Albeit close, getting from Corsica to Sardinia isn’t necessarily straightforward. The ferry from Corsica to Sardinia runs regularly. However the schedule changes just as regularly. This makes researching information frustrating.
But don’t worry, I am here to help!
Corsica is the fourth biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of France and it’s located right above Sardinia.
The two islands are only 11 km apart (about 6.8 miles) in the closest part of the Bonifacio Strait (known as Bocche di Bonifacio in Italian). This is a tiny piece of the sea that has been a challenging area to navigate since very early in history. That’s because of its rocky seabed and constantly strong currents.
Corsica, like Sardinia, is a mainly mountainous region, with cliffs overlooking stunning beaches, and typical medieval cities to explore and get lost in. Many people choose to visit Corsica and Sardinia together, especially if they are planning to visit the North of Sardinia and the South of Corsica.
The two islands offer an incredible variety of activities and landscapes. You can have a trip strictly focused on hiking and adventure or enjoy a mix of hikes, boat trips, and relaxing days at the beach.
If you want to hit both islands during the same trip, you are probably wondering how to get from Corsica to Sardinia. Continue reading, as I am about to share all the useful information.
I recommend using Direct Ferries to book your Corsica to Sardinia ferry. If you are only keen on visiting the wonderful beaches of southern Corsica, consider a boat tour such as this one. It goes to places like Lavezzi Island or île Piana.
Doing the same trip but the other way around? Make sure to read my post on How To Get From Sardinia To Corsica.
How To Get From Corsica To Sardinia
There are no direct flights from Corsica to Sardinia’s airports. This means that the only way of getting from Corsica to Sardinia is by ferry.
Surely, traveling by ferry from Corsica to Sardinia can have its downsides.
The trip can be slow depending on where you are traveling from and to. Furthermore, not everyone is a fan of traveling by ferry – especially in the area since the Strait of Bonifacio almost always makes for a rocky navigation. Also, depending on your travel dates and how long before your trip you book the ferry, it can also be quite expensive.
But it also has extremely positive aspects.
For example, if you are traveling with your own car, taking the ferry from Corsica to Sardinia means you can bring your car with you. This gives you total freedom to move around the two islands without being tied to the local transportation’s schedules (which are less than efficient).
It’s important that I clarify that most car rental companies won’t allow you to bring a rental car on the ferry and cross the border with it (remember that Corsica is part of France, and Sardinia is part of Italy).
For the longer crossing, you can book a small cabin and have some hours of rest while you wait for docking, and the process of embarking is ten times easier and more stress-free than that of boarding a plane (besides, as I have said before there are no direct flights).
For information on ferries from Corsica to Sardinia, I recommend using Direct Ferries, a fantastic engine that pulls out all the best routes, schedules and travel deals.
Taking The Ferry From Corsica To Sardinia
As this is crucial information, it is worth repeating that there aren’t any flights connecting Corsica to Sardinia.
Ferries are the only viable option. The routes connect the South of Corsica with the North of Sardinia, the two closest sides of both lands. These are the routes of ferries from Corsica to Sardinia – I will go into more detail in a bit:
- Bonifacio – Santa Teresa di Gallura
- Ajaccio – Porto Torres
There also used to be a ferry from Bastia to Golfo Aranci (near Olbia) but that’s currently been suspended).
Unfortunately, the Corsica to Sardinia ferry schedule is somewhat erratic and there are frequent changes (though there’s more than a daily ferry, throughout the year, to Santa Teresa Gallura).
For this reason, you really have to keep an eye on the schedule and make sure the ferry is available on the day you want to travel in case you visit in the off season, and plan your trip around it.
The price of the ferry is quite reasonable, with tickets starting at just €32 one way per person. But of course, the final price you end up paying depends on the day and time of your trip and how much in advance you book it.
Now, let’s go into more details about the various ferry routes. Keep in mind that since the schedule changes all the time, I am not reporting it.
For the schedule and ticket prices of the ferry from Corsica to Sardinia, I suggest using Direct Ferries, which lets you know of all the best deals, routes and schedule.
Ferry from Bonifacio to Santa Teresa di Gallura
This is the fastest option to get from Corsica to Sardinia. The ferry crosses the Bonifacio Strait, the windiest stripe of the whole Mediterranean Sea. Ferries are operated by two different companies: Moby Lines and Ichnusa Lines.
The number of daily ferries varies depending on the season. Only the Moby Lines ferry from Corsica to Sardinia operates throughout the year, with three to four daily ferry departures, depending on the day of your trip.
Ichnusa Lines operates daily ferries during the peak season (up to four, depending on the month) but stops running the route at the end of October.
This means that in the peak summer months, you will have a wide choice of ferries from Corsica to Sardinia (or from Sardinia to Corsica), but less rides in the off-season.
The ferry crossing from Bonifacio to Santa Teresa di Gallura takes between 50 minutes to one hour, depending on the wind.
Once again, I encourage you to check the schedule and ticket prices of the ferry from Corsica to Sardinia on Direct Ferries, my favorite ferry booking site.
Ferry from Ajaccio to Porto Torres
There is only one route connecting Corsica to Porto Torres, currently operated by Moby Lines: it departs from Ajaccio. The crossing lasts around 3 hours, and the schedule varies every month but ferries usually depart at 7:00 am and arrive in Porto Torres at 10:00 am.
This is a seasonal service that usually runs in the peak summer months – June, July, August and September, with ferries on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Make sure to double-check the schedule and ticket prices of the ferry from Ajaccio to Porto Torres on Direct Ferries, my favorite site to book ferries around Europe.
Ferry from Bastia to Golfo Aranci
At the time of writing, there’s no ferry crossing from Bastia to Golfo Aranci.
For the exact schedule and ticket prices of the ferry from Bastia to Golfo Aranci, I suggest using Direct Ferries which will give you all the details you need to plan your trip.
Want some extra help planning? I’m here for you
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Further Readings
These other posts may be useful when planning on how to get to Sardinia:
- How To Get To Sardinia
- The Best London To Sardinia Flights
- The Best Amsterdam To Sardinia Flights
- The Best Rome To Sardinia Flights
- The Best Naples To Sardinia Flights
- The Best Paris To Sardinia Flights
- The Best Ferries To Sardinia
- How To Get From Barcelona To Sardinia
- How To Get From Florence To Sardinia
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Hello Lexi, it is possible but it would cost you an arm and a leg. What I recommend is to drop off your car in Olbia airport, taking the bus from Olbia to Santa Teresa (you need bus 601) or even a private transfer, and then get on the ferry and rent another car in Corsica.
Hi Claudia!
Do you know if it’s possible to rent a vehicle in Sardinia and drop off in Figari? We aren’t sure how to drop out car and then get to Santa Theresa Gallura efficiently. Thanks for your help! Lexi
Hello Erin, thank you for dropping a comment. First of all, allow me to say I am an expert on Sardinia but not on Corsica. Having said so, I have looked on Google Maps and it looks you have two options: either drive from Figari to Bonifacio, or take bus C1bis. I don’t know of any car rental in Santa Teresa di Gallura to be honest. I have looked many times online for other readers and every single time I can’t find any. It really looks like there are no car rentals there and you’d have to go to Olbia Airport to find one – which is absurd in your case. With this in mind, you can take bus 601 to Ospedale Aldo Moro in Olbia, and from there take bus 02 to the airport. It takes a bit more than 2 hours. I recommend checking on Google Maps and click on the train icon in the results for more details about the departures. Finally, this post https://strictlysardinia.com/best-santa-teresa-di-gallura-hotels/ will help you pick a good place to stay.
Hello. Thank you for this information. We are flying from Milan to Figari in September. We plan to rent a car at the airport for 5 days and return it back to the airport. Since we can’t find any flights back to Milan, we will need to go to Sardinia to get back. My question is how do we get from Figari to Bonifacio to catch the ferry?
Also, we hope to then rent a car in Santa Teresa and drop it at the Olbia airport the next day. Is that possible? And where do you recommend staying for only one night?
Thank you.
That’s a very personal decision. I know that it’s going to be way cheaper to leave your car in Corsica and get another one in Sardinia rather than returning your car in Sardinia. I’d be prone to do whatever allows me more time to visit both places. So if flying out of Olbia gives you more time in Sardinia, then go for it!
Hi Claudia,
We are staying in Southern Corsica for a week and were thinking of spending 4 days in Sardinia. Would it be worth taking our car on the ferry and then coming back and flying out of FSC or hiring another car in Sardinia and flying back to the UK from OLB?
Cheers, Harry
Hi! I have not driven in Corsica so I can’t comment, but I heard the roads are not in as good conditions as they are in Sardinia.
My husband and I are thinking of flying into Olbia then catching a ferry to Corsica for a week . How easy is this please and what is driving like in Corsica? Also is September a good month to go? Thank you
No, if it’s scheduled it goes unless the weather is really really really really bad.
Thank you so much for this blog Claudia 🙂 my husband and I are visiting Sardinia in a week and are so excited
Are there ever days where the ferries just dont depart at all from Santa Teresa despite saying that they will?
If you only have one week in Sardinia, stick to Sardinia. There is so so so so so so much to see and do here that I don’t recommend the hassle of having to drive all the way to Santa Teresa for less than a day in Corsica. Corsica is gorgeous and deserves a trip of its own, much like Sardinia! One thing you could do, if you are keen, is joining a boat tour that takes you to the Bonifacio straight from Santa Teresa – you get to see Ile Piana, the Bonifacio Straight and Ile Lavezzi. But it literally is a day at the beach.
Dear Claudia,
My husband and I are staying in Castelsardo in Sardinia for a week this July, and are considering to go for a day trip to Corsica, from Santa Teresa di Gallura. We will have the car rented during our stay. How do you suggest me to do this trip the best way? Should we go to Santa Teresa by car, leave it there, and then board the ferry on foot, and then spend the day in Bonifacio? Or is it better to take a car to Corsica and move around there with a car? Is it easier or better to have a car around in Corsica or not, in terms of parking and accessibility, etc? In general, what do you suggest worth of visiting in Corsica for a day? I would appreciate every advice.
Thanks,
Dea
I’d get them in advance if there is a chance. Personal preference, but unless the ferries run several times a day, you are better off saving a spot for yourself – especially if you have a car.
If we wish to take the ferry from Bonifacio to Santa Teresa di Gallura, do we need to purchase tickets in advance or can we buy on the spot?
I think there are ferries from Toulon to Corsica but make sure to double check!
Greeting Claudia! I enjoyed reading through all your useful info. My husband Eugene and I would love to make a trip to Corsica and Sardinia next year in our own little car from France, where we have recently moved from South Africa. We would like to travel from mainland France -first to Corsica – by ferry. Which one would you suggest that is both reliable, economical and from which port? We live in Hautes Pyrénées in Occitanie. Are there any ferries from the Spanish side that is closer to us that you could suggest possibly? All your suggestions will be valuable to us. We want to visit archaelogical sites, primarily, after reading Freddy Silva’s book that has a facinating chapter about Sardinia in it! Thank you!
If you click on the links in the post, you should be able to get to the company that sells the tickets and check the various routes / timetables and prices.
Hi Claudia
Thanks for your help in advance. I’m travelling next year in the middle of March. I want to travel by ferry….the one that only takes an hour or so. Do you know if there is a particular company that does ferries in March? This would be from Sardina to Corsica.
I actually don’t know of any but there should be one at the bus station.
Hi Claudia, your guide (and whole site) is very helpful. Do you know if there is anywhere you can store luggage near the ferry port in Santa Teresa Gallura? We are travelling from Corsica to Sardinia without a car, and want to walk around the town before we take the bus to Alghero.