How to get from Athens to Corfu

With Athens offering access to stacks of idyllic Greek Islands, and Corfu sitting high on many travellers’ wish lists, read on to find out how to get from Athens to Corfu. The good news is, you have a few options to choose from, depending on your budget and schedule.

How to get from Athens to Corfu 

• By plane: direct flights run between the capital and Corfu each day. 
• By car and ferry from Igoumenitsa: to travel to Corfu by ferry, drive north of Athens to the port in Igoumenitsa.
• By bus and ferry from Igoumenitsa: not planning to hire a car? Take a bus to Igoumenitsa. When you arrive in Corfu, you’re a short bus ride from the centre of town.

Travel tip: before heading to Corfu, don’t miss exploring the top sites in Athens. You might also want to check out our customisable Athens — City of the Gods trip.

How far is Corfu from Athens? 

By air, there are 234 miles (377 km) between Athens and Corfu.

If you decide to travel by ferry from Igoumenitsa, there are 9 nautical miles (17km) between Igoumenitsa and the port of Lefkimmi. From the port of Corfu Town, it’s a distance of 18 nautical miles (34km).

Considering visiting Greece? Browse our inspirational Greece itineraries to start planning your perfect trip.

What's the quickest way to get from Athens to Corfu?

With flight times averaging an hour, travelling by plane is the quickest way to get from Athens to Corfu.

Even if you factor in check-in time and getting to and from the airport, travelling by plane still comes out faster than the ferry and road combo options.

If you are eager to know more, make sure to read our page about getting around in Greece.

By plane

Duration: 1 hour | Cost: from £51

Direct flights travel to Corfu daily. 

With a few airlines to choose from — including Olympic Air, Ryanair and Aegean Airlines — and several daily flights, you have plenty of choice.

When you land in Corfu’s airport — Ioannis Kapodistrias — you’re just 3km from the centre of Corfu Town.

Note that flight prices rise considerably during the peak season months. So, while you might get lucky and bag a £51 bargain in the low season, expect to pay three times as much in the summer.

By car and ferry from Igoumenitsa

Duration: 6-7 hours | Cost: from €5 for the ferry

If you’re not in a rush and want to see more of Greece you could rent a car and drive north from Athens to Igoumenitsa.

The drive takes around five hours, and the roads are in good condition. 

On arrival in Igoumenitsa, you can catch your ferry to Corfu. The crossing time varies between 1 hr 10 minutes to 1 hr 45 minutes, depending on the type of vessel and weather conditions.

Tip: driving from Athens to Igoumenitsa? Stop off at the ancient oracle site of Delphi — one of the best things to do in Greece for a very good reason.

By bus and ferry from Igoumenitsa

Duration: 8+ hours | Cost: from €40 for the bus; from €5 for the ferry

If you don’t fancy driving yourself, you can take a bus from Athens to Igoumenitsa. 

Just bear in mind that this is the slowest way to get from Athens to Corfu — you’ll be on the road for up to 7 hours before your ferry crossing.