Driving in Corfu is easier than visitors expect — but a few habits the locals know save you time, fuel and the occasional broken mirror. This is the guide we wish every guest read before picking up their keys.
The basics
- Side of the road: Right-hand drive (like the rest of mainland Europe). Steering wheel is on the left.
- Licence: Any EU driving licence is valid. Non-EU visitors should have an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued in their home country, plus their original licence.
- Minimum age: 21 for standard cars, 25 for premium and luxury vehicles. The driver must have held the licence for at least 1 year.
- Seatbelts: Mandatory for all passengers, front and rear.
- Mobile phones: Hands-free only. Police actively enforce this.
Speed limits
- Towns and villages: 50 km/h
- Open road outside towns: 70-90 km/h depending on signage
- Highways: not really applicable in Corfu — there is no motorway on the island
In practice, the winding nature of most Corfu roads means you will rarely exceed 60-70 km/h even on "fast" sections. Driving slower than the posted limit is normal and safer.
The roads themselves
Corfu's road network falls into three categories:
- Main coastal road (Corfu Town → Acharavi → Sidari): Mostly two-lane, well-paved, easy. Some bypass sections feel almost like a small motorway.
- Inland and coastal secondary roads: Single lane each way, winding, often with sharp blind corners. Still paved and fine for any standard car. This is where you spend most of your time.
- Village access roads: Some hotel and villa access roads in Paleokastritsa, Pelekas and the Pantokrator area are very narrow — sometimes barely one car wide, with stone walls on both sides. Drive slowly, sound your horn before blind corners.
Mountain driving (Pantokrator, Pelekas, Lakones)
The roads up to Mount Pantokrator (906 m), to Bella Vista in Lakones, or up to Pelekas are paved but have many switchbacks. A few rules from years of guiding visitors up these:
- Use a low gear (2nd) on the descent to avoid burning the brakes.
- Sound your horn before blind corners — locals do this and you should too.
- If you meet a car at a narrow point, the vehicle going downhill is expected to reverse to a wider passing point. This is convention, not law.
- Goats are everywhere. They will not move quickly. Stop.
Parking
- Corfu Town: The Old Town is pedestrian-only. Park at the New Port (paid, ~€8-12/day), the Saroko Square underground car park, or the free street parking around the Spianada area (look for blue lines = paid, white lines = free).
- Resorts and beaches: Almost always free. Paid parking only at a few peak-season hotspots (Glyfada, Logas Beach café, Paleokastritsa main beach in August).
- Important: Never park on yellow or red painted curbs. Local police do tow.
Fuel & filling stations
- Plenty of stations on main roads. Most close 21:00-22:00.
- A few 24-hour stations exist in Corfu Town and on the road to the airport.
- If you are heading to remote west or north-west spots (Cape Drastis, Porto Timoni), top up before leaving the main road.
- Fuel prices are similar to mainland Greece — typically €1.80-1.95/litre for unleaded.
Things tourists get wrong
From years of phone calls, the most common mistakes:
- Trusting Google Maps over road signs. Google sometimes routes through one-way alleys or impossibly narrow village paths. If a road looks too small, it probably is — turn around.
- Driving too fast on coastal sections. The road from Ipsos to Kassiopi has many blind cliffs. Locals overtake when they know the road; you should not.
- Forgetting fuel before mountain drives. Mt Pantokrator and the Lakones-Pagi road have no stations. Plan ahead.
- Parking on yellow lines outside tavernas. Even if a local does it, you may get a ticket.
- Driving into Corfu Town. The Old Town is pedestrian; even the New Town is choked. Park at the port and walk.
Roadside assistance
All our rentals include 24/7 roadside assistance. If anything happens — flat tyre, mechanical issue, scratch in a tight street — call us. We send help, replace the car if needed, and handle paperwork in English or Greek.
The good news
Despite the cautions above, driving in Corfu is genuinely enjoyable. Traffic is light outside Corfu Town, scenery is constantly spectacular, and most days you will spend more time looking at the sea than at other cars. The freedom to stop at a beach the moment you spot it is what makes a Corfu holiday with a car different from one without.
For ideas on where that freedom takes you, see our guide to the best beaches by car and our 5-day self-drive itinerary.