Most tourists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland come to Corsica by plane or car by ferry from Italy or France. Travel by train is also possible. A valid identity card is sufficient for tourists from the EU, children under 16 require their own ID card if they are not entered in their parent’s passport. An EU pet passport is required for dogs or cats.
4
international airports
(Bastia, Calvi, Ajaccio and Figari)
(Bastia, Calvi, Ajaccio and Figari)
2
hours flight separate
the airports of Cologne and Calvi
the airports of Cologne and Calvi
3
ferry companies travel
through day and night
through day and night
4
hours for the quickest transit
from Livorno to Bastia
from Livorno to Bastia
Bastia-Poretta Airport
The airport with the best connections to Germany
Calvi Sainte-Catherine Airport
Balagne’s airport in the north-west of the island
Ajaccio Napoléon Bonaparte Airport
The capital city airport at Campo dell’Oro in western Corsica
Figari-Sud Corse Airport
Southern Corsica’s airport is located between Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio
Bastia ferry port
Ajaccio ferry port
Bonifacio ferry port
L’Île Rousse ferry port
Portovecchio ferry port
Calvi ferry port
Travel by ferry and car
Those travelling by car can take the ferry from Nice/Toulon or from a ferry port in Savona/Genoa to Corsica. Ferry services to Corsica from France are split between Corsica Linea and Corsica Ferries. Corsica Ferries and Moby Lines go from Italy to Corsica. Corsica Ferries serves the quickest Livorno-Bastia route several times a day and the crossing takes four hours. Ferry tickets in summer should be reserved online in advance because the ferries are booked up months in advance. Cabins are recommended for night time crossings if you do not want to sleep in a recliner.
Travel by plane
Corsica has four international airports (Bastia, Calvi, Ajaccio and Figari). German airlines bring passengers to the Mediterranean island affordably and quickly during the holiday season. Direct flights from Germany include airberlin from Cologne to Calvi and Eurowings serves Bastia Airport from Hamburg, Stuttgart, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf and Berlin as well as Vienna. Lufthansa offers numerous seasonal non-stop and connecting flights from Frankfurt to Bastia. Since the public transportation network in Corsica is not very well developed, hire car reservation is recommended if you travel by plane.
Public transport and narrow-gauge railway
Getting on with public transport in Corsica is not so simple. Though numerous bus routes are offered during the high season, outside of this period it is very difficult. Some run all year round, some just once a week.
Corsica also has a narrow-gauge railway. Corsica’s Y-shaped rail network measures 230.6 km and connects the port cities of Bastia and Ajaccio (157.4 km); there is a line from Ponte-Leccia to Calvi (73.2 km). The most adventurous part of the network is undoubtedly the section between Corte and Bocognano. The narrow-gauge railway overcomes numerous viaducts and tunnels.
Car hire and traffic
Corsica’s road network comprises 7,920 km and has been developed on a large scale over the last few years. With it, travelling around Corsica is significantly quicker than it was in the mid-90s. However, there are still some narrow street and roads littered with potholes, which can be very stressful for the driver. Outside built up areas there is a high-speed limit of 90 km/h in Corsica, whereby this can usually only be reached on national roads. Speeds of 40 to 50 km/h should be expected in built up areas. Speed checks are often carried out during high season. It is recommended that you sound the horn before every blind corner and then drive on carefully.