Visiting Olbia
Getting Around Olbia: Car, Bus, Taxi and Parking
Do you need a car in Olbia? The bus lines, the parking zones, the taxi ranks, and how to reach the beaches and the Costa Smeralda without guessing.
In Olbia itself you do not need a car. The centre is compact, there is an urban bus network run by ASPO, and the Port Authority calls the city easy to get around on public transport. The moment you want the beaches or the Costa Smeralda, that changes. There are buses to parts of the coast, but they run to a timetable rather than to your plans, and nothing at all goes to Porto Cervo. So the honest answer is: no car for a city stay, a car for a sea holiday.
This guide is about getting around Olbia once you have arrived. If you are still planning how to reach the city, see our separate guide on how to get to Olbia.
Do you need a car in Olbia?
It depends almost entirely on what your days look like.
| Your trip | Car? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Two or three days in the city | No | Everything in the centre is walkable, and parking is the one real friction |
| One night around a ferry | No | Bus 09 links the port with the centre and the station |
| A beach every day | Yes | Buses reach parts of the coast, but not on your schedule |
| Day trips inland or up the coast | Yes | Regional coaches exist, but they are built for residents, not itineraries. Where those day trips actually go is a separate guide |
| Costa Smeralda and Porto Cervo | Yes | No urban line covers it |
| Staying outside town on the coast | Yes | Not a convenience out there — a requirement |
If the answer is no, hiring one anyway in July or August is a mild liability rather than a help: you will spend time looking for a space you did not need.
Getting around Olbia by bus
The urban network is run by ASPO, the city’s transport company, and it reaches further than most visitors expect. Here are the lines and where they go, as listed on ASPO’s own timetable portal:
| Line | Route | Useful for |
|---|---|---|
| 09 | Circular: port – centre – port | Arriving or leaving by ferry; it also passes the railway station |
| 10 | Circular: airport – centre – airport | The airport run, together with line 2 |
| 05 | Porto Rotondo – Olbia – Porto Istana | The one line that touches both coastlines |
| 04 | Bados – Via G. Vico | The northern shore, towards Pittulongu and Bados |
| 03, 06, 07, 11 | Circulars and radial routes within the city | Neighbourhoods, the hospitals, Geovillage |
| 12 | Olbia – Berchiddeddu – Mamusi | The countryside inland |
Tickets. You can buy through the MooneyGo app or by SMS, and season passes work only through the ASPO Olbia app. Buying before you board saves the usual fumbling at the door.
One caveat that matters. ASPO changes routes: in August 2026 it published a notice revising the routes of lines 3, 6, 7 and 11. The line numbers above are stable enough to plan with, but check the current timetable and route on ASPO’s site before you rely on a specific journey. We do not publish times here, because they would be wrong within a season.
Getting around by car
Driving in Olbia is straightforward. Parking is the part worth understanding before you arrive, because it follows a structure rather than being a free-for-all.
Paid street parking
ASPO runs the paid on-street bays, divided into zones. The two central zones are the ones you will meet:
- Zone 1 — Corso Umberto, Via Garibaldi, Via Catello Piro, Via De Filippi, Via Acquedotto Romano: 132 paid bays.
- Zone 2 — Viale Aldo Moro, Via D’Annunzio, Via Acquedotto, Via Roma, Via Planargia, Via Gallura, Via Tavolara: 287 paid bays.
Both operate on weekdays only, within set time bands that differ between the two zones. There are also separate zones at the airport and at Acquaviva, where charging runs around the clock. Porto Rotondo is charged during the summer season, which catches out anyone driving over for the day.
The detail worth knowing: every parking meter has a courtesy button. Press the green button and you get 15 minutes free, without paying anything — enough for a bakery, a pharmacy or a key handover.
Rates and time bands are published by ASPO and change by resolution, so check theirs rather than ours. Payment works at the meter or through the ASPO, MooneyGo and EasyPark apps.
Car parks
If you would rather not hunt for a space, ASPO lists five off-street car parks: San Simplicio, Piramidi, Bardanzellu, Stazione and Via Nanni. The last two are the obvious ones if you are arriving by train or heading into the centre on foot.
Taxis in Olbia
There are three taxi ranks in and around the city, and knowing where they are saves a phone call: Corso Umberto in the centre, the airport directly in front of arrivals, and the port.
Fares are set by municipal resolution and displayed, with the usual supplements for night journeys, holidays, larger groups and luggage. We do not quote figures: the tariff is fixed by the council and updated by resolution, so the posted table at the rank is the one that counts.
Taxis are a sensible choice for an airport transfer with luggage, for a late arrival, or for an evening out if you are staying outside the centre. They are not a sensible way to do a week of beaches.
Getting from Olbia to the beaches
This is where the car question is settled, so it is worth being precise.
By bus, it is possible for some beaches. ASPO’s line 05 runs Porto Rotondo – Olbia – Porto Istana, which puts the south-eastern coast within reach of public transport. Line 04 runs to Bados, on the northern shore. What the timetable portal does not tell you is how those lines behave out of season, so treat them as a summer option and confirm the current timetable with ASPO before you build a day around one.
By car, ASPO runs dedicated beach car parks at Le Saline, Porto Istana, Bados and Rena Bianca. That is useful in both directions: it tells you where parking is organised, and it tells you those are the busy spots. In July and August, the middle of the day is when they fill. How much of that applies depends on when you travel — our guide to the best time to visit Olbia goes through the season month by month.
Which beach suits you is a separate question, and we went through the two coastlines, what each is like and how to reach them, in our guide to the best beaches near Olbia.
Getting from Olbia to the Costa Smeralda
You need a car, a taxi or a transfer. No urban bus line serves Porto Cervo or the Costa Smeralda resorts, and that is the most common surprise for anyone who assumed otherwise.
The distances are short. Geasar, the airport operator, publishes these from Olbia airport:
- Porto Rotondo — 20 km
- Arzachena — 30 km
- Costa Smeralda — 34 km
Porto Rotondo is the exception: ASPO’s line 05 reaches it. Everywhere else on that coast, plan on driving. ARST regional coaches do serve some towns from the port area, with the main stop a couple of kilometres away in via Vittorio Veneto, but they are built for residents getting to work rather than for visitors hopping between beaches.
Getting around Olbia without a car
Entirely workable, with one condition: stay central.
On foot. The centre is small. The main avenue, the churches, the archaeological museum and the restaurants are within a walkable radius, and that is most of a city visit. Our guide to things to do in Olbia covers what is inside them.
By bus. Lines 2 and 10 for the airport, line 09 for the port and the station, lines 04 and 05 for parts of the coast. The airport run is the one piece of this we cover in how to get to Olbia, so we will not repeat it here.
By train. The station is in Corso Umberto I, in the centre, and bus 09 connects it with the port. It is not city transport — it is how you leave Olbia for the rest of Sardinia. The Port Authority lists around eight trains a day to Sassari and six to Oristano and Cagliari; check the operator for current times.
By taxi, now and then. For the airport with bags, or for getting home late, rather than as a daily habit.
What does not work without a car: a different beach every morning, the Costa Smeralda, and anything inland.
Which option is best for your trip?
| Situation | Best option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| City break, staying central | On foot, plus the occasional bus | Short distances and no parking to solve |
| Arriving late by ferry or plane | Taxi | Ranks at the port and in front of arrivals; no timetable to catch |
| Beaches a few times, not daily | Bus lines 04 and 05 | They reach Bados and Porto Istana, in season |
| Beaches every day | Hire car | Plus the organised beach car parks |
| Costa Smeralda or Porto Cervo | Car, taxi or transfer | No urban line goes there |
| Staying on the coast, outside town | Hire car | Out there it is a requirement, not a comfort |
| A day in Sassari or Cagliari | Train | From the central station, no driving and no parking |
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a car in Olbia?
Not for the city itself: the centre is walkable and ASPO runs an urban bus network. You do need one for a beach-every-day holiday, for the Costa Smeralda, or if you are staying outside town along the coast.
Does Olbia have public transport?
Yes. ASPO runs the urban buses, including a port circular (line 09), an airport circular (line 10), line 05 between Porto Rotondo, Olbia and Porto Istana, and line 04 to Bados. Tickets come from machines, the MooneyGo app or by SMS.
Can you get to the beaches near Olbia by bus?
To some of them. Line 05 serves Porto Istana on the south-eastern coast and line 04 serves Bados on the northern shore. Timetables and seasonal operation are on ASPO’s site, and out of season the service is much thinner.
How do you get from Olbia to the Costa Smeralda?
By car, taxi or transfer: no urban bus line serves Porto Cervo or the Costa Smeralda resorts. Geasar puts the Costa Smeralda at 34 km from Olbia airport and Porto Rotondo at 20 km, and Porto Rotondo is reachable on bus line 05.
Is parking difficult in Olbia?
In high season, in the centre, yes. ASPO manages paid on-street bays in zones with weekday time bands, five off-street car parks, and dedicated beach car parks. Every meter has a courtesy button giving 15 minutes free.
Where are the taxi ranks in Olbia?
Three: Corso Umberto in the centre, the airport in front of arrivals, and the port. Fares are set by municipal resolution and displayed at the rank.
Read also
- How to get to Olbia: by plane, ferry or train
- Where to stay in Olbia: the areas, and who each one suits
- The best beaches near Olbia, and how to reach them
- All our English guides to Olbia and north-east Sardinia
Where you stay decides how much of this you need
Everything on this page is really one question in disguise: how far from the centre are you sleeping? Stay in town and the bus network and your own legs are enough. Stay on the coast and the hire car stops being optional. Our guide to where to stay in Olbia works through that trade-off area by area.
If you already know which side suits you, you can see what we have available between Olbia and Porto Rotondo.
AirAffitti editorial team
Keep reading
If you would rather not hire a car, AirRooms Standard is a few minutes from the town centre, the port and the airport, with shops and restaurants nearby. AirRooms Standard with King-Size Bed — See the place.