Trip Report from Calvi

I am posting this report on behalf of friends who do not use a computer. They have just returned from their first trip to Corsica.

Report

We departed Gatwick after getting up at 3.30 am, rather too early for us. Next time, we will consider a connecting flight in Nice or Paris. Small plane, cramped seats but flight only 1 hour 40 so bearable. In compensation, the return flight got us home by lunchtime, which is very useful.

Collected our car at Calvi and drove to Hotel La Villa, Calvi for one week. See separate hotel review. I was too tired to look properly at the car but I did ask if we had comprehensive insurance. The car rep said yes.

After a couple of days, a bulge developed on the tyre of our car. I was concerned about getting stranded somewhere up in the mountains so I phoned our tour rep (Corsican Places). She said that the insurance did not cover tyres. I took the car back to the hire place, luckily close to the hotel, and asked them to change the tyre. First they told me there was nothing wrong with it, then they said any problem was my fault as I had already had the car a couple of days. In the end they gave me a new car. I would recommend those hiring a car to check the tyres properly before taking the car away.

We drove out every day and found the island very beautiful both inland and along the coast. Calvi was very attractive. The hotel food was very good but rather more elaborate than we wanted every day, so we sometimes went down to a wonderful beach bar right on the beach with excellent grilled fish.

We found the driving slightly trying. The locals drive like madmen and the tourists are all terrified of getting too near the edge. We saw a lot of cyclists and motor cyclists - brave people. I do not intend ever to drive round Cap Corse.

The time of year - it was the first full week of September and the weather was perfect. Although our hotel was full, the area was not too crowded.

We thought the holiday was good value overall. We found the short flight a positive feature. We have made a few comments about the hotel in our separate review.

The island is lovely and the scenery magnificent. We would certainly go again but would possibly start at La Villa for three or four days and then move on. We understand June is a good time to go.

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Very interesting report, and always good to hear what a first time visitor makes of Corsica. Note they found the driving slightly trying which is about right on the winding roads (though perhaps this is an age thing, seem to remember my husband not finding the roads too bad years ago when he was a lot younger ?) We did a recce of La Villa last year, it looked wonderful.

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Trying is a very good word for it. If it%26#39;s an age thing then that%26#39;s quite worrying because the roads have actually improved hugely over the last 20 years and all the hire cars now have power steering and A/C.

But it%26#39;s just so much hard work driving and if you want to get anywhere by a certain time, it%26#39;s a hard ask to concentrate for hours on end. I%26#39;d never dream of driving anything except the Eastern coast road for longer than 45-60 minutes at a stretch.

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I%26#39;m afraid youth = confidence and lack of fear, whereas middle age = much less confidence and more analysis of potential danger ! Memories of happily hiring scooters on Greek islands in our twenties comes to mind here, whereas now we hire the safest car we can !

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White Family, how right you are..

All of a sudden I am beginning to fear the drive around Cap Corse.

Have you done it recently?

We%26#39;ll be stationed in Calvi, so we%26#39;d have to do the drive there, around and back in the same day.

You think it%26#39;s a bit much for us %26quot;middle age folks%26quot;??

ps.. It seems that we%26#39;ll be in Calvi around the same time.

Would you be willing to meet us for a cup of coffee

(or glass of wine ?)

If so, my email: kuszitoo@yahoo.com

We are leaving for a week in Provence on Friday (22nd) and will be in Calvi from the 1st through the 8th.

Since you are an experienced Corsica visitor and this is our first time, we%26#39;d love to hear your advice.

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Hi Clariszka,

We have never driven around Cap Corse but there is plenty of advice on the Corsica forum on this, i.e. best to drive round clockwise so that you technically are on the inner lane and not on the edge of the cliff road. Irishrover also posted on 19 July that there are roadworks on one section to be avoided - look back to mayathebee%26#39;s post on 19 July and you will see irishrover%26#39;s comments.

Would be very happy to meet up for a glass of wine in Calvi, the only problem being that we arrive on the 1st October and then head off down to Bonifacio on the 2nd, returning again to Calvi on the 7th. May be difficult to find a mutually convenient time ? The purpose of our trip was to explore the south east and south west beaches (weather permitting) which have been described by one holiday company in England as being as good as the Caribbean - we know Calvi and that area pretty well but not the south so well so we will see how the beaches there compare with Barbados et al ! Hope your trip goes fine and will e-mail you with our e-mail address in case a chance to meet up arises.

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