Travel within Corsica is by road or rail, though there are air taxis. Of course you can walk or ride a bike, too. A car is recommended and if not your own, hire cars are widely available, though generally cheaper if booked before you come.

Corsica Isula has arranged a special offer for car hire in Corsica. The way it works is that the best deals in each car category from different car hire majors is made available to you. this saves you messing around trying to find the best deals. So, click here for Corsica Isula Car Hire.

Do not be over ambitious when planning your route. Distance should be counted in time and not kilometres. For instance you will see the Route Nationale 193 from Bastia to Ajaccio looks pretty straightforward, but the mountain stretch between Venaco and Tavera over the Col de Vizzavona has no straight road for nearly 30 kms and indeed virtually no opportunity to overtake. On the four main roads, you may average as much as 60kmh and off them don't plan for more than about 30-40kmh. Don't be put off driving in Corsica, but extra vigilance is needed and with all the narow roads, twists and turns, ups and downs, you tire quickly.

The rail network is between Bastia, Ajaccio and Calvi. If you want to know more about this amazing narrow gauge railway, then first see my short section on Corsican railways and then go to the other references.  You can also look up the timetable on  SNCF(In French with an English version availible) although you may be better served by the excellent Corsicabus (see below) as SNCF is not the most user friendly site.

The roads apart from the main North-South road on the east coast, can be scary to those not used to mountain driving. We count distance by road using time, not kilometres. Though you'll probably stick to the metalled roads, there are more kilometres of dirt tracks than highways.

In the summer there are buses, but best to ask when you arrive (the municipal tourist office will always know, or even the hotel) rather than counting on anything in advance. A few bus routes from main centre to main centre run year round. A good source of information is my friend Ros Fiamma's site: Corsicabus - there's no other information, on trains and buses that is, as good or as well checked; she is still working on it and there will eventually be a downloadable copy. The special advantageis that the site is bi-lingual in English and French; Ros has lived here many years.

un di, fa! - don't say, do!

Bikes and motorbikes can also be hired. This is an activity that's on the increase. There are on or two places where you can take a ride from A to B by boat, but most are organised as sightseeing tours, so you may have to pay for a round trip even if travelling one way. There are taxis, too, but these are expensive. There are of course many places that you might like to go and not travel anywhere else, but by foot. The hiring of donkeys is now possible, enquire locally. Ditto, horses. In both cases, no one way trips.

Journey Planner

It is really important to remember not to apply the average speeds that you would apply back home. On main roads (routes nationales - N) I would apply an average of 40-50 kmh, using the slower speed in high summer. Otherwise I'd calculate a lower speed, especially if you see that the road is very sinuous, eg the coast route between Calvi and Porto by the coast for which I'd allow 2 hours driving or even a bit more – so there work on 35kph average. If you are travelling on minor (D or C roads) in the mountains I'd reckon on more like 25kmh average, unless you are an habitué of the Tour de Corse!