Corsica (and Sardinia)

carbonguy

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I have just spent 2 weeks riding in Corsica and Sardinia and thought that I would share a few thoughts. May 2026.

Getting there - three options; fly and hire, ride down on the bikes or trailer the bikes down to south of France and park the car/trailer and ride from there. First option is doable. Each island has a couple of companies that hire bikes. some don't allow taking the bikes to the other island but some do. We decided not to do this as we preferred to take our own bikes. We didn't do the drive the bikes down option - we considered it too brutal to ride all of the way down. It would have taken 3 days each way of horrible motorway driving (however, some people might like this). We chose the car/trailer option (as we had access to car and trailer. It was a long haul but it worked well. We caught an early afternoon shuttle on the first day, slept at a hotel about 2 hours south of Calais. Second day, we drove all the way to Toulon, France (10+ hours) where we parked the car and trailer in a trailer park (Phillippe of Six Fours Karting - if interested DM me for intro and telephone number. He was really helpful and friendly). We caught a 21.00 ferry from Toulon to Ajaccio, Corsica. The ferry arrived at 07.00 the next morning.

We spent about one week in Corsica and one week in Sardinia. I thought that roads were extraordinarily good. If you can go, you should go. For me, Sardinia had the edge as it the roads were as good but slightly less crowded and slightly cheaper. Both places were fantastic and the difference is minor and so not really worth worrying about. If you can only go to one, whichever is easier is fine. If possible do both.

DM for any questions.
 
We went last year. Ferry to Santander, ferry Barcelona to Sardinia, a week in Sardinia, ferry to Corsica, a week there and return. We took our time in Spain both ways. 5 weeks in total I think it was. It could be done a lot more quickly.

The roads on both islands were utterly brilliant but marred by insane mostly Germans riding very dangerously. Both islands expensive but well worth it. We winged it on accommodation but had found some great places varying from Yurts, to caves, to bog standard Airbnb apartments and everything in between. Even a cabin on a naturist camp 😲.

Grimaldi line ferry seemed stupidly cheap compared to Brittany ferries yet was a much better ship.
 
Three of us went during the Covid caper. Flew in to Sardinia, rented the bikes and had a week touring round the island using a route given to us by the rental company. They also booked the hotels for us and they must have a great relationship with the hotels as they would have been out of our budget. Leo island and as one can imagine, great food.
 
We went last year. Ferry to Santander, ferry Barcelona to Sardinia, a week in Sardinia, ferry to Corsica, a week there and return. We took our time in Spain both ways. 5 weeks in total I think it was. It could be done a lot more quickly.

The roads on both islands were utterly brilliant but marred by insane mostly Germans riding very dangerously. Both islands expensive but well worth it. We winged it on accommodation but had found some great places varying from Yurts, to caves, to bog standard Airbnb apartments and everything in between. Even a cabin on a naturist camp 😲.

Grimaldi line ferry seemed stupidly cheap compared to Brittany ferries yet was a much better ship.
The ferry from Barcelona is good, saves a long ride on busy roads round the coast. I’ve taken it to Italy then crossed over to Corsica, that was late March amd the ferries weren’t stopping in Sardinia yet.
 
The ferry from Barcelona is good, saves a long ride on busy roads round the coast. I’ve taken it to Italy then crossed over to Corsica, that was late March amd the ferries weren’t stopping in Sardinia yet.
At Barcelona (at midnight) everyone getting on the boat was supposed to be sorted (by coloured stickers) into those getting off at Sardinia and those going onward to Italy so you weren’t blocked in. It was utter chaos though. A couple of hundred bikes of all nationalities, so a significant language barrier, and a lot bikers in the bar right up to departure time meant the stickers weren’t being given out or it wasn’t understood why or what to do with the sticker. When they tried to let the bikes destined for Italy on first it was predictable that everyone just went and it became a crazy race along the quayside. The guys inside the boat did their best to sort bikes by destination but it hadn’t worked as it was even more chaos when we got to Sardinia with several bikes trapped - their own stupid fault for not working out what was going on.

The Grimaldi Line boat made the Brittany Ferries’ Pont Aven look small and shabby, but food n booze was expensive, but otherwise just the normal slightly boring ferry experience. But best way to get to these islands imho. And also a short cut to Greece and the rest of the Balkans.
 
At Barcelona (at midnight) everyone getting on the boat was supposed to be sorted (by coloured stickers) into those getting off at Sardinia and those going onward to Italy so you weren’t blocked in. It was utter chaos though. A couple of hundred bikes of all nationalities, so a significant language barrier, and a lot bikers in the bar right up to departure time meant the stickers weren’t being given out or it wasn’t understood why or what to do with the sticker. When they tried to let the bikes destined for Italy on first it was predictable that everyone just went and it became a crazy race along the quayside. The guys inside the boat did their best to sort bikes by destination but it hadn’t worked as it was even more chaos when we got to Sardinia with several bikes trapped - their own stupid fault for not working out what was going on.

The Grimaldi Line boat made the Brittany Ferries’ Pont Aven look small and shabby, but food n booze was expensive, but otherwise just the normal slightly boring ferry experience. But best way to get to these islands imho. And also a short cut to Greece and the rest of the Balkans.
Sounds familiar
When I booked I got a discount for being old, another for some special off amd I think maybe one for being Scottish. Whatever, it was under €100 for me, bike and a private cabin.
Beer was in small bottles and like food, expensive but the help yourself to condiments place had wee things of olive oil, great for camping (which I was), much easier than carrying a bottle.
When we arrived in Italy there was no control over departing, the crew just wandered off and it was wacky races getting down to the deck with the exit, trying to beat cars, vans and trucks.
 


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