On foot

Olbia is fairly flat and the historic center is quite compact. It is roughly 0.8 miles from the waterfront west to the western boundary of Parco Fausto Noce, and approximately a quarter mile from Canale Zozo to Corso Vittorio Veneto/Corso Umberto I. Olbia train station is located in the middle of the historic center, making it easy to walk most anywhere of note in Olbia from there. Walking the waterfront area on the Gulf of Olbia is approximately a mile and a quarter in length and is an easy stroll. Some streets in Olbia are narrow but this is really the only hindrance you will have when it comes to walking in Olbia. Sights outside the city and in neighboring cities along the coast cannot be reached on foot as the distances are too far.

By bus and Trenino

Bus service in Olbia is run by ASPO (Azienda Servizi Pubblici Olbia, www.aspo.it, website in Italian). There are 12 routes comprising the bus system in Olbia. Lines of note include Line 1, which drops near the Hotel Royal Olbia, Parco Fausto Noce, Olbia train station, Basilica di San Simplicio, and Centro Commerciale Auchan Olbia. Line 2 connects the area adjacent to the Hotel Royal Olbia, Parco Fausto Noce, and Olbia train station with Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport, and vice versa. Line 2 also runs to Rudalza, just south of Porto Rotondo. Line 9 stops at Parco Fausto Noce and Olbia train station, before it travels south of Corso Umberto I and makes a loop at Olbia`s waterfront. There is also a `Spiagge Express` connecting Olbia and Lido di Pittulongu; the ticket is €5 round-trip and can be bought at the Infopoint Tourist Office at Piazza Terranova Pausania. The Spiagge Express is labeled as Line 40.

Line 1 runs every 40-50 minutes beginning at 8:10 a.m. and ending at 9:10 p.m. Line 2 leaves from the airport every 30 minutes from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and one last time at 8 p.m. Line 9 leaves the Port of Olbia for the first run of the day at 5:55 a.m. and runs approximately once every 25-30 minutes until 12:15 p.m., then again starting at 5:45 p.m. until 10:15 p.m. Line 1 runs seven days a week, and so does Line 9, except the last bus of the day runs at 7:45 p.m. for Line 9 on Sundays. Line 2 runs every day of the week except for Sundays. Line 40 picks up from Brin Pier beginning at 9:30 a.m., on the hour and half-hour until 3:30 p.m.; the last bus leaves Pittulongu Beach at 4 p.m. ASPO tickets are €1 per journey; a pre-paid ticket of 12 journeys costs €10. ASPO cards can be bought at 60 locations throughout Olbia, mainly at tobacconists, bars and cafes. For a full list of locations, visit www.aspo.it/orari-tariffe-rivendite.

ASPO also offers tickets to a tourist train, referred to by locals as the Trenino. The Trenino boasts a route which passes by 56 distinct points of interest in Olbia on a 30-minute route. Tickets are €5 each and can be bought from the Infopoint Tourist Office at Piazza Terranova Pausania; you can board the Trenino at the same place. It runs every day at the following times: 9:30 a.m.; 10:25 a.m.; 11:20 a.m.; 12:15 p.m.; 1 p.m.; 5 p.m.; 5:40 p.m.; 6 p.m.; 7 p.m.; and 7:40 p.m.

By taxi

You will notice taxis idling on Corso Umberto I, and taxi ranks at the Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport, Olbia train station, and Piazza Regina Margherita. Flagfall in Olbia starts at €3.50, with €2.60 charged for the first three miles and then €2 for each 0.6 miles after that. Prices rise by 25% on weekends, holidays, and every night between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. If you hire a taxi to wait at various points of interest, waiting time is billed at €60 per hour. To call a taxi for yourself, dial +39 0789 22718 and +39 0789 69150. There is a surcharge of €3 for taxis called and not hailed from the street.

By bicycle

ASPO operates a bike share service, with 15 bikes at three different locations: the City Hall building on Corso Umberto I; the Piazza San Simplicio on Via Gabriele D`Annunzio; and the Costa Smeralda Airport. To access the bike share for a day, it costs €5, and you can ride a bike for up to 30 minutes for no extra charge; a second half-hour costs €0.50 and the second hour costs another €1. For more information, visit www.aspo.it/bike-sharing. You can buy access at the Infopoint Tourist Center at Piazza Terranova Pausania. If you`d like to rent a bike for a longer period of time, call Olbiabike (Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 13, +39 0789 553819).

By car

Self-driving is recommended if you would like to see the cities of the Costa Smeralda and sites away from Olbia. In Olbia, it is recommended to park on the edges of the historic center and just walk to points of interest inside the center of the city. Free parking lots are located at Via Nanni Alessandro 7 and Via Principe Umberto 71. There are more parking lots in and around the city but those lots require payment. If you reserve a car with TripMasters, you will be picking it up at the Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport, and not in Olbia proper. Note that as of October 2018, Olbia is testing the addition of a ZTL (zona traffico limitato), so be sure to ask at the car rental counter if the ZTL is in effect and where it is, so you do not incur fines by driving into the ZTL on accident.