to hike the entire trail to see the wild horses there, which was poor planning on our part. we hadn’t realized how long of a trek it was and, for reasons we can’t explain, we left the car without the baby’s carrier or any of his diaper stuff… why?! obviously we were exhausted from traveling. well, we got about 30 minutes in and he had an enormous poopy diaper and nothing to change into. by that time, our 5yo started complaining that she was tired and couldn’t walk anymore, and the cascade continued from there. oh well! so we didn’t get to see the horses, but we did get to explore one of the 22 nuraghi, which form the border of the park. it was breathtaking. the energy there was unreal—magic was everywhere. only a stone’s throw away from the park is Su Nuraxi di Barumini, a 4,000-year-old nuraghe and UNESCO World Heritage site. we didn’t pay to enter any nuraghi—we had planned to take a tour at a different one, but when we got there it was pouring rain, so we skipped it.
further down along the west coast (on the Costa Verde), a campsite we loved was Camping Sciopadroxiu, which also had a great restaurant and really nice, affordable rooms for rent (more rain!). the drive there was creepy as anything, as you pass through Laveria Brassey, an abandoned plant that used to process & treat minerals extracted from the surrounding mines. we did not know we’d be passing through this town, so it legit gave us the creeps.. but happily, we pushed forward despite our nerves and ended up at the lovely campsite shortly thereafter. they didn't have direct beach access, but a very short drive takes you to Spiaggia di Piscinas. the beach is magnificent, surrounded by enormous sand dunes--some are 60m high! it's 100% worth visiting for the day, and the beach is quite large, so I imagine it'd be one of the better ones to visit in the summer just because of the sheer amount of space available. there was a little cabana and toilet facilities.

3 weeks felt like the perfect amount of time for us for this trip. we know we will be back, especially since doing this sort of road trip is always hardest the first time around. whenever we return, we’ll have polished up our Italian a bit more, we’ll have a ready-to-go daypack filled with all the kid essentials, and the gelato bank will be filled to the brim :)

our 3-week-long Sardinian road trip

happy not-back-to-school 2022!