Olbia is one of the hottest tourist destinations in Sardinia, because of its vicinity to the beautiful Costa Smeralda. If you decide to visit this part of the island, chances are you will be flying into Olbia Airport.
If you are planning to visit this region, you may want to base yourself in Olbia as it will give you easy access not only to Costa Smeralda, but also to the up-and-coming 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. Let’s see which are the the available options for the short trip from the Olbia airport to the city center.
Make sure to also read my post Which Are The Airports In Sardinia?
How To Get From Olbia Airport To The City
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 this. A car is the only means of transportation which 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 in the Costa Smeralda area.
Check the prices of car rental in Sardinia here.
Once you have picked up your car, the city center is a five-minute drive. Just follow the road signs pointing to Olbia.
By Bus
There are plenty of buses to and from the airport.
The route from Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport to the city center takes about ten minutes and is operated by ASPO, with Line 2, running from 7:30 am to 8.00 pm; and Line 10, running approximately every 20 minutes, from 6:15 am to 11:40 pm – so the availability of a bus will actually depend on where you are staying in town. The bus stop is about 50 meters (164 feet) from the Arrivals’ exit gate.
Tickets cost €1,00 and can be bought at the vending machines in the Arrivals’ area, or via the app MyCicero.
Since the airport is excellently served by the buses, and also extremely close to the city, there is no train service from there to Olbia.
By Taxi
You will find plenty of taxis to take you to the city center right outside the Arrivals Terminal. The drive to the city center takes about ten minutes (more in case of traffic) and you are looking into paying a minimum of €15 – unfortunately there is no flat rate and there will be a 20% surcharge applied between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am.
By Private Transfer
The last option, and the best for larger groups or for the ones who like to book everything in advance, is to book a private transfer. 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.
My go to company for airport transfers in Sardinia is AirportTransfer (yes, the name is that easy!). They are incredibly reliable, with English speaking drivers, well-kept cars, a 24/7 customer service and free cancellation, and the prices are actually very reasonable. You can book your private transfer from Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport here.
Turmo Travel organizes pick ups that start at €33 for up to 3 passengers; or €44 for up to 7 passengers. You can book your transfer here.
Once you’re outside the airport gates and you have left your luggage in your hotel room, you will be ready for a great holiday in the most famous, heaven-like part of Sardinia!
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
- A Quick Guide To Olbia
- How To Travel By Public Transport In Sardinia
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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 😀
Happy to know you’re enjoying Sardinia!
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.
It really depends on how much you are willing to drive every day. The nearest beach to Olbia is a 20 minutes drive.