Car Hire in Corfu

Corfu rewards drivers. The island's best moments — the west-coast bays around Paleokastritsa, the villages on the slopes of Mount Pantokrator, the long sands of the south — sit well beyond the bus routes, and a hire car is the practical way to reach them. Every car hire listed on eCarBookers for Corfu comes with zero-excess collision damage waiver cover included in the supplier's own price, so the cost you confirm at booking is the cost you pay. Collect at Corfu Airport, at the port, or in Corfu Town, and the island is yours to plan. Arrive, drive, enjoy.

Driving and Parking in Corfu: What You Need to Know

• Corfu Old Town is pedestrian-only: The UNESCO-listed historic centre is closed to traffic, with vehicle access limited to residents and deliveries by permit. Park on the edge of the centre and walk in — every recommended car park below is within a five to ten minute walk of the old streets.
• Where to park in Corfu Town: The Old Port car park on Ethnikis Antistaseos charges around €5 for a full day and sits below the New Fortress; the New Port car park near the ferry terminal is a reliable second option. Closer to the Old Fortress, look for spaces around Spianada Square (Kato Plateia), and for the shopping district try the streets around San Rocco Square. Free roadside parking is usually available along the Garitsa Bay seafront, a short walk south of the centre.
• Read the road markings: Blue-line bays are paid parking with a three-hour maximum; white-line spaces are free with no time limit but fill early in summer. Yellow markings and resident bays are enforced, and illegally parked cars can be ticketed.
• No tolls, no motorways: Corfu has no toll roads. The island is covered by two-lane national roads — the Paleokastritsa national road heading west, the northern route through the Tzavros junction towards Sidari and Kassiopi, and the Lefkimmi national road running south. Village streets and mountain sections around Mount Pantokrator are narrow with tight bends, which is one reason a compact car suits the island well.
• Speed limits: 50 km/h in built-up areas and up to 90 km/h on open national roads unless signed lower. There are no motorway-speed sections on the island.
• When to drive: In July and August, Corfu Town traffic is heaviest from mid-morning to early afternoon. Arriving before 10:00 or after 16:00 makes both the driving and the parking noticeably easier.

Top Places to Visit from Corfu Town by Car

• Paleokastritsa — around 24 km north-west via the Paleokastritsa national road, a drive of 35 to 40 minutes. Six interlocking bays, a clifftop monastery, and boat trips to the sea caves from Alipa Port. The paid car park behind Agios Spyridon beach fills by mid-morning in season, so arrive early.
• Sidari and the Canal d'Amour — around 36 km north via the Tzavros junction, roughly 40 minutes. The sculpted sandstone channels of the north coast, with the villages of Roda and Acharavi along the same shoreline.
• The Achilleion Palace, Gastouri — around 10 km south of Corfu Town, a drive of roughly 20 minutes. The neoclassical summer palace of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, with gardens looking back over the town and the southern half of the island. The approach roads are narrow, and the small free car park is busiest at midday.
• Kavos and the far south — around 46 km via the Lefkimmi national road, allow about 50 minutes. Beyond the resort itself lie the quieter sands of Gardenos and the dunes of the Korission Lagoon on the south-west coast.

When is the Best Time to Hire a Car in Corfu?

Corfu's hire season runs at full strength from April to October. July and August are the peak — UK and Irish school holidays concentrate demand, fleets sell through, and daily rates reach their highest point of the year. May, June, September, and early October offer the better balance: warm sea, open attractions, quieter roads, and meaningfully lower prices. Through winter, a reduced fleet continues to operate around Corfu Town and the airport.

For July and August collection, confirming your booking six to eight weeks in advance secures both the vehicle class you want and a price set before peak demand. Booking earlier costs nothing to change — cancellation is free on eCarBookers.

Corfu Car Hire Insurance: What Is Included

Every car hire listed on eCarBookers for Corfu includes collision damage waiver cover as part of the supplier's own price — not as an optional extra bought through a third-party insurer. The protection comes directly from the hire company itself, which means that if there is minor damage to the main body of the vehicle during your hire, there is no excess to pay and no claim to submit.

Certain situations sit outside standard CDW cover across the car hire industry. Tyres, glass, underbody damage, lost or damaged keys, and a flat battery caused by driver error — such as leaving the lights on while the vehicle is unattended — are typically excluded and may carry a separate charge if they occur. These situations are uncommon in everyday driving, and on Corfu the practical points of care are the narrow village streets and unsurfaced beach approach roads, where kerbed wheels and underbody scrapes are the avoidable risks. Check your booking confirmation for the exact cover terms applicable to your hire, as scope can vary by supplier. The price you see on eCarBookers is the total price you pay.

Car Hire Pick-Up Locations in Corfu

Your booking confirmation from eCarBookers locks in your all-inclusive price, your zero-excess CDW cover, and your vehicle class before you arrive. Without a pre-booking made through eCarBookers, you may not be covered under the same terms — always confirm your hire in advance to ensure your protection is in place from the moment you collect the keys.

• Corfu Airport (CFU) — Ioannis Kapodistrias International, on the southern edge of Corfu Town. The most convenient collection point for fly-drive arrivals.
• Corfu Port — for arrivals by ferry from Igoumenitsa and the mainland, a short distance north of the town centre.
• Corfu Town — collection in town for those already staying on the island.