TopDogJoan

Hi!

Does anyone know if there is a ferry out of Livorno over to Corsica?

Huitres

Yes, there is! I took it last year. The maritime port in Livorno is easy to find/get to. In fact, there is a direct bus from the Livorno train station there as well.

The ferry (we took Corsica Ferries) leaves Livorno in the morning for Bastia, at the northern end of Corsica. Once in Bastia, we took a bus down to Ajaccio, where our hotel was. The entire trip was easy to do and there were frequent crossings. Please note that Bastia is the easiest port for getting to/from Italy, whereas arriving/departing in Ajaccio is usually for travelers from France. The boat ride over took ~4 hours and then waiting around to take the 45 min bus ride down to Ajaccio. We checked into our Ajaccio hotel by 5:00 pm that day.

TopDogJoan

Huitres

Thanks so much for your very helpful response!!!!

TopDogJoan

Huitres....forgot to ask.
How was your hotel in Ajaccio. Would you recommend it. And, we are thinking spending just 2 nights. What is your input?

Huitres

I am an historian and am writing an article on Napoleon Bonaparte.....so of course it was necessary for me to see where he was born! In all truthfulness, I liked Corsica, but I prefer the Italian spots Napoleon was in/visited (i.e. Elba). Corsica has historically belonged to Italy for centuries (the Republic of Genoa) but in 1763, switched its allegiance to France. The Corsicans are a proud, interesting people, most of whom, like the Buonapartes, came over from Italy and Frenchified their names to better suit their new allegiance. They speak a sort of patois French, and some understand Italian as well. Bastia in the north is the more "Italian" of the two, compared to Ajaccio. While Bastia is interesting, Ajaccio has a far more lovely city and harbor.

I went to Corsica the week of Napoleon's birthday (Aug 15), so there was a lot of festivities, fireworks, etc (similar to our July 4th). I liked Ajaccio, but was a bit frustrated in the Corsicans' blatant denial or non-acknowledgment of their true Italian roots (that is just my historical side!)

Anyway, Ajaccio was lovely, a bustling little town next to a beautiful bay. We stayed at the Hotel Fesch*** and paid less than 80 euros a night (breakfast is an additional 7 euros and is not included in the rate). They have 77 rooms with bathrooms and the hotel's location in the middle of the "centre ville" was perfect. I was within walking distance to the beach, Napoleon's house, the Hotel de Ville, etc. Here is the website: http://www.hotel-fesch.com/

There are a couple museums to see in Ajaccio, lots of seafood restaurants to eat at, and of course, shopping. The beaches have the clearest water and the pebbliest sand (I wore thongs on my feet so the rocks wouldn't bother me). Overall, I enjoyed my trip to Corsica and was glad that I had an oppty to see the island, but I was happier to return to Italy afterwards! (Despite my French name, I prefer speaking Italian over French)

GeoffHamer

There are two companies running from Livorno:
www.corsicaferries.com;
www.mobylines.it.
There also services to Corsica from other Italian ports, including Savona, Genova, La Spezia and Napoli, as well as from Santa Teresa, Porto Torres and Palau in Sardinia. Services are more limited in winter, but ferries from France to Corsica run all year.