Included mileage in Sardinia car hire: read it against your itinerary

Start with the rate, not a general rule

The allowance depends on the specific offer. Europcar’s own mileage FAQ points customers back to their rental terms, a useful reminder that one company’s policy cannot be applied to every car hire in Sardinia. Before paying, read the rate summary, conditions and confirmation. Check whether mileage is unlimited or capped, whether the cap is daily or for the full rental, and what applies beyond it. If the wording is unclear, ask the company for a written answer tied to your booking reference. A general search result or another traveller’s booking may describe different terms.

Map the days you will actually drive

Write down the pickup point, your accommodation and the places you realistically plan to visit. For each outing, count the drive there and back to your base, not only the distance between destinations on a map. Include practical trips for groceries, meals, parking or a change of plan if they are likely. One distant day trip can add more mileage than a list of beach names suggests; several stops in one area may share part of a route. You do not need to predict every turn. You need a sensible range based on the holiday you are planning, rather than the shortest possible route on paper.

Let Gallura’s geography shape the estimate

Gallura includes coastal places as well as inland centres; the Municipality of Arzachena describes a varied territory rather than one compact destination. A stay in Arzachena and one in Pantogia near Porto Cervo create different starting points for daily journeys, and neither home is on an island. Estimate from the actual accommodation, not an imaginary central base. If you want to include Olbia, Palau and several beaches, count the drives between them and the return in the evening. Do not assume every stop is close simply because it belongs to the same tourist region. Grouping nearby places into one outing can make your plan clearer.

Add a useful buffer

Route planners help, but real journeys can change with traffic, stops and practical needs. Use road distance rather than a straight line and include repeated trips. Add a margin that matches how flexible you want to be: a fixed itinerary needs less reserve than a trip where you choose a destination each morning. Avoid treating any daily kilometre figure as universal; your needs depend on your base and the excursions you choose. If your estimate comes close to the allowance, compare the options before booking instead of hoping that the difference will not matter. Keep the estimate transparent so you can adjust one outing and see the effect.

Compare like with like

When comparing two rates, use the same vehicle category, rental length, pickup and return location, and times. Read the mileage cap, the stated excess charge and other terms together. A larger allowance does not automatically make one offer better; compare the overall cost against your own route and ask what happens if you cross the limit. The EU’s Your Europe guide advises checking the rental conditions and responsibilities with the provider. Save the selected rate summary or confirmation so you can verify that the final booking matches the offer you assessed. Treat mileage as one part of the decision, alongside the practical fit of the vehicle and collection arrangements.

FAQ: two final checks

Before setting off, follow the company’s process for recording the vehicle’s starting and ending odometer readings and keep the booking documents. Do not replace written terms with a review about another provider or a different date. If plans change substantially, revisit the estimate and the booking conditions rather than relying on your original route notes.