The state-owned SNCM Ferryterranée dominates ferry services to Corsica from the mainland ports of Marseille, Toulon and Nice, although a second, Italian firm, Corsica Ferries, also offers crossings from Nice. The trip takes between six hours (Nice-Bastia) and twelve hours (Marseille-Porto-Vecchio) on a regular ferry, and from two and three-quarter hours (Nice-Calvi) to four hours (Nice-Ajaccio) on a hydrofoil (NGV). The cost of tickets varies according to the season, with the lowest between October and May; during July and August fares to some ports triple. On average, a one-way crossing will set you back between 210F/¬31.92 and 300F/¬45.60 per person (depending on when you travel), plus 160F/¬24.32 to 610F/¬92.72 per small car.

From Marseille a maximum of four ferries a week run to Ajaccio and Bastia, with one weekly service to L'Île Rousse and Propriano. There are up to four ferries a week from Toulon to Ajaccio, Bastia and Propriano, and more frequent services sail from Nice to Ajaccio (up to six weekly) and Bastia (up to 24 weekly). Up to five ferries a week run from Nice to Calvi or L'Île Rousse - with a faster service to Bastia (except Wednesday) and Calvi (except Saturday). .

You can book through SNCM Ferryterranée in France at 61 bd des Dames, 13002 Marseille (tel 08.36.67.95.00); at the gare maritime , quai du Commerce, 06303 Nice (tel 04.93.13.66.66); 21 and 49 av de l'Infanterie de Marine, 83000 Toulon (tel 04.94.16.66.66); and online at www.sncm.fr . To reserve tickets for Corsica Ferries' superfast navette , contact them in Nice at the Port de Commerce (tel 04.92.00.43.76), or via the Internet at www.corsicaferries.com . Note that advance reservation is essential for all ferry journeys in July and August, for which berths and car space can be completely booked up by early February.

Direct flights to Corsica depart from most major French cities, including Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Marseille, Toulon and Nice. Fares on holiday season charters tend to be cheaper than on scheduled flights, but even the latter can still work out good value when you consider the time and expense involved in travelling over land and sea from the mainland. The largest operator is Air France Europe (tel 08.02.80.28.02, www.airfrance.fr ), whose 14-day advance fares from Paris start at 1200F/¬182 return; their published fare, fixed throughout the year, is around 2000F/¬304. The British Airways subsiduary, Air Liberté (tel 08.03.80.58.05, www .air-liberte.fr ), offers equally competitive fares from a range of major cities to the island's southernmost airport, Figari, near Bonifacio. Two companies fly direct from Nice and Marseille: Corse Méditerranée (tel 04.91.24.32.51), which offers unbeatable fares starting at 750F/¬114, and the marginally pricier Air France subsiduary, Kyrnair (tel 08.02.80.28.02). For information on charter deals, call at any Ollandini travel agent in France (there's one in the high street of nearly every major town and city), or visit the Web site of Nouvelles Frontières ( www.nouvelles-frontieres.fr ), which quotes fares on charters throughout the year.