Top Tips

1. The ultimate tip (in our opinion) is to pack as light as possible - who cares if you smell at the end, you'll enjoy the experience so much more if you're not hauling loads of weight.
2. Start as early as you can each day (we typically started between 6am and 6.30am). In our opinion the advantages of an early start are numerous: there will be less traffic on the route, you will have longer to relax and recover at the end of the day, and on many stages you will avoid being in the sun for the first major climb. You also get to witness some fantastic sunrises!
3. You don't need to take four season mountain boots. Some will need the ankle support that walking boots provide, but for the vast majority of the route, we felt secure in hiking trainers and fell shoes.
4. September is milder in temperature than July and August, and the route will be less busy. We found that the huts were not fully booked, such that we could have been flexible with accommodation by not booking and paying in advance. The downside is that September is very dry, so finding water is more of a burden.
5. Stay in the Hotel Monte D'Oro if you pass through Vizzavona. The food is superb and you'll recover well for the second half of the route.
6. Stock up on bread and other goodies whenever you pass a decent shop, particularly to make up for the terrible hut breakfasts (a related tip is to avoid wasting money on these breakfasts).
7. Avoid the Refuge de Carozzu and Refuge d'Asinau which are both terrible; the first by experience, the second by first hand account. There is an alternative to the Refuge d'Asinau, a couple of hundred metres down the path.
8. Hitching a ride is easy on Corsica, and is a valid option to get to and from the start and end of the route. We had no problems hitching to Calenzana at the start (following a no-show from a local taxi) and down from Conca to catch the bus at the end.
9. We bivvied outside the huts most nights on the mattresses provided, having paid for full accommodation. In hindsight, it might be more enjoyable (and would save money) to bivvy along the route, with a good quality bivvy bag - there are lots of good spots. The huts could then just be used to stock up, use the toilets and perhaps wash (not sure about the rules on use of facilities by non-paying hikers).
10. If you have the time to stretch the trip out a little longer and aren't on too much of a mission, it might be sensible to take a day off mid-route and go visit Corte. A rest day would reduce the chance of injury.