How to Discover the heart of Sardinia: Take the Little Green Train!

“It’s a strange railway. It shoots up hills and down into valleys and races around sudden curves with the greatest nonchalance…”, D. H. Lawrence, Sea and Sardinia, 1921.

People coming to Sardinia for the first time often have a question: What is the best way to explore the island? Public transport, I have to say, is not as efficient as it should be.  If you wish to get around, particularly if exploring the area around your hotel is not enough for you, then one of the best things to do, is to rent a car.

However, whether you opt for a rented car or not, there is another good way to uncover Sardinia’s heart.  It’s a little train, which, whilst being a little slow and not particularly comfortable, will allow you to see some of Sardinia’s most beautiful landscapes.  To explore southern, northern and central Sardinia, you can choose between four special railway lines for tourists, and you may even find yourself travelling the same carriage as the late great D H Lawrence.

In this post, I’ll tell you about a trip along the most popular of Sardinia’s four little green train lines.

From Mandas to Arbatax By Little Green Train

The most popular little green train line, which is also the longest tourist railway in Italy, starts at Mandas in central Sardinia, and arrives at Arbatax in the Ogliastra area of eastern Sardinia, after making a trip of around 160 kilometres (A whisker under 100 miles).

On the first part of the trip you’ll be surrounded by green hills.  Then you’ll reach Orroli station and Sardinia’s famous Red Fortress – the Nuraghe Arrubiu.  After Orroli, the landscape changes dramatically as you enter the Barbagia of Seulo province, and as the little train clambers up a long slope, it offers passengers stunning views of the Flumendosa River below.

Once again, the landscape around you changes as the train passes through the sparse vegetation of the Sadali plateau, before crossing the Gennargentu Mountains where you will pass through long tunnels, cross perilous bridges and espy breathtaking views from an altitude of about 800 meters.

Once you leave the mountains, you will see the lunar landscape of the Taquisara valley and, a short while later, you will start to descend until you catch sight of the sea.  At the end of the line, comes the final surprise: the charming red rocks of Arbatax coastline.

The next time you find yourself in Sardina, check out the island’s little green train service. You probably won’t regret it, and don’t forget to take your camera if you do go for a ride!

Charter the Green Train

By the way, it is possible to have a whole little green train to yourself – it can be chartered by the day: Little Green Train Charter Prices

About Giulia Garau

One of the newest additions to BlogfromItaly, Giulia Garau lives and works in Sardinia, Italy.  A travel lover, she is lucky enough to work for the CharmingSardinia.com travel agency which also deals with accommodation in Campania, Apulia, Sicily and Tuscany.  Giulia also has her own blog about Italy called CharmingItaly.com, in which she offers advice, information and suggestions to those thinking of visiting Italy.  You can reach Giulia through CharmingSardinia’s page on Facebook or email her: giuliaDOTcharmingitalyATyahooDOTit

Photo credits:

Sarcidano, Sardinia: Ogliastra on Flickr

The Seui Bridge, Ogliastra – Trenino Verde

Red rocks of the Arbatax coastline – Sdrcosta on Flickr

Giulia Garau’s post on BlogfromItaly.com is the product of the Journalism Talent Contest

Prosecco in Venice

What a great way to pass one’s, ahem, 45th birthday – in Venice with lots of Prosecco, good food in good restaurants, and great company too.  Even the weather was kind and the great spirit kept the rain at bay too!  I like Venice an awful lot.

One of the great advantages of living in Italy is that spending a weekend in somewhere like Venice can be done easily and painlessly.  It takes just over two and a half hours to get from Milan, where I live, to the Venice by fast train.  The FrecciaRossa service was very efficient too.  On-line booking simplifies things a great deal.  With great thanks to my Italian other half for having kindly made all the Venice trip arrangements.

We stayed for one night in a very well appointed new four star hotel, called the Hotel Al Duca di Venezia, which sits just off the Grand Canal and is easy to walk to from Venice’s station, and this hotel is within striking distance of some good eateries too.

Enchanting Venice

On the subject of places to eat in Venice, we tried three, each of which was a little different, but we ate well in all of these Venice restaurants, and drank copious quantities of Prosecco!

I also took along my camera, but not the tripod, as ‘she who must be obeyed’ issued an oral legislative decree in which she stated that the tripod be left in Milan, or else.

Here are some notes on the three Venice restaurants we tried: the Osteria Al Nono Risorto, the Osteria Mocenigo, and the Trattoria Alla Madonna, as well as few Venice flavour photos too.

… Continue Reading

Floating Self-Catering in Venice

If you have not been to Venice, then you really should.  If you like the idea, but are put off by the expense, then how about seeing Venice by hiring your very own floating self-catering appartment?

Although a floating self-catering appartment might sound an expensive way to see this magical Italian city, it’s not as expensive as you might think, especially if you travel as a group.  Plus you get to see Venice from the best place imaginable – the water.

In case you have not guessed, a floating self-catering appartment is a boat.  Those nice people from FiveTravel who put together the Amalfi coastline by Alfa Romeo video have created another little film. This time, thoough, the video is not about a car, but about how a boat can double as a self-catering appartment for those wanting to see Venice.

There is also a little bonus mentioned by presenter Julia Bradbury which might interest cash strapped backpackers.  Indeed, the budget conscious may well find Ms Bradbury’s novel way of making a little money in Venice of interest.  All you have to do is stay still for a few hours.  Fidgety types need not apply!  Those who are not bashful, on the other hand, might be able to make a little extra!

For those who fancy the idea of seeing Venice by Gondola, but are put off by the price, Julia has another neat little tip: Gondola lessons.

On to the video.

… Continue Reading

Berlusconi’s Nuclear Power Trip

Worryingly, Berlusconi is rattling on about introducing nuclear power into sunny Italy.

Italy’s prime minister also mentioned renewable energy sources too, but the priority appears to be to nuke Italy.

Nuclear Power Plant

Not a great idea.  Why? … Continue Reading