London to Sardinia. Two and a half hours to Olbia, and the car waiting to take you up the coast.
Olbia is the airport for Porto Cervo, and in August it is one of the busiest small airports in the Mediterranean. We settle the aircraft parking and the return before you commit, so on the day all that is left is the drive up the coast.
The route
At a glance
- Flight timeAbout 2 hours 15 to 2 hours 40Non-stop from any of the London airfields. No fuel stop on any sensible aircraft.
- DistanceRoughly 870 milesAround 750 to 780 nautical miles, which puts it at the far end of comfortable for a light jet and squarely in midsize territory.
- FromLuton, Farnborough, Biggin Hill or StanstedFarnborough and Biggin Hill suit the south and west of London; Luton and Stansted the north and the City.
- ToOlbia Costa Smeralda (OLB)Four kilometres from Olbia, with Porto Cervo thirty to forty minutes up the coast road.
Why people fly it privately
Sardinia is a summer airport
Around eighty per cent of Olbia's traffic falls between late May and early October. For the rest of the year it is a quiet regional field where everything is easy. In July and August it is a different airport altogether: coordinated, full, and short of somewhere to put aeroplanes.
The practical consequence is that your aircraft may not stay. In peak weeks the normal pattern is to land, unload and reposition to Cagliari, Rome or Pisa, then come back for you at the end of the stay. That is not a problem, but it is a cost and a timing question that should be settled before you commit, not discovered on the day. We put it in the proposal in plain words.
The other reason people fly private here is luggage. Sardinia is a two week family destination and a yacht destination, and both come with bags. A light jet that is fine for a couple on a city trip is the wrong aircraft for six people, a week of clothes and a set of golf clubs. We size the aircraft to the load, and say so if the one you have in mind will not take it.
Private arrivals are handled at Eccelsa Aviation, the general aviation terminal on the field, with customs and immigration on site. From the aircraft to the car is a short walk and a few minutes of formality rather than a terminal crossing.
On arrival
Onward from Olbia by road
| To | Typical | In August |
|---|---|---|
| Olbia town and the port | 10 to 15 minutes | 15 to 25 minutes |
| Porto Rotondo | 25 to 30 minutes | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Cala di Volpe and Romazzino | 30 to 35 minutes | 40 to 55 minutes |
| Porto Cervo and the marina | 30 to 40 minutes | 45 to 60 minutes |
| Poltu Quatu | 35 to 45 minutes | 45 to 65 minutes |
| Baja Sardinia | 40 to 45 minutes | 50 to 70 minutes |
| Palau and the Maddalena ferry | 45 to 55 minutes | 1 hour to 1 hour 20 |
The coast road north is single carriageway for much of its length and there is no alternative to it, which is why August times stretch. Cars in Sardinia are arranged through operators we know.
Planning it well
Things worth knowing
Most of what goes wrong on this route goes wrong on the ground, in the two weeks either side of Ferragosto.
- Olbia is a coordinated airport in season. Slots and parking are asked for together, and the parking is the harder of the two to get
- Expect the aircraft to drop and reposition in peak weeks. Ask what that means for the return before you agree the charter, and we will set it out
- If you are joining a yacht, give us the quay and the time the tender is expected rather than the hotel. We plan the car around the boat
- The sailing weeks in Porto Cervo in early September fill the airport and the marina at once. Late June and late September are the same island with half the traffic
- For a larger group, a super midsize or heavy jet also solves the luggage question in one go
- Cagliari at the other end of the island is roughly three hours by road, so it is a repositioning airport rather than an arrival airport for the Costa Smeralda
Around the trip
Related pages
On the island
Airports and terminals
Other summer routes
Request a quote
Tell us the dates
Dates, numbers, and an honest description of the luggage. Tell us whether you are going to a villa, a hotel or a yacht, because the car plan and the timing differ. We come back with a proposal covering the aircraft, the parking question and both cars. Nothing is booked or paid online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About this route
Will the aircraft wait on the island?
In June or late September, very likely. In the first three weeks of August, often not. Olbia is short of parking in peak season and the usual arrangement is to reposition and return. We tell you which it is before you commit.
Can a light jet do it?
It can fly the distance. Whether it should depends on how many of you there are and how much you are taking. For four people travelling light, yes. For a family with a fortnight of luggage, a midsize aircraft is the honest answer.
Is there an alternative airport?
Cagliari, at the far end of the island, is about three hours from Porto Cervo by road, so it is useful for repositioning rather than for arriving. There is no second airport near the Costa Smeralda.
Can you arrange the yacht too?
Yes. We arrange the flight, the cars and the charter on one itinerary, so the captain knows if your arrival slips. See yacht charter.
How early should we ask?
For August, as early as you have dates. It is the parking rather than the aircraft that runs out first, and there is nothing anyone can do about that at short notice.
One contact, wherever you are