'Away From It All - Lazy Weekend In Corsica'

A place I have had on the cards for some years, Eurostar from Ashford to
Lille then TGV made even more of an attraction - say what you want about the
French but Maidstone to Marseille by train in 9 hours is pretty good going! 
Ferry crossing was one of the best I have ever done. Due to the infrequency 
of trains, I had the whole morning in Ajaccio, the whole system is metre 
gauge, all units but none the less amazing scenery especially in the centre 
of the island. The tourist season hadn't really began, most hotels in Calvi 
were still closed for the winter, but I had no problem in getting a room on 
arrival. After lazy evening and the next morning, I headed on to Bastia (with
a stop at Casamozza to view the depot/works - not much to see) a quick visit 
around the depot at Bastia before getting the ferry back to Nice. After some 
difficulty in finding my way back from the ferry to the station in Nice, 
spent the morning along the line between Nice and Marseille to get a few 
before the TGV back to Lille. After a meal and bit of shopping in the 
Euralille Complex, it was time to return home after an enjoyable, if lazy 
weekend.

Friday 29 March 1996

Maidstone East		 --	0616	   EMU		0616	Maidstone East - Margate
Ashford International	0645	0753	3201/2	 9110	0653	London Waterloo - Bruxelles-Midi
Lille-Europe		0957	1029	  4515	 9532	0905	Bruxelles-Midi - Nice-Ville
Marseille-St-Charles	1616	 --
Marseille Port		 --	2000	mv 'Danielle Casanova'
							2000	Marseille - Ajaccio

Saturday 30 March 1996

Ajaccio Port		0730	 --
Ajaccio	 		--	1450   X97055	    6	1450	Ajaccio - Bastia
Ponte-Leccia		1718	1728	X2005	   17	1615	Bastia - Calvi
Calvi			1918	 --

Sunday 31 March 1996

Calvi	 		--	1415	X2003	   16	1415	Calvi - Bastia
Casamozza		1641	1800   X97052	    6	1450	Ajaccio - Bastia
Bastia			1830	 --
Bastia Port		 --	2000	mv 'Ile de Beauté'
							2000	Bastia - Nice

Monday 1 April 1996

Nice Port		0730	 --
Nice-Ville		 --	0824	25631	56994	0744	Ventimiglia - Cannes-la-Bocca
Antibes			0849	0915	22273 	 5682	0900	Nice-Ville - St-Gervais-les-Bains
Cannes			0926	1003	25646	56914	0819	Ventimiglia - St-Raphäel-Valescure
St-Raphäel-Valescure	1038	1122	22254	  164	1031	Nice-Ville - Bordeaux-St-Jean
Marseille-St-Charles	1250	1310	 4507	  576	1310	Marseille-St-Charles - Lille-Europe
Lille-Europe		1848	2109   3211/2	 9059	2007	Paris-Nord - London Waterloo
Ashford International	2112	2210	  EMU		2210	Ashford International- London Victoria
Maidstone East		2239	 --   		 

Hotel: Hotel Belvedere, Place Christphe-Columb, 20260 Calvi. Single use of 
double room with WC/Shower/TV 200FF + Breakfast 30FF. Directions, turn right 
out of station, along main shopping street, hotel is on left opposite 
fortress. Approx. 5 mins.

Ferry: Booked through Southern Ferries, 179 Piccadilly, London, 0171-491 4968.
£131.20 return fare including single cabins & tax.

Written by: Phil Richards 
CSi ID:     101471,731
Report originally written in April 1996 for "European Report". Updated and 
uploaded to CompuServe on 6 April 1997.