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Voykit pocket guide · France
Ajaccio
Aiacciu
Base here 2 nights for the old town, Napoleon sites and the market; add a third only if you want the Filitosa or Bocognano day trip.
Ajaccio is Corsica's capital and its main arrival port, a compact harbour town where the Genoese old town, the Bonaparte family house and the morning market sit within a 15-minute walk of each other. Most travellers use it as a first or last stop on a Corsica road trip rather than a destination in itself. Two nights covers the city; a third buys you a day trip into the mountains or to the prehistoric stones at Filitosa.
- Country
- France
- Local name
- Aiacciu
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–early Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat, crowds, cruise-ship days), Nov–Mar (many places shut)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €70–110 excl. bed · Mid €120–190 excl. bed · High €200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a bar | €1.50–3 |
| Lunch menu (plat du jour) | €15–22 |
| Four-course set menu at a traditional restaurant | about €33 |
| Glass of Ajaccio AOC wine | €5–8 |
| City bus ticket | €1.10–4.50 |
| Museum entry (Musée Fesch) | about €10 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AJA · Ajaccio Napoléon Bonaparte Airport
- About 8 km (5 mi) east of the centre; bus 8 to the centre, or a taxi in roughly 20 minAbout 5 mi (8 km) east of the centre; bus 8 to the centre, or a taxi in roughly 20 min
Typical fares
- Airport → centre, bus 8
- about €4.50, roughly 20 min
- Airport → centre, taxi
- €25–30
- Train Ajaccio → Bastia
- about €22, 3.5 h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable but hilly, with cobbles and stepped lanes. City buses run along Cours Napoléon and Boulevard Albert 1er and connect the station, port and beaches; buy tickets on board. A car helps for the Sanguinaires beaches and day trips, but parking in the centre is tight in summer. Trains and intercity buses leave from the station and the quay next to the ferry terminal.
See and do
Known for
- Maison Bonaparte (Napoleon's birthplace)
- Genoese citadel and old town
- Musée Fesch
- Ajaccio AOC wine and the morning market
- Filitosa standing stones
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Filitosa | Car or booked tour via the T40, about 20 km (12 mi) southCar or booked tour via the T40, about 12 mi (20 km) south | About 1 h each way |
| Bocognano | Train from Gare d'Ajaccio, under an hour through the mountains | About 1 h |
| Corte | Train or bus inland via the mountains | 2–3 h |
| Bonifacio | Car or bus south along the west coast | 2.5–3 h |
Sleep
- Old town / Citadel
- Cobbled lanes, cathedral and Maison Bonaparte on foot; some streets are steps, so check luggage access before booking.
- Cours Napoléon and Place de Gaulle
- Main shopping street and bus lines; 5–10 min walk to the port and market.
- Port and Quai L'Herminier
- Ferry and bus station, market, restaurants; convenient for a one-night arrival or departure.
- Route des Sanguinaires (west coast)
- Beaches and sea views 15–20 min by bus or car; you need transport for everything else.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-SYON seel voo PLEH |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-LET |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- July and August bring heat, cruise-ship crowds and full car parks; book beds and ferries ahead.
- Some old-town lanes are stairs, not streets, and pavements are uneven: not reliably step-free.
- Filitosa and the mountain villages are awkward without a car or a booked tour.
- Many restaurants and hotels close outside the April–October season; check before booking a winter trip.
Ajaccio is a safe small city; the real risks are summer heat, uneven stepped lanes, and pickpockets around the market and port on cruise-ship days. Swim only at lifeguarded beaches and mind the afternoon sun.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ajaccio yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Maison Bonaparte (Napoleon's birthplace)
- Genoese citadel and old town
- Musée Fesch
- Ajaccio AOC wine and the morning market
- Filitosa standing stones
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ajaccio tourist office: www.ajaccio-tourisme.com/
- Ville d'Ajaccio — monuments: www.ajaccio.fr/Monuments-et-architectures_a11.html
- Musée Fesch: www.musee-fesch.com/
- Chemins de Fer de Corse (trains): cf-corse.corsica/
- Corsica Ferries: www.corsica-ferries.co.uk/
- Wikivoyage: Ajaccio, revision 5323802 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5323802
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
AjaccioAiacciu
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No US or UK embassy here; consulates in Marseille and Paris. Greece, Portugal and Switzerland keep consulates in Ajaccio (check addresses and hours).
Tipping: service is included by law; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ajaccio). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.