Boat and Ferry

There are no ferries from Piraeus to Corfu. Corfu’s gateway to mainland Greece is the city of Igoumenitsa, from which ferries operated by the Kerkyra-Igoumenitsa-Paxi Consortium run almost hourly to Corfu Town throughout the day. Ferries four to five times daily also link Igoumenitsa with the port of Lefkimmi near Corfu’s southern tip. Direct ferries from Italy (Brindisi, Bari, and Ancona) run only during July and August; outside of those months, you must change ferries in Igoumenitsa.

Most ferries dock at the New Port, in the northeast part of Corfu Town; from the ferry terminal you can easily walk into town or take a cab to your hotel. You can buy ferry tickets at the ports or book in advance through the ferry lines or travel agents. For the most up-to-date information on boat schedules (which change regularly and seasonally), call the port authority in the city of departure or check the Greek ferry information website.

One-way tickets for the ferry between Igoumenitsa and Corfu Town (1¼ to 2 hours) are about €11 per person and €40 per car.

Hydrofoils zip between Corfu and Paxos between one and three times daily. There is also a hydrofoil service to Saranda in Albania.

Kefalonia has four major ferry ports: Sami and Poros, which both provide links to the mainland, and Fiskardo and Pessada. Passenger fees start from €8 per person and €32 per car for all but the shortest of hops. Tickets are available at ports, agencies, and, in the case of Levante Ferries, directly from the ferry provider's website as e-tickets. As with most of the Ionian islands, these services run regularly during the summer months (May.–Sept.), when there can be as many as five return trips a day on major routes, then drop off considerably in the off-season.

Sami, in the east of Kefalonia, is the busiest port, linking neighboring islands Lefkada (Vasiliki; 2 hours) and Ithaki (Pisaetos, 20 mins) as well as the Greek mainland cities of Astakos (2½ hours) and Patras (3 hours). A Ventouris Ferries connection also runs from here via Igoumenitsa to Corfu Town and Bari (Italy) once a week during summer (Jul.–Sept.).

South of Sami, Poros has ferry connections to mainland Kyllini (1¼ hours) and Ithaki's Pisaetos (55 mins), while the genteel northern outpost of Fiskardo offers an additional seasonal route to Lefkada, stopping at Nidri (1¾ hours).

The fourth and final Kefalonian port is Pessada, nestled in the far south of the island, which has regular ferry links to Agios Nikolaos (1½ hours) on Zakynthos during the summer months (May.–Oct.). The only other regular ferry connection on Zakynthos is to the Greek mainland via a service from its capital to the Peloponnese city of Kyllini (1¼ hours).

Contacts

Greek Ferry Info. www.greekferries.gr.

Levante Ferries. Ticket offices are found in the ports of Zakynthos, Patras, Kyllini, Sami, and Poros, while e-tickets can be bought online. Ferry routes include: Kyllini–Zakynthos (€9.50 per passenger; €37 per car), Kyllini–Poros (€10.50 per passenger; €42 per car) and Patra–Sami (€13.80 per passenger; €49.80 per car). 18--22 Kon. Lomvardou, Argostolion, Kefalonia. www.levanteferries.com.

Ionion Pelagos Lines. Ticket agencies are found in Argostoli, Poros, Fiskardo, Sami, Lixouri, and Zakynthos. Ferry routes include: Pessada–Agios Nikolaos, Zakynthos (€9 per passenger; €32 per car); Sami–Astakos (€9 per passenger; from €42 per car); and Sami–Pisaetos, Ithaki (€4 per passenger; from €17 per car). Akti Miaouli 29, Kefalonia, Kefalonia. 267/4022–111; 269/5023–984; www.ionionpelagos.com/en.

West Ferry. Visit Nautilus Travel for tickets or call the main booking line. Ferry routes include: Fiskardo and Kefalonia–Nidri (€8 per passenger; from €35 per car). Nautilus Travel, Fiskardo, Kefalonia, 280 85. 267/4041–440; 264/5093–278; westferry.gr.