The month matters more than anything else
In our readings of 1 July 2026, taken daily, the calendar is the single biggest price factor — but how much it weighs depends on the route. For a foot passenger in a reclining seat on Marseille–Ajaccio, the ticket averages around €35.82 in January and climbs to an average of €83.77 in July. Marseille–Bastia follows the same slope: €55.37 in January against €106.09 in July. Toulon–Ajaccio stays far flatter: €36.18 on average in October, its cheapest month, against €47.92 in August, its most expensive.
On the Marseille routes, the real gap therefore sits between midwinter and the summer peak — several months separate the January trough from the July summit, not a few weeks. On Toulon–Ajaccio, the swing stays contained whatever the season.
Two adults, two children and a car with a cabin on Marseille–Bastia start at €239.47 in January and at €357.47 in July, with the July average rising to €591.80. Our data covers January and then June to December on Marseille–Ajaccio and Marseille–Bastia; February to May are not recorded there. Toulon–Ajaccio adds January, February and March, but April and May are missing there too.
The day of the week: a quieter lever
The day counts, though it never rivals the month. On Marseille–Ajaccio, Tuesday comes out cheapest on average for a foot passenger (€47.44) against €54.92 on Friday. Marseille–Bastia hits its low on Thursday (€65.34 on average) and its high on Sunday (€78.98). Toulon–Ajaccio is nearly flat: €39.19 on average on Friday, €41.97 on Monday. On that route, picking your day moves the average by less than €3.
The departure port changes the deal for the same island
To reach Ajaccio, Toulon is the cheapest starting point: from €28.00 for a foot passenger with Corsica Ferries, €40.23 on average. Nice comes next, from €33.00 with Corsica Ferries, then Marseille, from €34.02 with La Méridionale (€50.64 on average). Sète brings up the rear, from €36.00 with Corsica Ferries.
For Bastia, the port gap is even sharper: Savone starts at €28.90 with Corsica Ferries and Livourne at €29.30, while Marseille with Corsica Linea never drops below €54.37. Genoa, served by Moby Lines, shows up at €50.75 (€59.69 on average). The cheapest port of departure for Bastia is therefore not on the French mainland but in Italy.
The company matters, even on the very same ship
Marseille–Ajaccio is the only one of the three routes served by two companies, La Méridionale and Corsica Linea, and they operate the same vessel, the Pascal Paoli. For a foot passenger in a reclining seat, La Méridionale posts a €34.02 minimum and a €45.88 average, and takes the 176 cheapest dates; Corsica Linea starts at €48.78 with an €82.90 average across 26 dates. On this exact profile, the gap between the two companies for the same crossing has reached €66.86.
The gap stretches further on heavier configurations. Still on that shared ship, the fare difference between the two companies climbs to €237.13 depending on the date and the formula chosen. Toulon–Ajaccio (Corsica Ferries only) and Marseille–Bastia (Corsica Linea only) offer no such comparison game.
The lowest foot-passenger ticket across our three routes remains Toulon–Ajaccio at €28.00 on 21 August 2026 with Corsica Ferries; on Marseille–Ajaccio, the recorded floor is €34.02 on 23 August 2026 with La Méridionale.