Car Rental Bastia

With its waterside towns and idyllic interior, most visitors to the compact island of Corsica venture out by car. It allows you to be more spontaneous with a number of day trips of your own. Take the T10 from Bastia, which hugs the east coast, and you’ll enjoy stunning views across the Mediterranean with the chance to spot Italy on a clear day.

Keep on this road heading south out of the town and you’ll reach Bonifacio, the oldest town on Corsica, where you can also island hop with a ferry across to Italy’s Sardinia. Along the way you might stop at Porto-Vecchio, a stylish resort with sandy beaches and crystal clear waters.

Follow the T20 through the stunning and mountainous inland and you’ll soon reach Ajaccio, the sublime capital of Corsica and birthplace of Napoleon.

As a thriving port town, Bastia also has excellent ferry connections to Nice and Marseilles on the mainland, and Livorno on the west coast of Italy. It’s served by four airports, including Bastia, also known as Bastia-Poretta International Airport, where you’ll find one of our pick-up locations. Located just under 20km from the town center, it’s a direct and easy drive along the T11.

On-street pay and display spaces makes parking in the town center easy, while there’re also a number of well-positioned underground parking lots too. Off-street parking is available at Place Saint Nicholas in the port, close to the train station and by the citadel and Bastia Museum area.

Most cars in France are manual drive (stick shift), however we do also offer automatic options at our pick-ups for your comfort and convenience. The French equivalent of a freeway is an ‘autoroute’, which will have a speed limit of 130 km/h (80mph). In towns, the speed drops to 50 km/h (30mph). Seatbelts must be worn by all, and mobile phone use while driving is not allowed.

Capital of the Bagnaja region of Corsica, Bastia is a thriving port town and the most popular place to arrive on the island by boat. Spend some time in town and uncover a center free from crowds. Then drive out to a quiet coastline begging to be discovered – your vacation or business trip to Bastia is exactly what you want it to be.

Step back in time

The two towers of Cathedral Eglise St-Jean preside over the picture-perfect Vieux Port. Its boat-filled marina is surrounded by pastel-hued tenement buildings dating back to the 18th century. Grab a bite of lunch at one of the buzzing brasseries on the harbor front and watch the world go by. Ascend the stately staircase up to the peaceful Jardine Romieu, a garden at the base of the Citadel walls with views across the water.

Terra Vecchia, or the old quarter, is a spider web of narrow streets. Explore the cool interiors of Baroque churches with barrel vaulted chambers. Meander between lofty dwellings, once the homes of merchants and noblemen, now packed with lively cafés and boutique stores. Set against hills speckled yellow with fragrant flowering maquis shrubs, this is Bastia’s heart and soul.

Sip a coffee at Place Saint Nicholas. Open to the sea, lined with shady trees and dotted with pavement cafés, there’s nowhere better to take in the day-to-day buzz of the town.

Time to feast

For unforgettable ice-cream, head to Raugi, serving scoops since 1937. Flavors range from refreshing raspberry and lemon to local specialties such as Corsican chestnut and fig. For a true taste of the island try the senteur de maquis, the ubiquitous and fragrant yellow gorse that covers the hills. Indulge in the verrines glacées (ice-cream desserts) and take a seat under an umbrella at one of the al fresco tables. Grab a cone and take your ice-cream for a walk along the sunny harbor or winding streets of the Terra Vecchia.

Tuck in to freshly-caught seafood at Col Tempo. Specialties like lime-marinated crab pâté, and delicate seafood risotto come with a side-helping of beautiful sunset views over the rippling water of the Vieux Port.

Hidden down a narrow street behind the harbor, A Scudella is the perfect place to try Corsican mountain fare. Sample appetizers of local, farm-fresh cheese and rich stews for mains. Top off the evening with a sticky chestnut flan.

A Corsican adventure

Bastia is perfectly located to explore the lesser-known east coast of Corsica. From here you can discover serene woodland walks, mountain cuisine and quiet, sweeping beaches.

South of the town is the Castagniccia region, unchanged for over a hundred years. Chestnut trees planted in the middle ages cover the hills of this region like a deep green blanket. Explore walking trails between woodland villages and refuel in cozy taverns. Stop in Piedicroce, a hilltop village almost invisible in the trees. The only sign from the road is the grey church spire jutting above the forest like a signpost. At the nearby ruins of the Orezza convent, old stone arches and cloisters have been reclaimed by nature.

Slicing through the land between the mountains and sea, the Costa Verde boasts sweeps of golden sand. Lap up laid-back beach resort vibes at Moriani Plage, where a handful of boutique hotels face the clear shallows of the turquoise sea.

Bastia is a vibrant coastal town bathed in sunshine. With Bastia car rental you can unearth this hidden gem, the surrounding secluded beaches and woodland villages for a vacation to remember.