Flying to Corsica from North America

Air France offers several daily flights between continental France and Corsica through its partnership with CCM airlines.

After landing at Charles De Gaulle, I usually take a shuttle to Orly airport. (I’d rather take a bus than face another landing and take-off in Nice or some other city but that’s a personal choice). If I miss my connecting flight to Corsica due to heavy traffic, that’s not a problem. Upon arriving at Orly, I just wait for the next CCM flight which usually leaves about 30 minutes later.

On a recent trip, while stopping at the Orly airport on my return flight to the U.S., there was a malfunction in the conveyor belt that moves luggage through the terminal and many of the passengers, including myself, lost their connecting flights.

I began to smile at the thought of spending a night in Paris compliments of Air France. After getting my luggage, I walked to a front desk to discuss my options. The whole time I tried to maintain a serious face and pretend I was worried and upset.

After a few minutes, I received a voucher for one night at the Orly Airport Hilton (with meals included) and I was allowed to make several long distance calls to the U.S. to notify my loved ones about my change of flights.

I checked into my room, freshened up and took the first bus I could find to Paris. One of the passengers on the bus kindly gave me a free map of the Paris mass transit system and some directions.

After two train rides and several stops I finally made it to the Eiffel Tower where I took a boat cruise on the Seine. It rained a bit the entire time but the views were magnificent.

On the way back to my hotel, I learned there is no bus service to Orly after 11:00PM, at least not during the week. Luckily, I met a young couple at the station in the same situation and the three of us walked for several blocks through some back streets, until we found a taxi that drove us to the airport.

I was back in my room at the Hilton by midnight and the following morning I boarded a plane back to the States, very pleased with the entire experience.

This is not an endorsement of Air France and I imagine other airlines offer similar arrangements. Personally, I have no complaints about Air France or CCM and so far they’ve never lost my luggage on any of my trips.

Being flexible and prepared for unexpected changes in your itinerary will help you enjoy a stress-free travel experience.