You have just landed at Ioannis Kapodistrias, minutes from town: a Venetian old town of fortresses, arcades and kantounia lanes, then a whole green island beyond it — coves at Paleokastritsa, family sand at Sidari, a party strip at Kavos. This guide covers the 15-minute airport run, where to sleep from an adults-only resort at Moraitika to a budget room in Garitsa, the Corfiot table, a first day from fortress to Mouse Island, and the boats to Paxos and Albania.
By Paul GreenUpdated Oct 202612 min readPrices checked Oct 2026
You just landed in Corfu. The airport sits 2 to 3 km from the Old Town — the move is the Line 15 blue bus, about 15 minutes and €1.30 to San Rocco Square, with a Saily eSIM live from the terminal, a metered taxi at about €15 as the fallback, and the boat days that sell out first — the Paxos and Antipaxos cruise above all — worth booking ahead through GetYourGuide.
Quick facts
Airport
Corfu International (CFU), Ioannis Kapodistrias, 2 to 3 km south of Corfu Town The Line 15 blue bus takes about 15 minutes to San Rocco Square for €1.30; a taxi takes about 10 minutes.
Getting in
Blue bus €1.30, taxi about €15, pre-booked transfer at a fixed price Line 15 also serves the New Port and the Green Bus station. Taxis are metered — about €15 by day, about €20 between midnight and 05:00.
Currency
Euro (€) Cards work across town and the resorts; carry cash for green buses, small tavernas and beach boats.
Languages
Greek English is widely spoken in town and the resorts; a confident kalimera still opens doors.
Time zone
EET (UTC+2), EEST (UTC+3) in summer Daylight saving: last Sunday of March to last Sunday of October — the mainland clock.
Emergency
112 for everything 112 reaches police, fire and ambulance across the EU; direct lines are 100 police, 166 ambulance, 199 fire.
Plugs
Type C and F, 230V Round two-pin sockets; US and UK travellers need an adapter.
Tap water
Safe to drink in town Town mains water is fine; fill up before boat days.
Tourist tax
Climate crisis resilience fee, €2 to €15 per room per night in season Per room, not per person: April to October, €2 at 1 to 2 star hotels, €5 at 3 star, €10 at 4 star, €15 at 5 star; November to March, €0.50, €1.50, €3 and €4.
Best months
May, June, September, early October Warm sea, open tavernas, thinner crowds; July and August are hot, busy and peak-priced.
Map
Find your arrival stop, hotel, and first meal. Stays, sights, and landmarks in Corfu — live hotel prices plus the key places from this guide.
Land at CFU and the holiday starts almost at once — the airport sits 2 to 3 km south of Corfu Town. On a clear approach you land over Kanoni, with Mouse Island below the wing.
Set up your data before you leave the terminal: a Yesim eSIM loads a Greece data plan in minutes, so timetables, maps and ferry times work from the kerb. For a longer Greece trip, compare Saily and Airalo.
Run the arrival checklist in this order:
Ride Line 15 into San Rocco Square — €1.30 bought before boarding, no booking needed
Buy the blue-bus day ticket (€5) at San Rocco for a busy day one
Drop your bags, then walk the Liston and the Spianada end to end under the Old Fortress
Check the tax line when the hotel quotes your rate: the climate crisis resilience fee rides on top, per room per night — €2 at 1 to 2 star hotels in season, up to €15 at 5 star properties, less from November to March.
If a delayed or cancelled flight wrecked the arrival, AirHelp checks whether the airline owes you compensation — worth five minutes.
Getting around
Journey times are approximate and refer to the listed stop — not necessarily your hotel. Allow extra time for waiting, walking, and connections.
Blue bus Line 15
Zone A single bought before boarding from machines or kiosks — on-board tickets cost more; the route also links San Rocco Square, the Green Bus station and the New Port
Price€1.30Journeyabout 15 min
Taxi
Metered from the rank outside arrivals; about €15 by day to the Old Town and about €20 between midnight and 05:00 — agree the fare or insist on the meter before loading bags
Priceabout €15Journeyabout 10 min
Pre-booked transfer
The driver meets you in arrivals with a name board; the fix for late flights, big luggage and bases outside town — resort transfers to Moraitika run about 30 minutes
PriceFixed at bookingJourneyabout 10 min
Rental car
Worth collecting on day one only if your base is a beach village; the Old Town is car-restricted with scarce parking, so town stays should rent later, by the day
PriceVaries by rentalJourneyabout 10 min
Corfu International Airport (CFU) sits on the lagoon at Kanoni, 2 to 3 km south of the Old Town — the shortest transfer in this guide series. The blue city bus, Line 15, runs from outside the terminal to San Rocco Square and the New Port in about 15 minutes, via the Green Bus station. Buy the €1.30 Zone A ticket before boarding — on-board tickets cost more. The airport rides are these:
Two bus colours run this island, and mixing them up is the classic first-day mistake. Blue buses (Astiko KTEL) cover Corfu Town and the near suburbs — airport, Kanoni, Benitses, Dassia. Green buses (KTEL Kerkyras) leave the Green Bus station on Leoforos Eptanisou for the whole island: A9 to Paleokastritsa about €2.80, A2 to Sidari €4.10, B1 to Kavos €5.30, plus through-coaches to Athens and Thessaloniki via Igoumenitsa. In town, the Old Town is walkable and largely car-restricted — you only need wheels to leave it.
Prefer to be met? A Kiwitaxi transfer or a Welcome Pickups driver puts a name board in arrivals at a fixed price — worth it with kids or a late flight. Driving yourself, price the pickup on AutoEurope first, and think twice about collecting on day one: town parking is scarce, and a car earns its keep from day two.
In the city
Start where the Venetians started. Walk the Spianada, the great green square between the Old Town and the sea — cricket pitch and all — take coffee under the Liston arcades, then cross the moat bridge into the Old Fortress (entry about €10) for the panorama: rooftops, Garitsa Bay, and Albania on the horizon.
Lose the afternoon in the kantounia, the lanes of the UNESCO-listed Old Town: the Church of Saint Spyridon under its campanile, and washing strung over alleys too narrow for cars. Cross to the New Fortress for the second view, then walk south through Garitsa to Mon Repos park, and end at Kanoni — the Vlacherna Monastery on its causeway, with Pontikonisi, Mouse Island, offshore. South in Gastouri stands the Achilleion, Empress Elisabeth's palace: the gardens and terraces are open, but the interior stays closed for restoration, with no fixed reopening date.
Book the headline days before you arrive, because the boats sell out first — browse the Corfu listings on GetYourGuide for the water days, and compare Klook when stacking attraction tickets.
Give day two to the northwest coast.
After you land in Corfu: Bookable experiences
Where to stay your first nights
Splurge
Domes Miramare, a Luxury Collection Resort, Corfu - Adults Only.
Best for the adults-only beach-resort splurge in Moraitika
A beach-resort base, not a town base: the adults-only (16 and over) Luxury Collection resort on Moraitika's pebble beach, 19 km south of town, about 30 minutes from the airport. Two outdoor pools, an indoor pool, the Soma Spa, Makris fine dining and the 1962 By the Sea restaurant. Sleep here for the sea; ride up to town for evenings. Climate fee: the 5 star band, €15 a room a night in season.
A town base in the heart of the Old Town: a neoclassical mansion at Napoleontos Zampeli 4, comprehensively renovated in 2024 — garden breakfast room, quiet rooms, the Liston minutes away, 24-hour reception. Character over resort facilities. Climate fee: the 4 star band, €10 a room a night in season.
Best for budget beds in Garitsa, walkable to town and the airport
A town base in Garitsa, the bay south of the centre: a family-run 43-room hotel at Georgaki 27, 500 metres from the Garitsa promenade and a 10-minute walk from the airport, with a flat 20-minute walk or short bus ride into the Old Town. Garden, free parking, buffet breakfast for a fee — the honest budget pick for early flights and late arrivals.
Pick your base before you pick your hotel, because Corfu is not one place. Corfu Town is the base for food, ferries, buses and history — the right first-visit base. Paleokastritsa is the base for coves, Sidari for families and sand, Kavos — the southern party strip — only if that is the trip. The three picks below name their base on purpose.
Book any of the three early for July and August, and confirm whether the quote includes the climate fee — it is often collected at the property.
Where to eat first
Eat Corfiot on day one — the island's kitchen is Venetian underneath, and proud of it. Hunt sofrito, veal in garlic, parsley and white wine; pastitsada, beef or rooster in spiced tomato sauce over thick pasta; bourdeto, fish in a fierce red pepper stew; and bianco, fish with garlic and lemon. Finish with anything kumquat — the fruit the island made its own. Three stops:
Rex Restaurant.
A Corfu Town institution on Kapodistriou Street: sofrito and pastitsada the classic way, white tablecloths, fair prices for the centre. Book ahead on weekends.
Pane e Souvlaki.
A family-run Old Town kitchen for the everyday end of Corfiot cooking: souvlaki, mixed grills and whatever the market gave that morning.
Gyropolis.
The gyro stop: a generous pita for a few euros, eaten walking toward the Spianada — the right first taste if you land hungry at an odd hour.
For food tours and olive-oil tastings, browse the Corfu listings on GetYourGuide and book a slot for your first free evening.
Day trips and more
Three escapes cover the island's range: the little islands to the south, another country across the strait, and the town from the water at sunset. Carry sunscreen and a swim kit — two of the three end in the sea.
Paxos and Antipaxos semi-private cruise
Ten hours from Benitses marina on a small, uncrowded boat: swim at Lakka Bay on Paxos, cross to Voutoumi Beach on Antipaxos — white sand, impossible blue — and eat a freshly cooked Greek lunch with an open bar on board. Check availability →
Albanian adventure day trip
Ten hours, two countries: the ferry from Corfu's New Port to Saranda (about 30 minutes on the fast boat), free time on the promenade, and the optional guided run to Butrint, a Greek, Roman and Venetian city in a lagoon national park. Bring your passport, and budget the €20 port tax payable at the port. Check availability →
Sunset cruise on a classic boat
Two hours on a certified heritage wooden vessel, sailing at half capacity from the old port: past the Old Fortress and Garitsa Bay, around Mon Repos, and out to Pontikonisi as the light goes, with cocktails and Greek finger food on deck. Check availability →
When to go and what it costs
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Budget€60–90
Mid-range€120–180
May, June and September are the sweet spot: swimmable sea (warmest in September), open tavernas, thinner crowds. July and August bring real heat — around 30 to 33°C — and the warmest sea (about 25 to 26°C); mid-August, around the Assumption on 15 August, is busiest of all. April and October suit walking, with rain by late October. November to February is mild (highs around 14°C) but wet — Corfu is one of Greece's wettest islands — and the beach resorts shut, while Corfu Town stays open and local.
A backpacker on buses and gyro lunches: €60 to €90 a day. Mid-range — a town hotel, sit-down dinners, a boat day, a rental car for two days: €120 to €180 a day. A splurge day at the resort, with fine dining and a private boat, passes €300 without trying.
What to pack
Tap items to check them off — your list is saved on this device.
Pack for heat, boat spray and one cool evening — sun and sea wind can share a single afternoon, even in August. This is the full list:
Add the Corfu extras: water shoes in the daypack (pebble beaches, rocky entries and sea urchins reward them), a swim kit for boat days, and a light cover-up — shoulders and knees covered — for churches and the Paleokastritsa monastery.
Language, visa and entry
! Check visa requirements before you fly
Greek first, always — and in Corfu it is easy, because kalimera works all day. Lead with a greeting before any question, in every shop, café and ticket window. Shoulders and knees covered in churches and monasteries, voices down inside them, and ask before photographing people. Dinner starts around 20:00 and runs late. The island was Venetian, French and British before it was Greek — the layers show in the cricket and the architecture.
Four phrases do most of the work:
Kalimeragood morning, helloEfharistothank youParakaloplease, you are welcomeTon logariasmo, parakalothe bill, please
Sort your entry paperwork before you book anything non-refundable. Greece is Schengen: most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and similar countries get 90 days in any 180 without a visa; your passport should have been issued within the last 10 years and stay valid three months beyond your departure.
The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has been live since 10 April 2026, so on first entry expect a photo and fingerprints — allow a few extra minutes at CFU. EU and UK visitors should carry their EHIC or GHIC; everyone else wants insurance with medical cover.
Do not buy an ETIAS. The planned EU travel authorisation is not in operation: nothing to apply for before you travel, and any site selling you one now is selling a form that does not exist.
Safety and health
Pickpockets work the cruise crowds, not the island
When the cruise ships are in, the Spianada, the Liston and the narrowest lanes get dense: zipped bag, phone out of the back pocket, normal city care.
Confirm the taxi fare before you ride
Airport taxis are metered — about €15 by day into town — but resort runs across the island are where prices drift. Agree the fare, or insist on the meter, before loading luggage, and keep small notes: not every driver takes cards.
Swim smart on rock and pebble
Many coves shelve steeply, with rocky entries and sea urchins in the shallows: water shoes on, enter slowly, never swim alone at remote coves. The west coast builds a real swell after wind — respect local flags.
Heat and sun are the real hazards
July and August afternoons hit 33°C with no shade on the boats: carry water, reapply sunscreen, and break the day at lunch like the island does. Wildfire risk is real in dry summers — never light fires or drop cigarettes in the olive groves.
The things travellers ask in the first 48 hours: the 15-minute airport run, the base question, and the boat to another country.
Fares checked against Astiko KTEL and KTEL Kerkyras fare pages and Ferryhopper, October 2026; climate fee against the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance schedule; entry rules against EU EES and ETIAS guidance.
Ride the Line 15 blue bus from outside the terminal to San Rocco Square: about 15 minutes, €1.30 bought before boarding. It also serves the New Port. A metered taxi takes about 10 minutes at about €15 by day.
For a first visit, yes — food, ferries, both bus stations and the Old Town sights share one walkable base. Choose Paleokastritsa for coves, Sidari for family beaches, Moraitika for resorts, Kavos only for nightlife.
Most US, UK and Canadian visitors get 90 visa-free days in any 180 across Schengen. The EES entry system has been live since 10 April 2026, so expect a photo and fingerprints on first entry. ETIAS is not in operation — nothing to apply for or buy.
Per room, per night, on top of the rate: from April to October, €2 at 1 to 2 star hotels, €5 at 3 star, €10 at 4 star, €15 at 5 star. From November to March it falls to €0.50, €1.50, €3 and €4.
Yes. Ferries run from Corfu's New Port to Saranda in about 30 minutes by fast boat, 70 by conventional ferry, several times a day, year-round, at roughly €20 to €30 one way. Bring a passport; organised trips add Butrint and a €20 port tax.
May, June and September: warm sea and thinner crowds. July and August are hottest (around 30 to 33°C), busiest and priciest. Winter is mild but wet, and the beach resorts close.
Fares change — the Astiko KTEL, KTEL Kerkyras and ferry operator pages always win.
Corfu, saved for arrival
Landing soon? Get the printable PDF — the essentials from this guide, formatted for your phone:
The airport transport cheat sheet, with ticket links
Our 3 restaurant picks, with maps
The packing checklist
One email with your Corfu PDF (guide version: Oct 2026). Fare changes and new guides after that. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Sources and last verified
Airport transfers and fares against the Astiko KTEL (blue bus) fare pages and Corfu airport sources, October 2026: Line 15 Zone A €1.30, day ticket €5, taxi about €15 by day, €20 at night. Island fares against the KTEL Kerkyras (green bus) timetable valid from 3 October 2026: Paleokastritsa €2.80, Sidari €4.10, Kavos €5.30. Ferries against Ferryhopper and the operators: Corfu Town to Igoumenitsa about 1 hour 30 minutes, Lefkimmi about 50 minutes; Corfu to Saranda about 30 minutes by fast boat, 70 by conventional ferry, several sailings daily, year-round. Climate fee bands against the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance schedule as applied in 2026. Achilleion against ETAD reporting: gardens open, interior closed for restoration, no fixed reopening date. Hotels against the properties' own sites and Expedia listings, October 2026. Entry rules against the EU's EES and ETIAS pages: EES live since 10 April 2026, ETIAS not in operation. Photo credits as in the guide data. Last verified October 2026.
Affiliate disclosure: hotel names, transfers, experiences, and products linked in this guide may earn After You Land a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and times were checked in Oct 2026 and change often — confirm before you book.
