One of the routes that connect Sardinia to the Italian peninsula during the summer season is the Piombino – Olbia route. From the port of Piombino, located in the southern part of the Tuscan coast, the ferries of the Moby Lines shipping company leave from June to the beginning of September in the afternoon.
The duration of the crossing is 5 hours and 30 minutes. The length of the route between the two ports is approximately 130 nautical miles. Daytime navigation, the speed of the navigation units used and the low traffic on the route allow you to reach the Sardinian island in record time. The frequency of the runs changes, becoming daily in August.
Information on Piombino – Olbia ships
The ferry boats of Vincenzo Onorato’s fleets that run the line that connects the maritime city in the province of Livorno to the main landing place in North-East Sardinia are the Moby Aki, the Moby Wonder, Sharden and Bithia. Trips are made with carriers of the Fast Cruise-Ferry type, which have the following equipment:
- armchair room;
- cabins;
- suite;
- restaurant both à la carte and self-service;
- pizzeria;
- Cafe;
- ice cream shop;
- children’s play area;
- entertainment room and video game room;
- shop;
- swimming pool and solarium;
- pet accommodations;
- Wi-Fi and totem for telephone recharging.
Discounted menus can be found at the self-service restaurant on board, consisting of a first course or a second course and a side dish, a sandwich and a bottle of water.
Traveling on these vessels, thanks to the presence of stabilizing fins, is also less uncomfortable in the event of unfavorable weather and sea conditions.
Departure days and times
From June to the beginning of September, which is the period during which the ferries to Olbia from Piombino are operational, the frequency of the trips varies:
- In the first weeks, one to three weekly departures are scheduled, always on the weekend.
- From the end of June to the end of July departures are from the Piombino airport on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
- In the last week of July, the only day with no departures is Tuesday.
- In August the frequency becomes daily.
- From September, the month in which the line is only guaranteed for about ten days, departures only take place on weekends.
The departure time from Piombino is in the afternoon (2.45 pm), with expected arrival in Olbia at 8.15 pm. The approximately 130 nautical miles that separate the two ports are covered in 5 and a half hours.
Daytime navigation, which ensures greater visibility, the power of the engines of the carriers used, which reach high speeds, and the maritime traffic, which is modest along this trajectory, make the duration of this journey equal to that of the shorter route existing between the Italian mainland and Sardinia (the one that starts from Civitavecchia, shorter by about 5 miles).
Prices and ticket reservations
The price of a single route starts from €37 for a passenger on deck passage. The amount indicated varies according to the date and can even reach €72. If you also want to embark a vehicle, the cost of the ticket for a passenger with a car in tow starts at around €57. These are rates that can vary depending on the type of accommodation you choose (if you want a numbered seat the price is higher, and increases even more if you choose a cabin), whether or not you carry a vehicle with you, the size of the vehicle, the day of departure, when the reservation is made, and the reservation fees for electronic payment processing and after-sales service.
To find out more precisely the costs, calibrated on specific travel needs, and other information (thanks to a map with the route traced and an overview of the route) on the Piombino – Olbia ferries, as well as to book or receive just a quote, in the form on the page to which the last link refers, you can select your preferences from the return or one-way options, dates, number of passengers and any accompanying vehicle; at this point you can search for the desired rides by clicking on the appropriate button, both to consult the timetable and price and to finalize the online booking. The ticket is received by email.
Check-in and boarding
The check-in procedure is electronic and it is carried out in the square in front of the ferry, where you must present yourself with the ticket, valid even if it is not printed but simply shown in pdf format from your smartphone, and documents, including those of minors and vehicle. Boarding must necessarily be achieved at least half an hour before departure (the advance must be an hour and a half when a vehicle must also be embarked).
The Piombino port terminal, at whose link it is possible to find out how to reach it by car or public transport and on the port services available, is located in Piazzale Premuda square. Piers 1 (Pier Batteria) and 2 (Quay Trieste) are the ones where ships departing for Sardinia are docked.
How to reach the port of Piombino
By train it is necessary to arrive at the Piombino Marittima station, connected to the central station of the municipality and to the Campiglia Marittima station via a dedicated regional railway line.
By car, to reach Piombino, from the north, in Milan it is necessary to take the A1 motorway to Parma Ovest and continue first on the A15, then on the A12, to then exit at Rosignano Marittimo and continue on the SS 1 Aurelia highway. Coming from the south, however, once you arrive in Rome you have to drive along the A12 motorway and proceed on the SS 1 highway. From here the road signs clearly indicate the direction to follow for the port.
