Crossing to Corsica with Corsica Ferries
This past May, I traveled to Corsica with my partner. It was a magical time.
Spanning 183 km long and 83 km wide, Corsica is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily, Sardinia, and Cyprus. Corsica technically belongs to France (quite a touchy subject for the headstrong Corsicans). In addition to speaking French, many of the 339,000+ inhabitants also communicate in Italian, their native language, Corsu, or a mixture of all three. Talk about confusion for us tourists!
Corsica is known as Ile de Beauté or, in English, the Isle of Beauty. This nickname accurately represents what Corsica has to offer. From lush forests to turquoise beaches to red cliffs that plunge directly into the sea, Corsica has something for everyone who wants to vacation in a stunning location - which, as far as I’m concerned, is everyone.
But before relaxing and enjoying, you first need to get to the island. Here you have two options: fly or take a car ferry. Since we live in Germany, we opted for the latter option. We traveled with Corsica Ferries.
Our Route
One major pro of Corsica Ferries is that you can travel from nine different service lines to and from the island. For us, the Savonna to Bastia line was the most convenient.
From Germany, we drove through Switzerland, stayed for a few nights in the stunning Lago Maggiore, Italy (I highly recommend this B&B if you’re looking for something affordable and cozy), and eventually found our way to the port of Savona.
Bon Voyage
We boarded the ship around 10:30 at night, just after sitting in a very tight, queue of cars and campers two hours prior. Although there were a few crew members to help us drive onto the ship, it felt like a chaotic free-for-all. There were no instructions or recommendations from the staff on what we should take for the night and no mention that the car decks were inaccessible throughout the journey. The staff personnel were also unfriendly, so the vibe wasn’t completely comfortable.
Since the 9-hour journey to Corsica was overnight, we decided to book a cabin with two twin beds (romantic, I know). We reserved everything about two months in advance, and the cost was around 80€ on top of the 200€ we had paid for the car. Honestly, we should have just saved the money and camped out in the hallway as so many others were doing because the night aboard was nothing to write home about…
The sheets were visibly dirty, the shower was flooding, car alarms were continuously going off below deck, and there was a random unsecured ladder (?) that banged against our wall every time we hit a wave - which seemed to be every two seconds based on the fact that it was a very bumpy, stormy ride. 🫣So as you can imagine, we probably slept 1-2 hours at most during the voyage. We awoke at 6:00 a.m. to an announcement on the intercom that said we were about to reach the port of Bastia and that we should get tf out of the room ASAP! Clearly not a drill!
Despite the desperate attempt to get us out of the room, we still ended up queueing in the Bastia harbor for another hour before we disembarked in Bastia. Thankfully, the ship sold coffee and subpar pain au chocolat, which helped revive us slightly before our road trip to Corsica began.
Coming Home
Flash forward two weeks and an amazing vacation later; it was time to go home and, to our dread, board Corsica Ferries once again. Thankfully, this journey was different from the first. Every bad experience we had previously had was the complete opposite this time. The staff was friendly, we could board ahead of departure, the cabins were clean, there were no crazy noises or stormy waves to keep us awake, and the morning announcement even gave us an ETA to take our time getting out of the room. This ship was also massive! There were something like four restaurants, an auditorium, a dance club (yes, you read that right), and so much more. There was even a rooftop bar where people danced to Reggaeton until it grew dark. Party vibes for sure!
What I Wish I Knew Before
Of course, planning a big journey like this is challenging, but here’s what I wish I knew before …
Do More Research on the Ferry Line Options - If you do a Google Review of Corsica Ferries, you will not find positive, glowing reviews. Compared to other lines, Corsica Ferries is not the top brand to travel with.
Don’t Forget to Use your Emergency Break - Before leaving your car, be sure that your emergency break is on. This simple act will give you peace of mind that your vehicle will stay in one place overnight. In case you’re wondering, we forgot to turn on the e-brake and were frantic all night, wondering what our car would look like in the morning. 🙃
Come Sleepy - As evidenced in our journey there, you might have difficulty sleeping on the ship. Tire yourself out and come on the boat ready to pass tf out.
Remember where you parked your car - Either make a mental note or take a photo of the deck where your vehicle is parked. Everything looks the same down there, and getting lost is pretty easy. Luckily my partner is very good at remembering numbers; otherwise, getting off the ship wouldn’t have gone as smoothly.
Embrace the Chaos - Traveling on a ship as big as this one, with a couple hundred of your “closest friends,” will be chaotic either way. If you have a mindset of accepting and embracing this craziness, you will have a better experience every time.