The ferry is the cheapest and most relaxing means of transport to reach Corsica from France: you will be able to spend a night sleeping before starting the GR20! Are you planning to holiday in Corsica or do the GR20 next summer? If you’re looking for information on boats to Corsica, you’ll find that the prices are lower than if you were to take the plane: Corsica Ferries can take you from the mainland at Nice or Toulon to theIle de Beauté at the ports of Ajaccio, Porto Veccio, Ile Rousse or Bastia ferry terminal.
I say “Corsica Ferries”, but there are several companies that operate crossings from mainland France to Corsica du Nord or Corsica du Sud (SNCM, for example)! Here you’ll find all the options for getting to the start of the GR20 as close as possible by boat or ferry!
Once you arrive in one of Corsica’s ports by ferry, you can easily reach the GR20 by taxi or bus
The advantages of going to Corsica by boat
Of course, it’s the price of the boat ticket to Corsica that’s going to motivate you! For a boat transfer from the mainland, you should expect to pay between €70 and €120 (depending on the period, day and time of travel). Book your boat trip in advance to get the best rates. If you’re travelling in a group and by car, you’ll find that you can save a lot of money compared with the price of plane tickets, so you’ll be mobile in Corsica and won’t have to use the train or taxi! However, if you are doing the GR20, there will always be the problem of dropping off the car on arrival or picking it up on departure!
Another advantage, and not the least, is that you’ll be able to sleep if you’re travelling at night! If you plan to start your expedition in Northern Corsica, you can spend the night in a couchette cabin and start the GR20 in Calenzana in the late morning!
On this page, I’ll help you find the cheapest crossings to Corsica by boat!
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Please note that since 2016, there are no longer any crossings that take you directly to Calvi -> gr20-infos.com/plus-de-ferry-pour-calvi/. The best solution if you want to arrive by ferry is to take a crossing to Ile Rousse and then take the train to Calvi (or Calenzana Lumio)
Ferries from Nice in 2024 with Corsica Ferries
From Nice to Corsica, there is at least one day crossing in July and August 2024, sometimes more depending on the destination. Ferries are more frequent to northern Corsica than to Ajaccio, which is very convenient for hikers who can get as close as possible to the northern GR20. From Nice, on the other hand, it’s more complicated when you’re in Conca. Here are some examples of crossings from Nice
| Traversées | Temps | Traversées par jour | Prix / pers | Sortie ferry jusque Calenzana (GR20 NORD) | Sortie ferry jusque Conca (GR20 SUD) |
| Nice > Bastia | Environ 5h | Une tous les 2 jours | à partir de 70 euros A/R | Jusque Calvi : 3h00 de Train (17€) ou 2h de bus puis 12 km taxi ou bus | Bus jusque Porto Vecchio puis navette jusque Conca |
| Nice > Porto-Vecchio | Environ 5h30 | Rares | à partir de 70 euros A/R | Jusque Calvi : 3h00 de bus (25€) puis 12 km taxi ou bus | Navette jusque Conca |
| Nice > Ajaccio | Environ 6h | Une tous les 2 ou 3 jours | à partir de 60 euros A/R | Jusque Calvi : 4h30 de Train (25€) puis 12 km taxi ou bus | Bus jusque Porto Vecchio puis navette jusque Conca |
| Nice > Ile Rousse | Environ 4h30 | Rares | à partir de 60 euros A/R | Jusque Calvi : 30 min de Train (6€) puis 12 km taxi ou bus | Bus ou train jusque Bastia puis Bus jusque Porto Vecchio puis navette jusque Conca |
Ferries from Toulon in 2024 with Corsica Ferries
There are many more crossings from Toulon than from Nice. Toulon is better placed than Nice when you come from inland. For example, Paris > Toulon takes 8 hours by car, whereas Paris > Nice takes an hour longer. On the other hand, ferry crossing times are longer, so it’s a good idea to travel at night, sleep on the ferry and disembark to start the GR20 in the late morning at Calenzana.
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From Toulon, there are crossings to Ajaccio, Bastia, Ile Rousse and even Porto Vecchio. In summer 2024, you’ll generally have one boat a day and regularly two boats, one of which will make the night crossing. Here are some examples of crossings from Toulon
You can now board directly at Sète to reach Ile Rousse and start your GR20 Nord easily! Find out more about the Ile Rousse > Sète ferry link
| Traversées | Temps | Traversées par jour | Prix / pers | Sortie ferry jusque Calenzana (GR20 NORD) | Sortie ferry jusque Conca (GR20 SUD) |
| Toulon > Bastia | Environ 9h45 | 2 ou 3 par jour | à partir de 60 euros A/R | Jusque Calvi : 3h00 de Train (17€) ou 2h de bus puis 12 km taxi ou bus | Bus jusque Porto Vecchio puis navette jusque Conca |
| Toulon > Porto-Vecchio | Environ 9h30 | Rares | à partir de 60 euros A/R | Jusque Calvi : 3h00 de bus (25€) puis 12 km taxi ou bus | Navette jusque Conca |
| Toulon > Ajaccio | Environ 8h | 2 ou 3 par jour | à partir de 60 euros A/R | Jusque Calvi : 4h30 de Train (25€) puis 12 km taxi ou bus | Bus jusque Porto Vecchio puis navette jusque Conca |
| Toulon > Ile Rousse | Environ 7h30 | Rares | à partir de 60 euros A/R | Jusque Calvi : 30 min de Train (6€) puis 12 km taxi ou bus | Bus ou train jusque Bastia puis Bus jusque Porto Vecchio puis navette jusque Conca |
