Corsica and Sardinia
 

In September I am joining a walking tour in Corsica. I fly in to Bastia, and have to meet the group the next day in Calvi. I understand there is either a train or bus option to travel to Calvi. Can anyone advise the better option?

Also, I will need accommodation in Bastia the night I arrive (landing at 6.30pm). Does anyone out there have a first hand recommendation for a hotel/B&B that's clean and not high end expensive?

After the walk I plan to spend a week in Sardinia. I'm thinking to stay in a hotel that has been recommended in Baunei and explore from there - beaches, walks and the famous Gorge. I'm wondering should I take the ferry across (Bonifacio to Santa Teresa Gallura) and rent a car from there? That would involve finding my way to Bonifacio from Porto Vecchio, where I would leave my group. Is that easy to do? Alternatively I could return to Bastia with my group and fly to Olbia, one of the main airports. Any thoughts out there?

Thanks

In the first half of September, the direct ferries from Porto-Vecchio to Sardinia (either Porto Torres or Golfo Aranci, both linked to the Sardinian railway network) are almost daily.
https://www.corsica-ferries.co.uk/

Otherwise take the bus from Portovecchio to Bonifacio (at least 2 every day) and go on by ferry to Sta Teresa.

There are 6 daily buses from Santa Teresa to both, Olbia and Sassari.
If you stay at Baunei, you will need a car. For the major beaches and sites of Sardinia, that wouldn't be necessary, as public transport there is very good.

We used the trains on Corsica and enjoyed them although they were not terribly frequent and occasionally crowded. This site gives train and bus timetables and we found it very useful: http://corsicabus.org/

Many thanks now I know it's quite feasible, with a few options. Also good having discovered there are no direct flights from Bastia to Olbia they go via the mainland and cost a fortune! Thanks agains

We stayed in Santa Teresa Gallura and did a day trip by ferry to Bonifacio. The views are spectacular, especially of the cliffs at Bonifacio. We were there in shoulder season, just walked up to buy tickets. Ferry took around 40 mins (don't forget your passport).

If you want somewhere to stay in Santa Teresa Gallura, we liked the Hotel Marinaro which is about 10 mins walk to the ferry terminal and an easy walk to restaurants etc.

Kay

Thank you KayF. I am waiting to learn where my hiking group will 'deposit' me after our walk. They will be heading to Bastia from Bavella, which is further north from Porto Vecchio. My options would be to hopefully bus or train to either Porto Vecchio or Bonifacio to get a ferry. Porto Vecchio to Olbia (as in the port nearby) would probably be easier, though Bonifacio and your hotel at Santa Teresa Gallura also look tempting. Watch this space!

It seems after my walking trip I will need to get from Bavella under my own steam. I am using www.corsicabus.org and looking for the bus service from Bavella to Bonifacio (this goes via Porto Vecchio). I have been told there is such a service but can't seem to locate it on this website's timetable. Is there another website perhaps? I'm hoping to travel on September 17, ideally, or 18.
Once I've established how to get to a ferry to Sardinia, then I can continue with planning for that island.
Cheers

I did a trip report about three years ago on Corsica and Sardinia all by public transport staying in not very expensive places. Click on my name and you will find it. Train from Bastia to Ajaccio via Calvi, bus from Ajaccio to Bonifacio and walked straight onto a ferry for Santa Teresa. No reservations necessary. Then got buses all the way down the west coast to Cagliari. Great trip!

We did exactly the opposite last year..rented a car in Sardinia, took a ferry from Santa Teresa to Bonifacio and rented a car there and drove to Porto Vecchio.

Getting to Bonifacio from Porto Vecchio is not difficult by car or bus. It sounds like you will not have a car in Corsica so plan to take the bus directly to Bonifacio which should be easy, just need to work around the the bus schedule.

We could not find a major car rental places in Santa Teresa (in our case to return our car) so you will have do a google search and look on the map instead of looking/booking on Expedia, Europe car, etc. and book direct with the agency. Otherwise you will need to take a bus or cab to a larger hub and rent from there so you have better return location options & pricing depending what your plans are on the back end.

Thanks to the two of you that's most helpful. Now I'm confident that I can get a bus to Bonifacio from somewhere; not Bavella in the mountains (they don't run to there from September) but from somewhere on the bus route that my group will be driving through e route to Bastia.

From Saint teresa Gallura I'll plan to bus to Olbia and rent my car from there, as that is where I'll be flying out from a week later. I have hotels booked at Bitti and Baunei - not so popular places but recommended by an Italian friend. The biggest challenge at this point I fear will be driving on the 'wrong' side of the road, we drive on the left in New Zealand.

I was in Sardegna in September & apart from roads arounds around Alghero & Cagliari, the roads were mostly empty. Watch out for sheep. Bitti looks wonderful. (I was in nouro but didn't know of Bitti until your post.) Be sure to eat pane frittau if you like eggs. Sardegna is marvelous.

That is very reassuring many thanks massimop. I will look out for the sheep. Also my Italian friend has told me about a church to visit and warned me about a donkey who lives there and bites! Really looking forward to this adventure!

Hope you will report back. Very few tourists go to the interior & it is another world, very different from most of today's Europe. Very impressive.

Hello again,

My plans are coming together! After the GR20 walk my group, who are heading from Bavella in the mountains to Bastia, will leave me en route at the coastal town of Solenzara.

My plan is to stay here overnight (no Sunday bus), then on Monday bus to Bonifacio and cross to Saint Teresa Gallura.

I will stay in Saint Teresa Gallura (will try for Hotel Marinaro, thank you Kay).

On Tuesday I'll bus to Olbia and collect my rental car for my week in Sardinia - hopefully by about midday at the latest?

Does this all sound feasible to those who know more than me? Also, and this might be a long shot - any personal experience/suggestions for a place to stay in Solenzara - before I tackle the websites!

Thanks