Car Hire at Kefalonia Airport (EFL)

How to Find Your Car Hire Desk at Kefalonia Airport

Kefalonia Airport, officially Anna Pollatou, has a single terminal building on the Livathos peninsula in the island's south-west, renovated in 2019 with a new terminal covering over 10,000 square metres. Every arrival funnels through the same Arrivals Hall regardless of airline. Exactly how you collect your car from there depends on your supplier: most operate a counter inside the terminal itself, while some smaller local operators meet you nearby instead. The airport is named after Anna Pollatou, the Kefalonia-born Olympic gymnast, and sits close enough to the capital that the drive out toward the rest of the island begins almost immediately.

• Book through eCarBookers first: Your booking confirmation from eCarBookers locks in your price and your vehicle class before you arrive. You pay the balance at the desk on collection, and the terms confirmed at booking are the terms you receive. Always confirm your hire in advance to guarantee your price from the moment you collect the keys.
• Check your collection method on your voucher: Your booking confirmation states whether your supplier operates from a counter inside the terminal or meets you at a nearby point, along with the exact meeting instructions. Treat this as the definitive source rather than general airport signage, since pick-up arrangements can differ by supplier at this airport.
• In-terminal desks: Most suppliers, including the larger international brands, have a counter inside the Arrivals Hall immediately after baggage claim. The rental car park is a short, well-signed walk from the terminal building.
• Meet-and-greet pick-up: Some smaller local operators run a kiosk directly at the airport rather than a full desk, or meet arriving customers with a name board just outside Arrivals. Either way, collection is generally straightforward given the airport's compact size, though it is still worth allowing a little extra time during the busiest charter arrival windows in July and August.

Pick-Up, Drop-Off, and Refuelling at Kefalonia Airport

Out-of-hours arrangements exist at Kefalonia Airport for early or late flights, though a surcharge often applies, in the region of 40 euros with some suppliers, and must generally be confirmed and paid at the counter. Given the airport's heavy reliance on seasonal charter traffic, many suppliers are well practised at early and late collections, but confirm the exact process, and whether a charge applies, at your pick-up desk rather than assuming a free, unattended drop applies to every operator.

For a full-to-full fuel policy, the closest option is a Revoil station roughly 900 metres from the airport in Leivatho, with a Shell station a little further on, around 5 km toward Argostoli. Kefalonia's petrol stations are generally attended rather than self-service: you tell the attendant an amount in euros rather than a litre figure, and many take cash only, so it is worth having some on hand before your return journey. Stations tend to close on Sundays or for a few hours in the afternoon outside the main towns, so plan a fill-up with a little slack rather than leaving it to the last possible stretch.

Top Car Hire Agencies at Kefalonia Airport

Kefalonia Airport is served by a wide range of trusted suppliers, from established international brands to well-regarded local operators, giving a genuine choice of vehicle class and price point for exploring an island where the roads range from easy coastal dual carriageway to genuine mountain switchbacks. Vehicles book out earliest in July and August, so confirming your class in advance matters more here than in the quieter shoulder months.

Every booking through eCarBookers shows the excess amount and full price before you confirm, and the balance is paid on arrival at the desk. Optional extras, such as additional drivers, supplemental tyre and glass cover, child seats, or out-of-hours fees, may be available at the desk if required.

Getting from Kefalonia Airport to Key Destinations

Ammes Beach: The closest of these destinations, around 5 minutes from the airport, a quiet stretch of coastline that makes an easy first stop straight from arrivals if a swim is the priority before checking in anywhere.

Argostoli: The island's capital, around 8 km and about 15 minutes north, along the main road that also serves as the standard route into town for dropping the car off at the end of your trip.

Sami: North-east across the island, around 33 km, reaching the port town near Kefalonia's underground lake at Melissani and the neighbouring Drogarati Cave, both a short distance further on, and familiar to some as a filming location for Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

Myrtos Beach: North-west along the coast, around 36 km, reaching the island's signature beach beneath steep cliffs, one of the most photographed stretches of coastline in Greece, and best treated as a half-day trip given the distance and the steep access road down to the sand.