Flights to Corsica

Choosing your airport

Corsica is about 180 km long, and its mountain roads are slow, so the airport you pick shapes your trip. Bastia Poretta (BIA) suits Cap Corse, Saint-Florent and the east coast. Figari Sud-Corse (FSC) is the gateway to Porto-Vecchio, Bonifacio and the beaches of the far south. Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte (AJA) sits beside the capital on the west coast, close to the Gulf of Valinco and Porto, and Calvi Sainte-Catherine (CLY) serves the Balagne and L'Île-Rousse in the north-west.

Getting around the island

Hiring a car gives you more freedom, but allow plenty of time: the drive from Bastia to Ajaccio takes around two and a half hours, and coastal roads in the west twist high above the sea. A narrow-gauge railway links Ajaccio, Corte, Bastia and Calvi through the mountains, and buses run between the main towns. Ferries connect Bastia and Ajaccio with Nice, Marseille and Toulon, and Bonifacio with Sardinia.

Mountains, coast and Napoleon

Granite mountains rise to more than 2,700 metres at Monte Cinto, and the GR20 long-distance trail crosses the island from north to south. On the west coast, the red rocks of the Calanques de Piana drop into the Gulf of Porto, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the Scandola nature reserve. Ajaccio is the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, and his family home is now a museum. Genoa ruled Corsica for centuries before it passed to France in 1768.

When to book

Direct flights from the UK run from late spring to early autumn, with the busiest weeks in July and August, when highs reach around 28°C on the coast. June and September are good for walking and swimming without the crowds. In winter, fly to Paris, Nice or Marseille and connect with Air France or Air Corsica, the island's own airline.

Not sure which Corsican airport to choose? Call 020 7871 4545 and we'll match it to where you're staying.