Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) OLB: Departure times and transfers

Flying from/to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport

Plan your journey from/to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport by finding out which transport links are available upon arrival—whether its an airport transfer by bus or a local train which gets you to where you need to be. We recommend booking your ticket with Omio.

Travel from Olbia to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport

On the sparkling, beautiful northeastern side of the Italian island of Sardinia, the city of Olbia dates back to the Phoenicians. While considered a gateway to the tony vacation hotspot that is the Costa Smeralda, Olbia itself is well worth a visit thanks to its historical remains, which include Carthaginian walls and a Roman aqueduct. Getting around Olbia is easy to do on foot, but the city and surrounding area are also served by several public bus routes. If possible, try to buy a bus ticket in advance, as it costs a bit more to purchase one on board from the bus driver. Once on the bus, riders also need to remember to validate their tickets at the start of their journey. Single-ride, daily, and weekly tickets can be purchased at the city's tourist office as well as around town at various bars and tobacconists​, or, as they're called in Italy, tabacchi. 

The best way to get to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport from the Olbia city center

Travel to the airport from Olbia's city center is surprisingly easy thanks to two public bus lines that cover this route. Visitors can take either the number 2 or 10 buses from the stop at Via Mameli. Both buses run at around half-hour intervals to the airport. From the Via Mameli stop, the earliest service starts at 6:00 a.m. and the latest is at 11:26 p.m. (the bus can of course be caught slightly earlier or later elsewhere along the route). For travel outside these hours or with particularly ample luggage, the other option for reaching the airport is catching a taxi in town. It's also possible to call for a taxi pick-up, though this will in incur a small surcharge. However, given that the airport isn't far at all from Olbia's city center, a taxi ride is fairly inexpensive to begin with. Do keep in mind that cab fares incur a 25% surcharge between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

How far is it from the city center to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport?

How far it is to the airport from Olbia city center depends where one begins, but the overall distance is never very great. For example, the journey from Via Mameli to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport on either the number 2 or 10 bus takes less than ten minutes, as the bus ride itself is only eight stops and just over two miles (3.6 kilometers). After alighting at the V. Astronauti CC stop, the walk to the airport itself shouldn't take more than a couple minutes. For travel from the Museo Archeologico di Olbia, one of the city's cultural highlights, to the airport, take the number 10 bus for a total journey time of 22 minutes, including walking. The route is even quicker by car, with a taxi needing a mere nine minutes to cover the three and a half mile (5.6 kilometer) route. 

What facilities are there at Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport?

With only five passenger gates, Olbia's airport is fairly petite. Nonetheless, the facilities at the airport tend to cover most travelers' needs. There are bars and restaurants, including a wine bar serving Sardinian wine, as well as shops offering local Sardinian products. The airport also has ATMs, free WiFi, a police station, first-aid station, business center, and a Nursery and Baby Club for those traveling with very young children. For those stopping by Olbia only briefly, the airport's inexpensive daily luggage storage is quite convenient. This is open between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., and can be found outside the main building, near the parking lot. Passengers must have a valid ticket or boarding pass plus a corresponding passport or other official form of identification, in order to make use of the luggage storage service. 

The route's accessibility for those with limited mobility

Public buses throughout urban areas in Sardinia are wheelchair accessible. Particularly because the ride itself is so short, travel to the airport from Olbia's city center via bus is not too difficult an undertaking, even with plentiful baggage. Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport itself is barrier-free, with designated parking spots, escalators, and an elevator. There are also accessible bathrooms throughout the airport. Furthermore, the airport's Sala Amica (which means "friend room") in the departures hall allows those either seeing off or receiving passengers with reduced mobility to wait with or for them.

Local tips: how to travel to the airport like a local

Transportation throughout Sardinia tends to be heavily car-based, but within the small city of Olbia itself, walking is an easy way to get around, supplemented by the city's public buses. To travel to the airport from Olbia's city center like a local, taking either the number 2 or 10 bus is the way to go. The most price effective way to travel is to buy a ticket beforehand, either at the tourist office or at one of the numerous tabacchis (tobacco shops) or bars that sell them. Though the airport has some bars and restaurants, it is a smaller facility overall, and options are not extensive. Packing snacks or other light bites is definitely a good idea.