Travelling to and in Corfu is easy. It is a modern island with all comforts and services so you do not have to worry. But to travel without worries, below you can find all the practical information you need to know before to leave.

ID or passport

If you are a European citizen you only need to bring your identity card. Instead, for non-EU Citizens, passport is required.

Moneys

As member of the European Community, the currency in Greece is euro. International credit or debit card are accepted almost everywhere in Corfu and also for small amounts of money. There are ATM points all over the island, but be careful with extra withdrawal charges.

Electric socket in Greece

Electric socket in Greece

 

Electric socket

Electric socket in Greece are of type C or F. However, we suggest to travel with an adaptor.

 

 

sunset in Corfu, practical information about time

Sunset in Corfu

Time

When you first arrive in Corfu, the time will probably automatically change on your mobile devices, but do not forget to change your clock.

Time zone in Corfu is: GMT + 2.

During the warm months, the length of day is long and temperatures are high, both day and night.

Sunrise in summer-time : around 5.00-6.00 am

Sunset in summer-time : around 8.30-9.30 pm

See the weather article for more practical information.

 

 

Shops opening hours

The opening hours for shops in Corfu may vary a little, but stores usually open around 9 am and close at 9 pm, with later opening hours on Friday and Saturday. The afternoon break is between 2.30 and 5.30 pm. Larger stores open on Sunday and souvenir shops attract tourists every day until late evening. Check store websites to be sure.

open house door in Cambiello quarter, practical information about safety

Cambiello quarter

Safety

The island and Corfu Old Town are safe. Locals, who live in Cambiello quarter, are not used to lock the front door of the house. So, do not be surprised if you see some of them left open, by day as well as by night. The same is for house windows and cars. Furthermore, you can walk in the streets talking on a cell phone or take pictures without worries.

However, as everywhere, the general advice would be: keep your eyes open.

 

Corfiots

The inhabitants of Corfu are known for the hospitality, the spontaneity and their desire to do and to be useful. They may seem not welcoming at the beginning, but this is only the first impression. You always have to remember that they are not in vacation like you, they live in the island throughout the year, probably their whole life. They see how their island change with the arrival of the hot season. Every summer millions of tourists arrive. That means work, moneys and cultural exchange but also traffic, crowd, dirt and a radical change in their daily routine. But in the end, what will remain in your heart, it is their joy of living.

Prices

Prices in Corfu are always followed by a description in Greek, and Greek only. So, if you were expecting receipts from supermarkets, restaurants or bars with an English translation, forget it. This may give rise to negative thoughts like “does local people really pay the same price?”. The answer is: “yes”. Also if salaries here are lower than in other European countries, locals do really pay the same amount of money than you.

The reality is that accommodations in Corfu are cheap as well as prices in restaurants and bars, but supermarket prices are high.This is the situation for locals and, as a reflection, for tourists. And the main reason is that we are on an island and the majority of products is imported and cost more.

For grocery shopping, Diellas and Lidl may be the cheapest solutions, but our personal advice is to buy local products.

In Corfu there are, for example, very good milk, Greek yogurt, feta, meat and pita. Learning few words in Greek could also be a nice way to show them cordiality and try to get a discount. A simple sentence which can be useful may be: “kalimera/kalispera, poso kanoun afta?” that means “good morning/good evening, how much is for this?”. It is not a magic spell but definitely it will raise a smile from them.

 

practical information about water on the island

Water

Water on the island

Water is not drinkable on the island and can even not be used to cook. But, is it a real problem? Let’s begin with: do not panic. You can use it to shower and also for brush your teeth. You just need to be careful to not drink it.

In bars and restaurants, they will always bring you drinking water and most of the times it is free of charge.

In your accommodation, if taps don’t have integrated water filter, you only need to remember to buy some bottles of water before you come back. It is always better to have one bottle more in the fridge, for every eventuality.

 

Connections with the island

In the tourist season, the island is excellently connected with mainland and easily reachable both, by sea and air.

Roads and public transport

The island has an efficient road network but road conditions are not always optimal. So, be careful when you program your journey. Hiring a car in Corfu is easy, if you are over 24 years old. And even easier is to rent a bicycle, quod or motorbike. And why do not try to be a captain for one day? You can discover the island from another point of view and enjoy the sea by renting a boat. If you decide to use public transport instead, a dense network of bus lines connect the whole island. But if you love the nightlife, you need to find an alternative for nocturnal hours. See the public transports article for more practical information.

Useful numbers

Telephone prefix in Greece : 0030

Emergency medical service: 166

General Hospital of Kerkyra: +30 26613 60400

Corfu General Clinic‎: ‎+30 26610 36044
Police: 100

Municipal police: +30 26610 29156

Tourist police: 1571

Breakdown service: 10400

Fire department: 199

Harboumaster : +30 26613 65200

Radio taxi: +30 26613 3811


Curiosities

  • If you are a vegetarian, you will probably cross the majority of the menu plates, but do not worry, you will find for sure something you like. Vegetarian versions of “Moussaka” and “Pastitsio” are usually available upon request and might be two good options. See the top 5 Greek dishes article for more information.
  • You have to be aware that alphabet is different and so names of places, restaurants and pubs can be difficult to remember as well as product labels to understand.
  • The Patron of the island is Saint Spyridon.
  • The most common female names are Spiridoula, Maria, Dimitra and Cristina while, for males, the most common names are Spiros, Yannis, Kostas, Dimitri and Nikos. So, you do no have to be surprise if the taxi driver who pick you up at the airport, the person responsible for the check in, as well as the barman, are all named Spyros, as the Saint Patron of the island.
  • For not-native speakers, Greek songs vaguely remind Arabic melodies as well as the cadency of the Greek language can vaguely remind the Arabic language.

And now it is your turn to discover the rest!