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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Olbia
Spend 1–2 days in Olbia as a transit hub; one night for city sights, two days to explore Costa Smeralda and nearby islands.
Olbia is a small port city in Gallura, serving as the main gateway to Costa Smeralda and the Maddalena archipelago. A single night covers the historic centre; add a second day for coastal excursions.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- May–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat, crowds)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–70 excl. bed · Mid €70–110 excl. bed · High €110+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1–2 |
| Pizza slice | €2–4 |
| Bottle of water (1 L) | €0.80–1.20 |
| ASPO 90‑min ticket | €1 |
| Ferry to La Maddalena | €15–20 round‑trip |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- OLB · Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport
- —
Typical fares
- Olbia Airport → city centre (bus)
- about €1.50, 15 min (check)
- City centre → Porto Cervo (bus)
- ≈ €4, 45 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Urban bus (ASPO) runs every hour; tickets €1–1.50 per ride or €2.80 day pass. Cars face ZTL zones A‑C – avoid driving in the centre to prevent fines.
See and do
Known for
- Basilica di San Simplicio
- Port of Olbia
- Gateway to Costa Smeralda
- Maddalena archipelago ferries
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Smeralda (Porto Cervo) | Bus from Olbia station (ASPO) ~45 min, then local bus to Porto Cervo | ≈1 h total |
| Maddalena Archipelago | Ferry from Olbia port, 30 min to La Maddalena island | ≈1 h 30 min total |
| Golfo Aranci | Train from Olbia station, 23 km (14 mi) north‑east, ~20 minTrain from Olbia station, 14 mi (23 km) north‑east, ~20 min | ≈45 min |
| Castello di Pedres | Bus line 4 to Sa Testa stop, then 10 min walk | ≈1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Hotel Pellicano D'Oro
- 4‑star beach hotel near Golfo Aranci, rooms from €120
- City‑centre budget hotels
- Various 2‑star options within walking distance of the historic centre
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Scusiskuˈzi |
| Thank you | Grazieˈɡrattsje |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?ˈkwanto ˈkosta |
| Where is the bus stop? | Dove è la fermata dell’autobus?ˈdove ɛ la ferˈmata dellauˈtobus |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- ZTL zones restrict vehicle access; fines apply if you enter without permit.
- Ferry schedules to the archipelago vary seasonally – check times in advance.
Olbia is generally safe. Watch for ZTL fines if driving; avoid walking alone late at night in the Parco Fausto Noce area. Road conditions can be poor with potholes and open drains.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Olbia yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Basilica di San Simplicio
- Port of Olbia
- Gateway to Costa Smeralda
- Maddalena archipelago ferries
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Comune di Olbia – official site: www.comune.olbia.ot.it/
- Wikivoyage: Olbia, revision 5309469 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5309469
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/olbia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.