Route · Mediterranean · Corsica Linea
The short way into the Balagne: Corsica Linea usually leaves Marseille at 18:45 and ties up in Île-Rousse the next morning, right beside the town. It is a five-minute walk from the quay to Place Paoli and half an hour by car to Calvi. Arriving here saves the mountain drive from Bastia or Ajaccio if north-western Corsica is your destination.
Corsica Linea serves Île-Rousse all year round, but not daily. Across 21 days in August and September 2026 our archive recorded a sailing on 12 of them: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 18:45 as an overnight crossing, Sunday at 09:00 as a daytime crossing. The dates below come live from the timetable.
| Departure | Arrival | Duration | Operator | Ship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:45 | 07:30 (+1) | 765 min | Corsica Linea | Capu Di Muru |
South-east from Marseille across the western Mediterranean, then along the north-west coast of Corsica into the Gulf of Calvi. Île-Rousse sits behind the Pietra peninsula with its lighthouse – for the last half hour the ship runs in sight of the Balagne.
The calculator adds a vehicle supplement to the current passenger fare. The supplements are derived from published fares for the Corsica routes out of Marseille (as of August 2026) and are a guide only – the price shown at booking is the binding one.
How the total price adds up
A small port inside the town – and the Balagne starts right behind the harbour gate.
Corsica Linea is the only operator sailing here from Marseille. The vessel varies: our archive recorded the Monte Express and the Capu Di Muru, while the company lists the Monte d’Oro as the ship dedicated to this line. All are freight and passenger vessels – quieter than the large Ajaccio ferries, with a limited number of cabins. Since January 2026 a climate levy of €5 per person and €8 per vehicle applies to each crossing.
Île-Rousse is the port for the Balagne. Calvi is 30 minutes away on the T30; Algajola, Sant’Antonino and Pigna are closer still. From Bastia the same corner of the island is a good hour and a half over mountain roads, from Ajaccio roughly two hours. The trade-off for arriving on your doorstep is three or four sailings a week instead of a daily service.
The standard 18:45 departure is an overnight sailing arriving between 07:00 and 07:30, which keeps the holiday day free. On Sundays the ship leaves at 09:00 and berths in the evening, around 19:30 to 20:00. The daytime crossing saves the cabin fare and shows the approach to the Balagne in daylight, but it costs a full day.
What matters on a route that does not sail every day.
Sailings back from Île-Rousse fall on different days: in our archive Tuesday and Thursday at 18:00, Saturday at 18:00 or 18:30 and Sunday not until 21:30. Leaving the return open can cost two days or a drive to Bastia.
The ships on this line carry far fewer cabins than the large Ajaccio ferries, and the cheaper categories go first on summer sailings. Without one it is twelve hours in a reclining seat.
Corsica Linea asks foot passengers to arrive about 90 minutes before departure and vehicles 120 minutes. Access to the northern terminals in Marseille is busy on summer evenings – allow another half hour.
Marseille has a TGV station a short taxi ride from the terminals and an airport with connections across Europe. If you drive, the A7 and then the A55 lead straight to the port. With only three or four sailings a week, a missed departure quickly costs two days.
Into the Balagne with your own vehicle
The Balagne is about the roads between the coast and the hill villages: Algajola, Sant’Antonino, Pigna, the beaches towards Lozari and the Désert des Agriates. Public transport only covers part of that – over two or three weeks your own vehicle is usually cheaper than a hire car in peak season.
Location, getting there and other connections from both ports.
The overnight crossing takes about 12 hours. Across 21 days in August and September 2026 our archive recorded crossing times between 10 hrs 30 and 14 hrs – the Sunday daytime sailing is the fastest, the midweek return sailings the longest.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 18:45, arriving between 07:00 and 07:30. On Sundays the ship leaves at 09:00 and arrives in the evening. There is no daily service.
Corsica Linea, the only operator from Marseille. Our archive recorded the Monte Express and the Capu Di Muru; the company lists the Monte d’Oro for this line.
Our archive holds only four fares so far, between €57 and €101 per person without a vehicle – too few for a reliable range. Current prices appear in the timetable above; vehicle, cabin and the climate levy come on top.
No. Our archive recorded a departure from Marseille on 12 of 21 consecutive days, so three to four per week. The schedule changes with the season, so check both legs against the live search.
Île-Rousse for the Balagne: Calvi, Algajola, Sant’Antonino, Lozari. Bastia for the east coast, Cap Corse and as a base with many more sailings. The two ports are a good hour apart on the T30.
In town, yes: the station, the beach and the centre are minutes from the quay, and the U Trinichellu train runs to Calvi several times a day in about 40 minutes. For the hill villages of the Balagne and the remoter bays you need a vehicle.
Compare every Corsica Linea sailing between Marseille and Île-Rousse – booking goes directly to the operator, with no surcharge.
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