Corsica: by plane, car or ferry
Mountains falling straight into the sea. Corsica is perfect for combining beaches with hikes, and the island is hard to explore without a car. Ferries run from Livorno to Bastia; by air you land in Bastia or Ajaccio.
What does a trip to Corsica cost this year?
The calculator compares flights from several airports, driving with real ferry prices, and shows the weather for every date.
You'll see these everywhere
The Moor's head
A black head with a white bandana is the emblem of the Corsican flag and the island's omnipresent logo: on town halls, car stickers, beer and football shirts. It dates to the 18th century, when Pasquale Paoli adopted it for independent Corsica.
The GR20
180 km and roughly 13,000 vertical metres across the island, routinely called Europe's toughest waymarked long distance trail. Its red and white blazes cross the mountain roads, and heavy packed hikers are part of the scenery in Calenzana, Vizzavona and Bavella.
The maquis
Impenetrable aromatic scrub of cistus, myrtle and heather covering much of the island, intensely fragrant in summer. Napoleon supposedly said he would know Corsica blindfolded by its scent alone; the quote is unverified, but you meet it on every other souvenir.
Napoleon of Ajaccio
The island's most famous son was born in Ajaccio in 1769. The town keeps his birth house as a museum, several monuments, a boulevard and an airport in his name; the bicorne silhouette is the second most common motif after the Moor's head.
Genoese towers
In the 16th and 17th centuries the Genoese ringed the coast with watchtowers against pirates; around seventy still stand in varying repair. The best known line Cap Corse and the Girolata bay, while Bastia, Calvi, Bonifacio and Corte keep their citadels.
Pigs on the road
Half wild pigs, cows and goats graze free and routinely stand in the middle of mountain roads, typically in Castagniccia, at Bavella or on Cap Corse. Don't feed them: they get pushy about it. And don't expect them to move.
Paghjella polyphony
Traditional three part male singing, on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 2009. You hear it in the churches of Calvi and Corte, at summer festivals and from the speakers of many a souvenir shop.
Spray painted road signs
Road signs are bilingual, and the French version tends to be spray painted over or shot through by nationalists. Knowing the Corsican names helps with navigation too: Portivechju is Porto-Vecchio, Aiacciu is Ajaccio.
Local prices
Guide prices for a typical tourist area in high season (as of 2026-07). Accommodation and rentals are sampled automatically, the basket is a curated estimate.
When to go
May and June belong to hikers: snow still sits on the peaks, the coast hits 25 °C and campsites are half empty. Beach season peaks July to late August. September is the insider pick: 25 °C sea, calm and prices a third lower.
| Month | Daily high | Sea | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | 22 °C | 19 °C | ~11 |
| June | 27 °C | 23 °C | ~6 |
| July | 30 °C | 27 °C | ~3 |
| August | 31 °C | 27 °C | ~6 |
| September | 27 °C | 25 °C | ~7 |
Averages from the last 8 years (Open-Meteo). The calculator shows your exact week in more detail.
What to taste
Coppa, lonzu and figatellu
Charcuterie from half wild pigs fed on chestnuts and acorns; a platter runs 15 to 20 €. The figatellu liver sausage is a winter seasonal thing, don't ask for it fresh in summer.
Brocciu
A fresh whey cheese from ewe's milk and the base of Corsican cooking: mint omelettes, cannelloni and the fiadone dessert. Its season runs November to June; in summer you mostly get the aged passu version.
Chestnuts and Pietra beer
Castagniccia lived off chestnut flour for centuries: pulenda with figatellu is the winter classic, chestnut cakes sell year round. Amber Pietra brewed with chestnut flour is the island's default beer.
Civet de sanglier
Wild boar stewed in red wine, often with chestnuts. A staple of mountain restaurants around Corte and Zonza, 18 to 25 € as a main.
Canistrelli
Crunchy biscuits made with white wine, in lemon, aniseed, chestnut or almond. A 3 to 5 € pack makes the best edible souvenir.
Patrimonio and Cap Corse
Red and white wine from the Patrimonio appellation, sweet Muscat du Cap Corse and the bittersweet quinine aperitif Cap Corse Mattei; myrtle liqueur closes the meal. A glass of wine runs 4 to 7 €.
Return flights from Prague or Vienna
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Cheapest fares found per person (Aviasales, last ~48 h). Click a month to open the calculator with those dates.
Three trips worth taking
Scandola and the Calanques de Piana
The red volcanic cliffs of the Scandola reserve (UNESCO) can only be seen from a boat, and the sole landing is roadless little Girolata. Tours leave from Porto, Calvi and Ajaccio, 2.5 to 6 hours for 60 to 110 €; the Calanques de Piana can be driven for free along the narrow D81.
Bonifacio and the Lavezzi islands
~30 min by car
A town on a chalk cliff above a fjord like inlet in the island's south. The citadel holds the 187 rock cut steps of the Escalier du Roy d'Aragon (entry 5 €), boat loops under the cliffs cost 20 to 30 € and the granite Lavezzi trip starts at 33 €; parking is the bottleneck, 10 € for the day.
Corte and the Restonica gorge
The capital of Paoli's independent Corsica, with a citadel and the museum of the island. A dead end road runs 15 km to the Grotelle car park (6 € a day), from which you climb to the glacial lakes Melo and Capitello; in July and August it fills by 8 am, but a 4 € shuttle runs from town.
Beaches and the sea
The south around Porto-Vecchio is the island's Caribbean shop window: Palombaggia and Santa Giulia with white sand, pines and shallow turquoise water, their car parks full by mid morning in season. The east is dozens of kilometres of straight sandy beaches with a gentle entry, the most practical for families. The west alternates sand and pebbles in deeper bays, and the most photogenic pair, Saleccia and Lotu, sits in the uninhabited Agriates desert: no road goes there, the boat taxi from Saint-Florent costs 20 to 37 € return. Most beaches are free; a sunbed and parasol at the paillote beach restaurants runs 25 to 40 €, front row on Palombaggia up to 80 € in peak season. The sea peaks around 25 °C from mid July to early September; a southwest libeccio churns the west coast, the eastern shore stays calmer.
How to get there
The Livorno to Bastia ferry takes 4 to 5 hours and runs several times a day, the most comfortable route with a car. Flights serve Bastia and Ajaccio, often with a connection. Your own car helps: buses are sparse and taxis pricey.
Airports
- BIA · Bastia-Poretta Airport (Bastia)
- AJA · Ajaccio-Napoléon Bonaparte Airport (Ajaccio)
- FSC · Figari Sud-Corse Airport (Figari)
Car ferries
- Livorno → Bastia about 4 h at sea, car from ~90 € one way
- Savona → Bastia about 6 h at sea, car from ~95 € one way
Distance
905 km from Prague as the crow flies. The calculator computes the real route, tolls and fuel.
Tip
Inland roads are narrow and slow. Expect longer drives than the map suggests.
Good to know
- Kilometres mean little here: narrow winding roads average 40 to 50 km/h, so 100 km can take 2.5 hours. Plan by time, not distance.
- There are no motorways or tolls on the island. The fastest roads are the Bastia to Ajaccio T20 and the eastern T10; the rest are country roads, often without barriers.
- Animals own the road at dusk: pigs, cows and goats, with no reflectors and no intention of moving.
- Petrol runs about 10 cents above mainland France and inland stations are sparse. Fill up early, and carry cash in the mountains where cards aren't a given.
- Book the Livorno to Bastia ferry (4 to 6 h) well ahead for July and August: early tickets start at 30 € per person, last minute costs a multiple.
- Open fire is banned in summer, and at high wildfire risk the prefecture closes whole massifs including Agriates and Bavella; a daily risk map is published online. Smoking in the maquis is gambling.
- Wild camping is forbidden; on the GR20 you may only bivouac at the huts for a fee. August is the French holiday month: the fullest roads, and lodging booked months out.
Frequently asked questions
When is the sea warmest?
The sea is typically warmest in August, around 27 °C. Daytime air averages 31 °C.
What is the place known for?
Local signatures include The Moor's head, The GR20, The maquis, Napoleon of Ajaccio, Genoese towers, Pigs on the road, Paghjella polyphony, Spray painted road signs.
How much are food and drinks locally?
As a guide: espresso at the bar ~2 €, main dish at a casual place ~17 €, beer (0.5 l) out ~8 €, scoop of ice cream ~3 €, sunbed and parasol per day ~32 €, an hour of parking ~2 €, litre of petrol ~1.8 €. High-season prices as of 2026-07.
How long is the car ferry?
The shortest route is Livorno → Bastia: about 4 h at sea, car from ~90 € one way. The calculator shows exact prices for a specific day.
Which airports serve it?
Nearest airports: Bastia-Poretta Airport (Bastia) (BIA), Ajaccio-Napoléon Bonaparte Airport (Ajaccio) (AJA), Figari Sud-Corse Airport (Figari) (FSC). The calculator compares fares to all of them at once, from Prague and Vienna alike.
Car or plane, which pays off?
Corsica is ferry country: the short crossing keeps prices down and direct flights from Central Europe are rare. For most crews the car wins. Flying makes sense mainly for short stays without a car on site.
What does a trip to Corsica cost this year?
The calculator compares flights from several airports, driving with real ferry prices, and shows the weather for every date.