Olbia is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Sardinia, not only because there are many beautiful beaches nearby, but also because of its vicinity to the beautiful region of Gallura and the famous Emerald Coast. I have often flown from Olbia, one of the three airports of Sardinia, because there are some very convenient connections to many cities in Europe.
It’s also worth noting that Olbia Costa Smeralda is the only Sardinian airport that has a direct connection to North America: as of May 2026 Delta Airlines will be operating direct flights from New York JFK Airport to Olbia, which makes it the most convenient airport for anyone flying from North America.
If you are planning to visit northern Sardinia, you may want to base yourself in Olbia, as it will give you easy access to places like Porto Cervo, but also San Teodoro, home to some of the best beaches in Sardinia, and to some lesser known jewels of Sardinia such as the islands of Tavolara and Molara – and at a fraction of the costs of other coastal locations.
Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport is very well connected to the city center, which is only 4 km (2.5 miles) away. I bet you are wondering how to get from Olbia Airport to Olbia, or how to get from Olbia Airport to Porto Cervo or Porto Rotondo in the Emerald Coast.
I have done the trip many times, and I am here to share everything I know. Let’s see which are the available options for the short trip from the airport to the city center.
My post Which Are The Airports In Sardinia? will help you decide which airport to use for your Sardinia trip.
How To Get From Olbia Airport To Olbia City Center
By Car
Renting a car is always the best choice when visiting Sardinia, especially in an area rich in beaches, parks, and a thousand other fun places like Olbia. A car is the only means of transportation that will give you the freedom to go anywhere, whenever you want.
The rent-a-car offices at Olbia Airport are right outside the Arrivals Terminal, only 50 meters (164 feet) away from the exit gates. You can’t miss them once you’re out of the terminal!
It’s actually better to book your car before coming to Sardinia, especially if you’re planning to visit during the summer: the risk of not finding the best car for you (or not finding any!) or having to pay terribly expensive fees is quite high! Last-minute booking doesn’t work here.
While I don’t have a specific recommendation for the best car rental in Olbia Airport, I recommend using Discover Cars to compare the prices of car rentals. This is my favorite comparison site when it comes to car rental, and I use it regularly anywhere in the world whenever I need to rent a car. You can set the filters you need to find the best car for your needs but I recommend only opting for car rental companies that have a minimum review score of 8.
Once you have picked up your car, it takes just five minutes to get from Olbia Airport to Olbia city center. Just follow the road signs pointing to Olbia.
Take the bus from Olbia Airport to Olbia city
Public transportation works well in Olbia. Taking the bus from Olbia Airport to Olbia city is by far the cheapest way to travel.
The bus from Olbia Airport to Olbia city takes about ten minutes and is operated by ASPO. There are two lines. Line 2 runs from 7:30 am to 8.00 pm; and Line 10 runs approximately every 20 minutes, from 6:15 am to 11:40 pm.
The availability of a bus will actually depend on where you are staying in town, but the center of Olbia is fairly small, so no matter which Olbia Airport bus you take, you will be able to get quite close to your final destination.
The bus stop is about 50 meters (164 feet) from the Arrivals’ exit gate.
Tickets for the Olbia Airport bus cost €1,00 and you can buy them at the vending machines in the Arrivals’ area, or via the app MooneyGo. You can also buy tickets directly on the bus, but they will cost €1,50.
Since the Olbia Airport bus is so efficient, there are no trains from Olbia Airport to Olbia city center.
If you are traveling further than Olbia, you will be happy to know that Olbia Airport is wonderfully connected to other towns and areas in Sardinia by public bus. You will find buses to Alghero, Arzachena, Cala Gonone, Palau, Porto Torres, Santa Teresa di Gallura, and obviously, Porto Cervo, Porto Rotondo, and Cannigione in the Emerald Coast. Make sure to visit the website of Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport to find more information on all the available bus connections.
Get an Olbia Airport taxi
Getting an Olbia Airport taxi is the best thing to do if you don’t want to rent a car and you have lots of luggage.
You will find plenty of taxis from Olbia Airport to Olbia city center right outside the Arrivals Terminal. The drive to the city center takes about ten minutes (more in case of traffic). There is no fixed rate, and you will pay by the meter – cash or card.
Here is a quick overview of the costs:
- Fixed charge €3,50
- For the first 5 km €2,60 per km
- Night surcharge is applied between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am, and it’s an additional 20%
- There is also an extra charge for luggage.
If you are worried this is too confusing, and you may end up paying too much (especially if you are traveling beyond Olbia), don’t worry, there are more ways to travel. Just continue reading.
Get an Olbia Airport transfer
The last option, and the best for larger groups or if you like to book everything in advance, is to book an Olbia Airport transfer or an Olbia Airport shuttle service. Some hotels will arrange a pickup service for you, but if that’s not possible, there are several websites that allow to easily book online.
The great part about getting an Olbia Airport transfer is that you will have someone waiting for you right at arrivals, helping you with luggage, and who will already know your final destination. You will pay in advance, so you don’t have to worry about anything and can just relax.
My go-to company for airport transfers in Sardinia is Welcome Pickups. They are incredibly reliable, with English-speaking drivers, well-kept cars, 24/7 customer service, and free cancellation, and the prices are actually very reasonable. I regularly use them when I travel around Sardinia, Italy, and even outside of Italy, and have always had impeccable service, good cars, and professional drivers.
FAQs on Olbia Airport
Olbia Airport is conveniently located just 4 km (2.5 miles) from Olbia City Center. Driving from Olbia Airport to the city center will take you about 10 minutes, though that depends on traffic.
The bus takes just 15 minutes to travel from Olbia Airport to Olbia city center.
If you are traveling to Porto Cervo, Porto Rotondo, or Cannigione, you will be happy to know that it only takes roughly 30 minutes to travel there from Olbia Airport, though that depends on traffic and on your final destination. I will explain more about how to get from Olbia Airport to these places in a bit.
There are four ways to get from Olbia Airport to the city center: car rental, taxi, private transfer, and bus. Most travelers opt to either rent a car at Olbia Airport of for a taxi, as there are taxis readily available outside the Arrivals terminal 24/7.
The price of an Olbia Airport Taxi is determined by the taximeter, so what you pay really depends on your final destination in the city (or beyond). Here’s a quick breakdown of the fees:
Fixed charge €3,50
For the first 5 km €2,60 per km
Night surcharge is applied between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am, and it’s an additional 20%
Uber works in Olbia, but it’s not so convenient, so I don’t recommend it. Most of the time, Uber will call a taxi for you, so you may as well get out of the airport and grab the first one available. Other times, it will call an Uber Black or even an Uber Van. Overall, if you want to travel comfortably, an Olbia Airport taxi is more convenient.
Yes, you will find a very convenient Olbia Airport bus to take you to the city center in just 15 minutes. Bus stops are located just outside the arrivals terminal. Lines 2 and 10 will both drop you off in the center of Olbia,
You can get tickets for the bus at the vending machines inside the arrivals terminal, via the app MooneyGo, or directly on the bus. Tickets cost €1,00, but if you get your ticket directly on the bus, it costs €1,50.
Keep in mind that there are no trains from the airport to the city center.
I don’t have a favorite car rental in Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport. My recommendation is to use Discover Cars to get an idea of the prices and compare the reviews of the various car rental companies in Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport.
Discover Cars will pull up the best available car rental deals for your selected dates. You will have to filter your search by asking for cars that suit your needs, and I also recommend looking for rental car companies that have a minimum rating of 8+.
If you are landing in Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport and need to get to Porto Cervo, Porto Rotondo, Cannigione, or other places along the Emerald Coast, you have several options.
Of course, the easiest thing to do is to rent a car in Olbia and drive from Olbia Airport to Costa Smeralda Consortium. I recommend using Discover Cars to look for the best car rental deals. The drive takes between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on traffic and where you stop.
If you don’t feel like driving, you can opt to take a taxi or, if you want to have a definitive rate, you can book a private transfer with Welcome Pickups.
Finally, you have the option of taking the bus from Olbia Airport to Porto Cervo, Porto Rotondo, Cannigione, etc. Sun Lines runs 4 daily buses, departing at 9:00 am, 12:20 pm, 4:00 pm, and 6:20 pm, and stopping at the various hubs in the area. The ride lasts about one hour and 45 minutes, so it’s significantly slower than traveling by car.
All of the methods I mentioned to travel from the Olbia Airport to Olbia city center are also valid to travel the other way around – in other words, to get from Olbia to Olbia Airport.
If you are catching a very early flight out of Olbia, you will likely need to get a taxi or private transfer to the airport. The first bus runs at around 6:00 am, so that may not be convenient for you.
You can ask your hotel to book a taxi for you, or you can book one yourself just about a day in advance. The numbers to call are +39 0789 22718 or +39 0789 69150. Alternatively, you can book a transfer online via Welcome Pickups.
If you are wondering about sleeping in Olbia Airport or as close to it as possible, you should know that there is an excellent Olbia Airport Hotel.
Of course, Olbia is so close to Olbia Airport (it’s just a 10-minute drive) and there are many good hotels in Olbia, that there’s actually no real need to stay at an airport hotel, but the Olbia Airport hotel is so good that you may want to stay there regardless.
The Olbia Airport Hotel is called Jazz Hotel. It’s one of my favorite boutique hotels in Sardinia. It’s a one-minute drive and a 10-minute walk from the hotel to the airport. I have stayed there a few times and truly enjoyed it. There’s a pool, a bar, a fabulous restaurant, and lots of parking space if you are renting a car.
Final Remarks
As you can see, getting from Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport to the city if very easy, and there are options suitable for every budget.
Given there’s so much to explore in the area of Olbia and its immediate surroundings, my recommendation is to rent a car in Olbia Airport and find a hotel in Olbia that has parking on site or free parking in the street, like the Jazz Hotel, which is an excellent overall option.
Whatever means of transportation you choose to get from Olbia Airport to Olbia and beyond, I hope you get to enjoy your time in this wonderful area of Sardinia.
Want some extra help planning? I’m here for you
E-newsletter
Get free weekly updates straight in your inbox.
Travel Guides
From daily activities to hotels and restaurants, my digital guides make planning your Sardinia trip easy.
Travel Consults
Book a one-2-one call to help plan your Sardinia trip
Further Readings
These other posts may come in handy when planning a trip to Sardinia:
- The Best Hotels In Olbia
- How To Get To Sardinia
- How To Get From Cagliari Airport To The City Center
- How To Get From Cagliari To Alghero
- How To Get From Cagliari To Olbia
- How To Get From Alghero To Olbia
- A Quick Guide To Olbia
- How To Travel By Public Transport In Sardinia
Pin It For Later!
It really depends on how much you are willing to drive every day. The nearest beach to Olbia is a 20 minutes drive.
Hi Claudia,
Love your website it has so many great tips and advice. I wanted to ask for your opinion!
My boyfriend an I are planning to go to Sardinia for 8-10 days end of June. We were thinking of basing ourselves in Olbia (to not break the bank) and renting a car to go beach hopping around North Eastern Coast. Is this optimal? Would it be better to base ourselves in 2 different areas to discover more parts of the island?
We don’t want to waste too much time traveling from hotel to hotel but would also like to base ourselves in an area that offers great local trattorias (ideally not touristy) with a mix of bars so that we have things to do at night. We do not feel comfortable driving at night. We don’t care too much for archeological sites but are more focused on beaches, food, sceneries.
Thank you so much for your help.
Happy to know you’re enjoying Sardinia!
Hi Claudia! Love reading about your post on Sardinia. We simply love Italy!! My children & I are currently staying in Porto San Paolo – beautiful might I add 😍. We decided to go by bus from the airport to our accommodation which took less than half hour and it costs €1.90pp (quite reasonable) but we found it a tricky experience to know which bus to take as they are not sign posted. Luckily, there was a man that works for ARST (company in charge of buses) whom you could ask which bus to take. Perhaps, this is something that needs improvement to make life a wee bit more easier for the tourists on a budget. We have decided to go to Tavolara island which costs €18pp return and hired the parasol with 2 deck chairs for €30 (second row). This is our first time in Sardinia and will definitely won’t be the last 😀