How To Get From Athens To Corfu
If you are looking on how to get from Athens to Corfu island in Greece…look no further!
So…I am pretty sure you are lost and don’t know how to get from Athens to Corfu island in Greece, right?
To make it easy for you I have written this guide to help you out.
REAL QUICK:
- You have 2 options to get from Athens to Corfu: By Ferry or By Plane
- Best Way To get From Athens to Corfu: By Plane (about 1 hour)
- Good to Know for tickets to Corfu: Corfu in greek is called “Kerkira” (or “Κέρκυρα”)
- Best Website to check ferry prices and Timetables: Let’s Ferry
- Athens to Corfu Ferry : There is no connection between Athens and Corfu by ferry! If you want to get to Corfu by ferry you will have to get/travel to Patra first. Then grab the Patra to Corfu ferry.
- Patra to Corfu Ferry : The journey between Corfu and Patra takes between 6 h 15min and 7 h 30 min, depending on the ferry and company.
- Best Way to go from Athens Airport to Patra : If you wish to travel by bus to Patras from Athens International Airport, you have to take two separate bus services. First, is the urban bus X93 (X93 Bus Route), which departs outside the Arrivals Area in the airport (Gates 4-5) and takes 9 stops to get to Kifisos Central Bus Station (in Athens), which is also called KTEL Kifisou. This is the last stop of the X93 route. The bus route Χ93 runs 24/7 and each bus departs every 25 to 30 minutes. The route from and to Athens Airport lasts 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on traffic. The ticket price is 5 € for adults and 2,5 € for students, seniors, etc. Next, from the Kifisos bus station, there is a suburban bus run by KTEL Achaia, that travels to Patras. Travel takes 2,5 hours (express) to 3 hours (with stops) to Patras
- Direct Flights from Athens to Corfu: about 1 hour on the air
- Corfu Airport (airport - code: CFU)
- Cheapest flights from Athens to Corfu: book plane
Ok..so let’s get started with all the travel options from Athens to Corfu.
You really have 3 options to go from Athens to Corfu:
- OPTION 1: By Plane
- OPTION 2: From Athens to Patra by bus and then from Patra to Corfu By Ferry
- OPTION 3: From Athens to Igoumenitsa by bus or car and from Igoumentisa to Corfu By Ferry (I am not even gonna try to describe it. Just forget I even did mentioned this option!).
But which one is really the Best Option?
My suggestion: go to Corfu by plane.
Why: because it’s generally much faster and simpler than taking the baus to Patra or Igoumenitsa and then the ferry to Corfu
However, you can also take option 2 into consideration .The ferry from Patra can be a very interesting alternative option for several reasons (see below Option 2).
OPTION 1: From Athens to Corfu by Plane (Kiwi.com offers all the options)
That’s obviously the quickest, but perhaps the most expensive option (depends when you buy the tickets).
It takes about 1 hour by plane to be at Corfu’s airport and it definitely worths it in our opinion.
Corfu Airport official website is: https://www.cfu-airport.gr/en
The best and cheapest website to book or search for flights from Athens to Corfu is: Kiwi.com
Athens Airport Code is : ATH (Athens)
Corfu Airport Code is : CFU (Corfu)
There are many flights per day , especially during the high season (Apr-Oct).
The exact times of the flights change and they are not the same throughout the year so make sure you get the right times from Kiwi.com as it will give you all the available flights immediately.
If you book your tickets well in advance (3-6 months) you could probably find some very good deals with return tickets.
Corfu is an extremely popular destination and probably the most popular in Greece, so everything has to be booked well in advance.
So…let’s see the pros and cons of getting to Corfu (from Athens) by plane:
Pros (of going from Athens to Corfu by Plane):
- So much faster than the other options (about 1 hour on the air)…you can literally save a whole day and spend it in Corfu instead
- If you have just landed at the Athens airport you can just wait there till your connection flight to Corfu departs
- If you book pretty early then you might even get better price than the overall costs by going to Patra and then to Corfu with the ferry
Cons (of going from Athens to Corfu by Plane):
- the flight times to Corfu may not be convenient and you might have to spend some boring hours at the Athens airport
Direct flights to Corfu (from other European cities):
Yes there are direct flights from European cities to Corfu in 2018. You can check schedules and prices on Kiwi.com
Bottom line:
If you plan it properly and you book your flight tickets to Corfu well in advance, then that’s the best option. However, getting to Patra and then the ferry can also be a very good and interesting option (see below).
OPTION 2: From Athens to Patra by bus and from Patra to Corfu by ferry
Going to Patra by bus and then from Patra to Corfu by ferry is the second option you have and it can be a very nice experience.
But before taking the bus to Patra, you have to go to the Kifisos Central Bus Station which is also called KTEL Kifisou.
Where is the Athens Central Bus Station or also called Kifisos or KTEL Kifisou located?
How do you go from Athens Airport to the Kifisos Central Bus Station (called KTEL Kifisou) ?
The easiest and cheapest option is by taking the bus X93 that stops on Kifisos Central Bus Station:
The bus route Χ93 runs 24/7 and each bus departs every 25 to 30 minutes. The route from and to Athens Airport lasts 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on traffic:
In case you feel lost you can just ask the bus driver (they always speak english)
For the X93 bus, you have to buy tickets from a kiosk which is just outside of the bus stop (and also just outside of the airport, just follow the “Bus” signs in the airport).
This is actually how get to those bus ticket kiosks outside of the airport:
The bus ticket is a small piece of paper that you have to put in the orange slots which are inside the bus (you will hear a “click” noise once you put the ticket in…which is basically the printing/stamping of the date and time).
The ticket price is 5 € for adults and 2,5 € for students, seniors, etc.
A TIP FOR BUS TICKETS IN ATHENS:
There is also a mobile application with which you can buy your bus tickets developed by Transport for Athens
Click here to download the Bus Tickets for Athens App for Android
Click here to download the Bus Tickets for Athens App for iOS
(you really don’t have to worry at all about the bus tickets if you do that…and you can pay by any card!)
The X93 bus is pretty fast and it costs only 5 euros!
BE CAREFUL!
Sometimes the last stop is called "Kifisou Anevue" or "KTEL Kifisou"
Don’t get confused. If you get confused just ask the bus driver. They speak English.
Athens Airport to the KTEL Kifisou Option 2 : taxi
Baggage cost you extra, there’s a surcharge for the airport and the journey takes at least 1 hour (30 km between the airport and the Ktel Kifisou) so the taxi fare can add up to a quite high amount. The taxi fare ads up to about €50, depending on the traffic. You also have to be careful to avoid the scams (you really don’t want to pay 10 times more than the regular fare).
Athens Airport to KTEL Kifisou Option 3 : Metro (train)
Despite Athens has got a modern and covenient Metro system there is not any station in the Athens Central Bus Station. The nearest station is "ELEONAS" line 3 (blue line). From there you can walk for about 15-20 minutes or get a taxi with approximate time 10 minutes (cost about 7 euros).
Do not even cosider it.
Well finally you are at Kifisos Bus Station. You have to get the bus to Patra (you have to check for KTEL Achaia).
Here are the Athens - Patra Timetables for bus. The tickets cost about 21 euro for adults and children from 5 years old. For children up to 4 about 11 euros.
You can buy the tickets on place or online from https://eticket.ktelachaias.gr/en/?view=search
From Patra KTEL To Patra Port
You finally got ot Patra. Where is the port though? Its about 3,7 kms away. The below map is detailed. You can also get directions for foot, by bus or by car (taxi).
And finally at Patra's Port!
What are the available ferries from Patra to Corfu
There are 3 ferry options from Patra to Corfu :
How long does it take to get from Patra to Corfu?
The journey between Patra and Corfu takes between 6 h 15min and 7 h 30 min, depending on the ferry and company.
Is there a high speed ferry between Patra and Corfu?
No.
How much does it cost to get from Patra to Corfu by ferry?
The prices depend on the vessel and class you choose.
The prices depend on the type of ticket. On the deck, expect to pay €32 one way, while the airplane type of seats also costs €32 one way. If you prefer a cabin with a double bed, the fare is €69.50 per person, one way.
How many ferries per day depart from Patra to Corfu during the low season?
- Thu 10:30 p.m., May 3 to Sept 27
- Fri 10:30 p.m., May 18 to Sept 7
How many ferries per day depart from Patra to Corfu during the high season?
- Sun 00:01 a.m., Jun 17 to Sept 9
- Thu 00:01 a.m., Jun 21 to Sept 13
- Thu 10:30 p.m., May 3 to Sept 27
- Fri 10:30 p.m., May 18 to Sept 7
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL ALWAYS CHECK THE LET’S FERRY WEBSITE FOR THE AVAILABLE OPTIONS AND TIMES!!!!
Are there any overnight journeys between Patra and Corfu ?
Yes, there are three overnight ferries between the two ports
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL ALWAYS CHECK THE LET’S FERRY WEBSITE FOR THE AVAILABLE OPTIONS AND TIMES!!!!
Where can you book ferry tickets from Patra to Corfu?
Booking in advance a Ferry ticket to Corfu is always good, especially during high season as ferries might become full (that’s the case in July and August).
It’s not that you won’t find a ticket but it is more of securing a good seat or a cabin or a vehicle spot (if you have a car).
But…you can always book them online (just to be sure) on the Let’s Ferry website (even if you don’t book it there you can always check the timetables of the ferries on the dates you want to travel).
Another option is to have your travel agent book them for you, but they will need to contact a Greek travel agency. So an easier option is to contact a reliable Greek travel agency yourself and book your tickets via them.
If you have some time available between your arrival in Patra and the time you planned to take the ferry to Corfu, you can buy the tickets directly in the port of Patra. Unless you are traveling during the peak season or national holiday weekends, you shouldn’t worry about booking in advance, especially if you plan to use a deck seat.
BE CAREFUL THOUGH: According to the law the tickets have to be printed out only by certified travel agencies or the Ferry companies , so even if you book it online you have to visit a travel agent or the kiosk at the ferry port to take the print outs anyways (not a big deal..everyone is doing that anyways).
However, the last years people tend to buy ferry tickets online for Corfu.
You can always do that from Let’s ferry website or but as I said previously you always have to take the ticket printout from a travel agent in Greece or the kiosk which is usually outside of the ferry that you are boarding on.
Important note:
Sometimes the ferry schedules available online are not very accurate. It’s not the websites’ fault at all as the ferry companies submit their schedule to the Ministry of Merchant Marine weekly. Hence the ferry schedule might change from week to week. Your best bet is to check this link the day before departure (or the day of before) just to make sure things haven’t changed.