Cost to Travel in Corsica: Introduction

Hello everyone, in this article, we will share our comprehensive budget breakdown and the costs associated with traveling in Corsica, located in southern France.

We spent 13 days road-tripping all around Corsica, and we loved it. We never expected to fall in love that much with the island of beauty. For us, Corsica had a touch of the Maldives with crystal-clear waters and white sand beaches.

But instead of a jungle in the background, we had mountains. It was amazing.

Our trip started and ended in Bastia, and we made a loop to visit this magnificent island and its winding roads. Our itinerary followed the coast from North to South and back again, stopping at some of the most impressive sights we had ever seen.

As Corsica is part of France, we knew what to expect in terms of the cost to travel in Corsica, but we must admit that in the end, we spent less than anticipated.

Anyway, let’s get to the cost to travel in Corsica.

What’s included in our budget

Our cost of travel in Corsica and complete budget breakdown covers what we spent on accommodations, transportation in the country, food, activities, and other side costs.

We do not include our flights to Corsica, as it is something that will vary significantly based on where you start your travel to Corsica.

However, all the costs in our cost to travel in Corsica article are for a couple, as this is how we traveled there. 

The amount in our cost of travel in Corsica article is euros (€), which is the local currency.

Our complete itinerary

To get some perspective, our detailed itinerary was the following:

• Day 1: Arrival and exploration of Bastia
• Day 2: Road trip around Cap Corse
• Day 3: Visit the secluded beaches of Saleccia and Lotu
• Day 4: Road trip through the Balagne region, ending in Calvi
• Day 5: Road trip from Calvi to Porto and a boat tour of the Gulf of Porto
• Day 6: Road trip from Porto to Ajaccio
• Day 7: Road trip from Ajaccio to Bonifacio
• Day 8: Exploration of the Lavezzi Islands
• Day 9: Beaches and Bonifacio
• Day 10: Beaches and Porto-Vecchio
• Day 11: Hiking in the mountains
• Day 12: Visit Corte
• Day 13: Return

This itinerary is a loop around the island, featuring the best spots in Corsica. You can, of course, do the opposite. And we could easily shorten it by a few, but that wouldn’t be interesting and too rushed. Even as it is, it was intense.

Now, let’s talk about the real cost to travel in Corsica.

Cost of Accommodation in Corsica

Let’s start our cost to travel in Corsica breakdown with accommodation. We booked most of our accommodations in Corsica on booking.com, but since we traveled at the last minute, we also used Airbnb once or twice, as most accommodations were already taken.

We found various types of accommodation around the island of beauty, from hotels to camping, guesthouses, and luxurious stays. Corsica has everything for everyone.

What we appreciated was the friendliness of the local people. In mainland France, we heard a lot about Corsicans, as in the past, they wanted independence. But in truth, they are open to tourists.

To be honest, we were always looking for accommodation priced between 80 and 120€, depending on where we were. Sometimes, we managed to find both cheaper and more expensive options.

Here is what Corsica’s accommodations cost us:

• Bastia: 104.33 €/night
• Saint Florent: 90,19 €/night
• Calvi: 56,65 €/night
• Porto: 79,40 €/night
• Ajaccio: 128,83 €/night
• Bonifacio 1: 144,00 €/night
• Bonifacio 2: 97,00 €/night
• Porto Vecchio: 123,10 €/night
• Corte: 85,09 €/night

The only way you could reduce the cost of accommodation in Corsica would be by staying in campgrounds everywhere.

Here is a list of accommodations we recommend based on your budget.

• Bastia: Hôtel Des Gouverneurs
• Saint-Florent: Hôtel Flor
• Calvi: Hôtel Maria Die
• Porto: Hôtel Bella Vista
• Ajaccio: Cala Di Sole
• Bonifacio : Résidence Casarina
• Porto Vecchio: Chambres d’Hôtes U BARRACONU
• Corte: Hôtel U Frascone

The total accommodation cost to travel in Corsica was 1160€ for two. This represents around 96€ per night for two.

Cost of Transportation in Corsica

To continue with the cost to travel in Corsica, let’s talk about transportation. Transportation around Corsica is not that easy, especially if you plan on visiting all its unique and stunning places.

There are public trains and buses, but they will not get you everywhere. And you may have to add taxi costs on top of it, and you will have to skip most of the sights.

That’s the reason we opted for and recommend a road trip around Corsica. It gave us so much freedom, and driving in Corsica is super easy. The roads are in good condition, but winding. This makes the average speed around 30km/h.

Refueling was as easy as in France and Europe, but was a bit more expensive. A full tank costs us around 67€.  Not to mention that parking was easy. Especially with a small car and off-season. In the summer, it can be a bit trickier.

We rented a car for 13 days in Corsica. We rented the cheapest car we could find, but in the end, we got a brand-new Audi A1 automatic. What luck! Altogether, the rental car costs 283€, so 21.8€ per day (even cheaper than renting a car in Morocco).

If we add the fuel, parking, cleaning, and so on, the cost of traveling in Corsica comes to 470€, which is around 36€/day (a bit more than in Morocco). If you add the insurance, you should budget €40–€60 per day.

Cost of food in Corsica

Let’s get to the yummy part of the cost to travel in Corsica. We like to cook our own meals; that way, we reduce costs and do not need to worry about finding whole, plant-based, or vegetarian food. While traveling, we are more flexible with what we eat.

In Corsica, we mixed things a little. We tried to make our meals for breakfast and dinner, and eat at restaurants for lunch. And it was easy, as there are many supermarkets everywhere in Corsica.

We loved the food there, and some of the best things to try in Corsica are:

• Brocciu: A fresh cheese made from sheep or goat’s milk, Brocciu is used in both savory and sweet dishes.
• Canistrelli: Small, crunchy Corsican biscuits flavored with lemon, almonds, or anise, perfect with coffee or as a snack.
• Fiadone: A delicious Corsican cheesecake made with Brocciu, eggs, sugar, and lemon zest.
• Pietra Beer & Corsican Wines: Try Pietra, a Corsican beer brewed with chestnut flour, or local wines from Patrimonio, Ajaccio, or Sartène.

Our meals in restaurants cost between 35 and 55€ for two. With most of them being between 35 and 45€ for two.

In total, with all the groceries and everything else, the food cost to travel in Corsica was 665€ for two. Which is about 51€/day.

Cost of Activities in Corsica

Traveling to someplace new means that you will be doing some activities. The activities cost to travel in Corsica isn’t that high actually, as most of the best sights are historic villages and stunning beaches.

Our favorite things to do in Corsica were:

• Cap Corse Road Trip
• Saleccia Beach
• Bonifacio
• Balagne Villages

The boat tour of the Gulf of Porto was also a unique activity.

Here is a breakdown of some of the costs: (Always for 2)

• Boat transfer to Saleccia/Lotu: 56€
• Gulf of Porto boat tour: 120€
• Filitosa: 18€
• Stair of Arangon in Bonifacio: 10€
• Lavezzi islands boat transfer: 78€

And the total activity cost for travel in Corsica is 282€ for two. Representing about 21€/day

Other costs in Corsica

For that final section of our cost to travel in Corsica breakdown, we have:

VISA: As far as we know, some people will need a visa to enter France and Europe. As a French, I didn’t need one. Tina is a Serbian national living in France with a residency card, so she can move freely within Europe.

Souvenir: We love to bring some little souvenirs. In Corsica, we didn’t get that many, only some local soaps for 7€.

SIM Card: One of our least favorite tasks when arriving in a new country is hunting for a local SIM card. Navigating airport shops, dealing with ID registration, and comparing operators is always a headache.

To make things easier, you can simply use an eSIM. These digital SIM cards allow you to download a data plan directly to your phone, so you’re connected the second you land without ever needing to find a physical shop or swap out cards.

Travel Insurance:  Frankly, we did not take travel insurance. Our French credit card company is offering a full travel package. So, if something happens to us, we are covered.

However, if you don’t have such coverage, travel insurance is recommended for all. WorldNomads offers excellent travel insurance and covers most, if not all, that could happen during your time abroad.

Total Cost to travel in Corsica

It is time to sum up everything and end our cost to travel in Corsica breakdown. In total, for 13 days in Corsica, for two of us, it cost us 2,586€, which is 1,293€ per person and 206€ per day for two.

In detail, our cost to travel in Corsica is:

• Transportation: 470€ in total, 235€ per person, 36€ per day.
• Accommodation: 1160€ in total, 580€ per person, 96€ per night.
• Food: 665€ in total, 332€ per person, 51€ per day.
• Activities: 282€ in total, 141€ per person, 22 per day.
• Others: 7€ in total, 3,5€ per person, 0,5€ per day.

Plan Your Trip to Corsica

If you are planning a full road trip around the island, you are in the right place. We have written detailed guides for every stop we made to help you plan the perfect itinerary:

• The Ultimate Itinerary: The Best 13-Day Corsica Road Trip
• Budgeting: Cost to Travel to Corsica: Our 2024 Budget Breakdown
• Essential Tips: 17 Things to Know Before Your Corsica Trip
• Where to Stay: 16 Best Hotels in Corsica for 2025
• The Best Beaches: 12 Most Beautiful Beaches in Corsica

Our Other Regional Guides:

• 11 Best Things to Do in Cap Corse: Our Perfect 1-Day Road Trip
• Saleccia & Lotu: The Agriates Desert’s Best Beaches
• 6 Stunning Places to Discover in Balagne
• 15 Best Things to Do in the Gulf of Porto
• 20 Best Things to Do in Ajaccio
• 20 Best Things to Do in Bonifacio
• Lavezzi Islands: Corsica’s Best Secluded Escape
• 12 Best Things to Do in Porto-Vecchio
• 8 Best Things to Do in Corte
• 18 Most Beautiful Places in Corsica