Arriving by Sea
With 7 ports on the island, traveling by ferry from France or Italy offers a convenient and inexpensive way of visiting Corsica.
Strategically located, Corsica is just 170km away from the southern coast of mainland France and 90km west of Tuscany in Italy. The Italian island of Sardinia (just 12km away) is visible from Bonifacio.
Because of the large number of tourists in the summer, if you plan to bring a car it is best to reserve in advance, especially if you’re traveling with a camper. In the summer there is frequent ferry service from France and Italy to Calvi, Île Rousse and Porto-Vecchio.
If you leave from Italy, Corsica Ferries offers several links to the island with departures from Civitavecchia (in the summer) and Livorno and Savona all year round.
Ticket Prices
Students and seniors over 60 get a reduced rate and children less than four years old travel for free. Children from ages 4 to 12 also get a reduced fare.
In the summer there are high speed ferries that save you time but they cost more than a regular ferry.
Prices vary depending on the type of vehicle, number of passengers, the time of year and the type of boat. Just to give you a general idea on fares, two adults in the month of May, traveling on SCNM from Nice to Calvi, with 1 vehicle, and a night cabin would pay 120€ round trip (10€ per pp, 15€ for a vehicle and 25€ for a night cabin each way).
The following are the main shipping lines servicing Corsica. Detailed timetables are included on each site.
SNCM – www.sncm.fr
This is the largest carrier servicing Corsica year-round from Marseille and Nice to Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi, Île Rousse, Porto Vecchio and Propriano.
In high season, SNCM operates at least one NGV (from Nice) and a slower ferry (from Marseille) a day to and from the ports of Ajaccio, Bastia Calvi, Île Rousse, Propriano et Porto Vecchio. In winter service is reduced to just a few weekly sailings to/from Nice and Marseille.
La Méridionale – www.cmn.fr
Provides year round service from Marseille to Ajaccio, Bastia and Propriano, and seasonal ferries from Sardinia to Propriano and Ajaccio.
Corsica Ferries – www.corsicaferries.com
Provides year round ferries from Nice to Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Ile Rousse and from Toulon to Ajaccio and Bastia. Seasonal ferries from Livorno to Bastia and from Savona to Bastia, Calvi and Île Rousse.
Moby Lines – www.mobylines.it
Seasonal ferries operate from Genoa and Livorno to Bastia. Seasonal boats also operate between Sardinia and Bonifacio.
As you can see there are many vessels crossing the Mediterranean between mainland France and Italy and the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Approaching the “mountain in the sea” from a ferry or a cruise ship is truly an experience.
Related Posts
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Bonifacio, Corsica’s Gibraltar
Calvi – Corsica’s Most Popular Seaside Resort
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Interesting to know there are so many ways to get to the island by sea. How long is the average ferry travel time?
I knew I had left something out. duh!
The short answer is: it depends on your departure and arrival port and the type of boat but just to give you an idea:
Italy to Corsica:
From Livorno to Bastia – 2 hours
From Sardinia to Bonifacio – 1 hour
From Genoa to Bastia – 6 ½ hours
France to Corsica:
From Marseille to Bastia or Ajaccio – 11 to 12 hours.
From Nice to Calvi or Bastia – on the high speed NGV 3 to 4 hours on a regular boat 7 hours
From Toulon to Ajaccio – 6 hours
For the long crossings most people just get a cabin and travel at night.
As you can see, with so many ports of call and ferry operators the possibilities are endless.
This is why we need reader’s comments. Thanks for your feedback!