How To Get From Alghero To Olbia

Alghero and Olbia are the two main coastal towns of northern Sardinia, one on the west coast and the other on the east coast. Both have their own airports that connect them with the rest of Italy and Europe, and both are served by regular and low-cost airlines too.

Each one is characterized by its historic center, unforgettable beaches that are within easy reach from the city center, nearby archeological sites, vineyards which produce some of the best Sardinian wines, and more.

If you can’t decide between visiting Alghero and Olbia and their surroundings, and wish to visit both, or simply if you flew to Alghero but your flight back is from Olbia, you will at some point need to move from one city to the other and will need information on how to get from Alghero to Olbia with every mode of transport.

There are four main options to travel from Alghero city center to Olbia: car, private transfer, train and bus. You can also travel by a combination of train and bus. I have done the trip many times and used all sorts of modes of transport. In this post, I will share everything you need to know on how to get from Alghero to Olbia.

Needless to say, the same instructions apply, in reverse, to travel from Olbia to Alghero.

I have a detailed Guide On How To Get Around Sardinia that will be useful before your trip.

How To Get From Alghero To Olbia

Alghero Olbia by car

This is the easiest way of traveling from Alghero to Olbia. It takes less than two hours to travel the 140 kilometers (87 miles) between Alghero and Olbia.

You will have to follow SS291 towards Sassari and before getting there, once you reach Bancali, take SS131/E25 to Cagliari, till Codrongianos, where you can stop to visit the stunning Basilica di Saccargia (one of the most beautiful churches in Sardinia).

Codrongianos is where you will find the junction to SS729/E840 that will take you directly to Olbia.

One thing to keep in mind, especially if you need to drive from Alghero to Olbia Airport, is that there are various road works and detours along SS729 which may slow you down and cause traffic but generally the trip is fairly smooth and quick and should take you between 1.5 and 2 hours if you respect the speed limit.

If you need to rent a car in Sardinia, I recommend using Discover Cars, an excellent website that shows all the best deals on car rental comparing different companies.

My post How To Rent A Car In Alghero will give you more details on how to land the best rental car deal for your Alghero Olbia trip.

Alghero Olbia by private transfer

If you’d rather not drive and juggle roads you don’t know, you can hire a private transfer. Travel time will be the same as if you were renting a car, minus the stress of having to drive yourself. This will be the most expensive option, but it might be worth it if you are traveling in a group.

I recommend using Welcome Pickups to book your private transfer. I have used them widely all over the world and have always found their service impeccable, with great cars, very good and professional drivers and very punctual too.

There’s also a (more expensive) option for a private transfer on Viator that you could consider.

The average cost for a private Alghero Olbia transfer is €250.

Alghero Olbia shared transfer

If you are traveling alone and can’t afford a private transfer, and you don’t want to drive yourself, there are more budget friendly options you can consider.

Between May and mid-October, Sunslines operates a direct shared shuttle service that costs just €25. There are only two daily transfers – one in the morning and one in the evening. You can consult their site for the exact schedule and the various stops between Olbia and Alghero.

You could also find a ride on Blablacar. I’ve travelled with Blablacar several times and thanks to the info about the car and reviews of the drivers I have always had a good ride with great travel companions. You will need to register on the site and there’s a small fee to pay for the ride.

Alghero to Olbia train

Unfortunately, there is no direct Alghero to Olbia train. If you want to travel by train, you have to go via Sassari, and this can make the trip quite time consuming. You will also need to get two separate tickets.

The train from Alghero to Sassari is run by ARST. The first train leaves from Alghero at 05:20 am and the last one at 9:15 pm. Approximately, there’s a train every hour, and the train makes several stops and after about 40 minutes arrives at Sassari main train station.

Tickets cost €3.10 per person and can be bought directly at the station or online on the official app Drop Ticket. You can find all the information and schedules on ARST website.

The Sassari Olbia route is operated by Trenitalia and the journey takes about two hours. Trains run from 06:00 am until 20:30 pm and there’s a train every 2 hours during peak hours.

In some cases, it may be necessary to change train at Ozieri-Chilivani – I suggest checking if the train is direct to Olbia or not before you actually buy the tickets. Tickets are €8.10 for adults. Children under 4 years old do not pay, and from 4 years old to 12 years old they pay half price. The journey lasts 2 hours.

A good combination to travel in the morning is to take the train from Alghero at 9:15 am, which arrives in Sassari at 9:53 am. You can then take the train to Olbia at 10:23 am. You’ll have to change at Ozieri Chilivani (it’s just a matter of a couple of minutes to change platforms in a very small train station) and you will arrive in Olbia at 12:06 pm.

You can check the timetable on the Trenitalia website or on Omio, which you can also use to buy your tickets.

If you are doing the reverse route (Olbia-Alghero), it’ll be worth noting that the first train from Olbia to Sassari leaves at 5:37 am and the last at 8:15 pm. Again, you may need to change train in Ozieri Chilivani. The first train from Sassari to Alghero is at 6:05 am and the last one at 9:00 pm.

If you want to travel in the afternoon a good combination can be the train leaving from Olbia at 2:15 pm, which takes you directly to Sassari and arrives at 4:01 pm. You have to be very quick then, because the train to Alghero leaves at 4:10 pm.

If Olbia city center is not your final destination but you need to reach Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport, you can find buses right outside the train station that will take you there in around 10 minutes. City bus lines number 2 and 10 run every 30 minutes and drop you just outside the terminal.

Tickets can be bought directly outside the train station at the newsstand, or via the app MyCicero, and cost €1. You can also buy tickets on the bus if you have cash, but in this case they cost €1.50.

My post How To Get To Olbia From The Olbia Airport shares more information that will help you plan your trip.

Bus from Alghero to Olbia

Unfortunately, there is no direct bus from Alghero to Olbia. You will need to take at least 3 different buses to cover the entire distance, so this is not an option I recommend unless you are stuck with nothing else. Anyway, if you decide to travel by bus you will have to pay attention to the timetable and the connections.

The bus from Alghero to Olbia takes over 4 hours and the overall trip costs €11.20. The price is the same as the train route but, in this case, there are more changes.

The first part from Alghero to Sassari is covered by line 9323. The bus ride takes 50 minutes and tickets cost €3.10. You can find the timetable on the official ARST website.

Once in Sassari, you can take bus line 9327 from Sassari to Tempio Pausania (that takes 1 hour and 10 minutes, and then continue with line 602 from Tempio Pausania to Olbia (that’s another hour and 10 minutes. This combination costs €8.10 in total.

You can buy tickets directly at the station or on the app Drop Ticket.

Other Useful Information

What’s Olbia Alghero distance?

Olbia Alghero distance is 140 km (87 miles) and it takes just about 1.5 hours to drive from Alghero to Olbia, whereas the train from Alghero to Olbia takes more than 3 hours.

How long does it take to get to Olbia from Alghero?

If you travel from Alghero to Olbia by car, it will take you around 2 hours, but at times road works may slow you down.

If you take the Alghero to Olbia train, you can expect the journey to take more than 3 hours as there is no direct train.

What’s the best way to travel to Olbia from Alghero?

Unfortunately, traveling by public transportation in Sardinia remains cumbersome and time consuming. That is why I would recommend renting a car for your Sardinia trip, so that you can be more independent, leave and make stops when you prefer.

Having said so, if you are traveling on a budget you will find that Sardinian trains and buses are definitely cheaper.

Blablacar is a valid alternative too if you don’t want to rent a car and rely on public transport to move between Olbia and Alghero, so keep an eye on it.

Final Considerations On The Olbia Alghero Journey

I tried to describe all the available options for the Alghero Olbia journey, including timing, costs and schedules. I leave it up to you to choose how you prefer to travel from Alghero to Olbia, and how to cover the Olbia Alghero distance, depending on your needs, travel style and budget. Whatever you decide to do, make sure to plan a bit in advance!

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