Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Going to Corsica, one week or two?

25 replies

mm22bys · 28/06/2007 18:39

Hi, we are going to Corsica in September and will be staying at a beach near Porto-Vecchio.

There'll be four of us, DH and me, and DS3 and DS0.7.

Would you recommend going for one week or two?

Thx

OP posts:
aDad · 28/06/2007 18:47

It is flippin lovely round there, and september is a lovely time of year to go.

Just got back from one week there with children around the same age as yours.

1 or 2 weeks is up to you obviously, but 1 week was enough for us this year, particularly for our 8 month old who is starting to want to move about a lot, and staying in a villa with a stone floor was not ideal for her. Eating the beach was another favourite activity for her

lapsedrunner · 29/06/2007 13:04

Was about to say 2 weeks until I reread your post and realised your DS2 will only be 7 months...(not 7) perhaps 1 week would be enough?

Marina · 29/06/2007 13:08

How settled is ds2? I'd go for two weeks if he is an easygoing baby. Heck, I'd go and live there

I bet you'll be wanting to stay on if you do only do a week...it's possibly your last chance to do Corsica out of high season and therefore affordable
Have a lovely time whatever you decide

Bink · 29/06/2007 13:24

Good question.
Sort of depends exactly where you are, what the facilities are, etc. etc. We did a Corsica beach holiday a few years ago (in high season though) and found the whole coast very crowded (campsites lining the coast road) with all eating places rather uninspiring & touristy - & I'd say the second week was too much.

In September it might all be far nicer - and if you can get inland it's a totally different place.

aDad · 29/06/2007 13:28

which coast was that bink?

Have never been in high season but have never seen it remotely busy.

Marina · 29/06/2007 13:32

aDad, it is one of those places that is packed to the rafters with French, German etc holidaymakers in July and August. The season there is very short but frenzied while it lasts.
We were there in June pre-kids (honeymoon, sigh) and were boggled enough at its emptiness to discuss the lack of crowds with a local. She put us right.

aDad · 29/06/2007 13:36

i just wondered if it was all over the island - I'm thinking maybe it was the North which is easier to access from mainland Europe?

Pretty soon we're going to be school holiday only travellers, so want an idea where to avoid!

September in Porto Vecchio is going to be great though mm22bys - and fab places to eat at the back of all the beaches usually. I'm guessing you will have a car in which case there are endless choices of great beaches with clear, shallow child-friendly water.

noddyholder · 29/06/2007 13:37

I am going in august can't wait!

aDad · 29/06/2007 13:38

sorry marina, thought you were bink replying!

Marina · 29/06/2007 13:39

There were a lot of empty campsites along the Desert des Agriates road from Calvi-St Florent.
I think the east coast around Aleria is worth avoiding too (mosquitoes)
tbh I think any of the big resort areas are going to be busy
Not being able to go in June is a big factor in us not having returned

aDad · 29/06/2007 13:42

Been for 3rd year running of blissful off-season holidaying.

aDad · 29/06/2007 13:43

Noddy - I'm sure you will love it, fear not!

Bink · 29/06/2007 13:46

we were nearish Propriano - Gulf of Valinco - so southwest. I am quite sure Marina is right about the short, intense season - the crowds were all of the leathery sun-seeking-missile type (seen through its camping fortnight by just one bikini).

noddyholder · 29/06/2007 13:57

I am not bothered about how busy it is

Original poster
mm22bys · 29/06/2007 20:11

Thanks for all your responses.

We do have two weeks booked but were thinking about reducing it to one because of DH's work...he's decided though he doesn't want to change his plans just because of work (fair enough too I say...)

It does look beautiful, and I think the pp who says we'll want to stay two weeks if we decide to only stay one is probably about right!

Really looking forward to it now guys, thanks a lot!

(Are mozzies a problem round the south-east? We went to Tingaki in Kos last September and the mosquitoes were DREADFUL and it honestly had a big negative impact on our holiday...)

Thx,

OP posts:
Bink · 29/06/2007 20:42

I don't remember the mozzies being monstrous (unlike Corfu in September, when they're the size of crows) - but we did take plug-in liquid things for night-time, and slathered the children every morning in Jungle Juice as well as suncream.

So maybe we were well defended - but like that, it was fine.

Marina · 02/07/2007 08:54

By the coast - no probs with mosquitoes
Up in the mountains...crows, bink? More like buzzards, eek. But the plug-in diffusers you get in France were effective and they weren't too bad.
Am deeply of all enjoying Corsica this summer. It is such a fabulous holiday destination. Try and get a trip inland if you can, the scenery is magnificent.

aDad · 02/07/2007 08:59

There were one or two mosquitoes but it wasn't too serious an issue. If you take some basic precautions it should be fine.

jenkel · 02/07/2007 09:13

Hijacking this thread a little.

We are going to Calvi for 1 week in August, are we mad?

Anyway, we have a 3 and 4 year old, any tips on good beaches, must do things etc.

Thanks

DominiConnor · 02/07/2007 09:22

There is a tortoise sanctuary, which DCS (then 2 and 5) loved a lot.

Marina · 02/07/2007 10:08

No, it will still be wonderful jenkel, just busier
We went some years ago without children but things you might enjoy are
Snorkelling off the rocky "beach" beneath the Citadelle
One swanky overpriced luncheon in one of the portside restaurants (we enjoyed L'Abri Cotier)
Dinner by torchlight in the atmospheric and hopefully still going U San Carlu (there were plenty of children there in the evening)
The little open tramway "U trinichellu" up the coast to l'Ile Rousse (there used to be a rather mad aquarium there, but the train ride is just terrific anyway)

Marina · 02/07/2007 10:10

And the whole of the strand stretching NE from Calvi is wide, sandy - some of it managed and payant, some of it wild and natural
And depending on how energetic your little ones are, a stroll out on to the Revellata peninsula (heathery tufty maquis, but a bit exposed in August perhaps)
Oh and of course, a boat trip out from Calvi to look at the amazing offshore rock formations!

viticella · 02/07/2007 16:40

I was just thinking about going back to Corsica, we last went two years ago, pre-kids. It seems a bit expensive but it was so lovely I really want to go back.

Glad to hear that other people are up for going with children. We were near Ile Rousse/Calvi before and it was fantastic.

Hope you have a lovely time , OP.

Original poster
mm22bys · 03/07/2007 21:20

Great, thanks!

I have done much research yet TBH, but this thread has made want to go TOMORROW!

OP posts:
Original poster
mm22bys · 03/07/2007 21:20

NOT much research yet....

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page