How can we get from Bonifacio to Calvi/Calenzana to start GR20 29th July??? Please

Try:

http://www.corsicabus.org/

but do call. Published timetables are often wrong or for the wrong period. I believe there are several options:

o Bus from Bonafacio/Porto Vecchio to Bastia and train Bastia to Calvi (can get train at Casamozza rather than go all the way into Bastia but still have to wait for train so could go shopping, etc if went to Bastia);

o Bus from Bonafacio/Porto Vecchio/Conca (from the gite there) to Ajaccio and then train to Calvi (probably longer).

Both will require a taxi from Calvi to the start at Calenzana.

Why not do the walk South to North (it's increasingly popular)?

Does no ferry go to Calvi or Bastia?

Hope this helps.

Sunday is a bad day for transport - generally no buses but the trains do run (usually - best call to check or be prepared to change plans as someone told me recently they did not run one Sunday and the posted schedules may be out of date!).

I've done Bastia airport to Bastia (via bus) to Vizavonna (via train) on a Sunday before with no problems (but took quite some time). The station at Casamozza is closer to Bastia airport than Bastia but I felt more secure getting the train in Bastia plus I had time for some gas, etc shopping (there was a small shop open between the station and the sea).

I'm pretty certain the Calenzana shown on the train timetable is not the same Calenzana from where the GR20 starts. Best to go to Calvi by train and then taxi. I went by taxi from Calvi airport to Calenzana three weeks ago and it cost just under euro 40 (with tip). You have to head slightly in towards Calvi to get to Calenzana from the airport so it should not cost too much more. Taxi's are expensive but they do get the job done.

The train journey from Bastia to Calvi is quite long as the train goes inland first so people can connect to the Ajaccio train. Make sure you're on the right train at this point (I think you stay on your train but best to check).

Are you planning on walking to the first refuge on Sunday? If not, it's still a good idea to be in Calenzana first thing Monday to get an early start and avoid the heat. I flew into Calvi on Sunday and started walking at about 14:00. It was hot and hard (quite an ascent for newbies) and I nearly passed out once!

I could have made it to the fiurst hut OK (travelling light) but I got lost as the trail splits after a few hours and the waymarking is poor at this point (lots of vegetation this year). I ended up at a disused hunters ruins (you can see it all on a map) where I met some other Brits who had done the same. We camped there the night and then walked a little way to rejoin the GR20 and got back on track. Guess that means I have to go back next year and do it all again!

Good luck!

Or you could shout very loudly at the airport bus stop or wherever and see if you could get a group together to share a taxi direct to Calenzana at a reasonable rate. That would be the dream scenario.

Andrea

Please no, not 25Kgs! That's easily twice what I carry and I camp! 80 litres? I would not trust myself not to fill it up, hence I bought a 30 litre last time! It's tight but can work (I was travelling with my wife but took most of the shared items).

Yes, there are regular places to get a good meal and stock up on food in addition to the refuges. For example:

o Haut Asco
o Col de Vergio
o Vizzavona
o Col de Verde
o Capanelle
o Col de Bavella
o ..........

So no, I would absolutely not carry all the food for 15 days, but just enough for some breakfasts, lunches and dinners for say two to three days at a time max. Breakfasts from the refuges are not a good idea as they are basic and too late in the morning. Dinners can be good (either cooked by them or some cans of food from their shop). Lunches you'll probably need unless you arrive at a refuge at lunch time and they are open (too risky). Buying food from the refuges will not be cheap but is so worth the weight saving.

The topo guides are good and probably sufficient (the last set I saw had basic maps too). Alas, my French was not good enough so I went with maps (sorry can't remember the scale but needed 3 or 4 for the whole route - anything of a higher scale will probably be the same as the topo guide ones). The Loney Planet section is good - I nearly cut it out/photocopied it as a narrative goes well with the maps (e.g. tells you where the water sources are as not all are marked "source" on the detailed maps). I don't think not having maps is a big deal, although does add a bit more security (e.g. if you take a wrong turning (like I did), bad weather requiring you to make an exit to a village, etc).

I don't see a need for a compass (I stopped taking mine after my first trip). Take a small one though if it makes you feel better. Route finding is easy with the waymarks and the usually valid rule that the right way is usually the hardest!

I assume there are no ferries to Calvi. The taxi fares for long journeys are fixed. I would check to see if that would be better given you're such a large group. My wife once booked one in advance at the airport (the guy was there with a sign for her and everything - very luxurious!). Maybe you could get a people carrier. For example, euro 50 per person for six is euro 300 which would get you a long way (Bastia to Corte once cost us a lot less than that).

Calenzana looked like a nice place to hang out on Sunday afternoon.

Very good English to me. I didn't know you were Italian until you started talking about food - nice to see that - very important! I saw one Italian group once carry a portable expresso machine - now that's style and I would expect little less (although don't know if they managed to finish given all the other stuff they had)!

All the best.

so, we made it in 12 days (calenzana - conca)!!!!!
i'm very happy and glad!
we have done 6 taps in 3days!!

our backpacks was exagerate....with water the weight was about 25 kg!

i really want to suggest to everyone who wants to do the gr20 to read benall's tips!
go light!!

we made it but our first days were hell!! (then we start to eat everything :D :D )

if someone needs help of infos, my mail is beach82@tiscalinet.it

p.s. sono italiano

p.p.s. i would like to say hello to the people who walked on gr 20 with me and my friends....first of all jonas and his girlfriend alexandra, the other german couple (the one i gave the train timtable), france couple (they made it in 12 days like us!), and everyone who shared with us this beautiful experience!!!