Now what?
July 15, 2012 11:46 PM   Subscribe

HoneymoonFilter: in a couple of weeks, we're flying into Olbia, Sardinia where a rental car is waiting for us and flying out of Ajaccio, Corsica ten days later. I haven't booked or planned anything in between. Any itinerary suggestions or tips on what we shouldn't miss? Thanks.
posted by halogen to Travel & Transportation around Italy (3 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
In Corsica, do not miss Bonifacio. You'll hardly miss it anyway, because that's probably where the ferry boat will leave you, but it's a seriously beautiful town. Also, very nice, very secluded coves and small beaches a couple of kilometres East from Bonifacio.
My advice: after landing in Bonifacio, take your time to discover the town, possibly spending a night there. The harbour is a favourite spot of the extremely well-heeled (we once ran into Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and Suri there), but the old town and fortress are much more interesting. Try to get a B&B there. To travel from Bonifacio to Ajaccio, rather than taking the straight route along the West coast, do spend some time visiting the East coast beaches and islets (sea kayaking is a good option) up to Porto Vecchio, then cross the island visiting the small villages of the interior (please note that you'll get a definite Corleone vibe there).

Important warning though: travelling to either Corsica or Sardinia in August without advance bookings is tempting fate. Most of the populations of Italy and France leave for the beach during that month, so everything, and I do mean everything, tends to be booked solid. This is even more true this summer, which has so far been rotten in most of France. I'd start looking where to stay NOW.

Another point: have you checked how much it will cost you to leave the car in Ajaccio after having picked it up in Olbia? Car rental companies tend to bill extortionate surcharges for cross-border rentals...
posted by Skeptic at 1:04 AM on July 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


Corsica is one of my absolute favorite places, I go hiking there regularly in May.
August will probably be very hot, but I would recommend to check out some day-trip hikes in the north if you don't want to take one of the longer hiking trails like the mare-e-monti or GR20...:

http://corsica.forhikers.com/hikes
posted by ts;dr at 3:46 AM on July 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


Yes, little secluded beaches, for example Valle dell'Erica near Santa Teresa or hippie-infested Valle della Luna. You can find the mural-covered village of Orgosolo near Nuevo about halfway south in the interior, where road signs have bullet holes. When we got there my friend nervously changed into a Sardinia flag t-shirt "to avoid being mistaken for an Italian." I think he was joking or he wanted to illustrate the tensions between the coastal region, which is basically Italy's holiday resort, and the underdeveloped interior.
posted by yoHighness at 8:24 AM on July 16, 2012


« Older My life is at a standstill   |   Ring my bell Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.