Links - Helping you plan for your trip to Paxos

Here are some useful links and tips if planning a visit to Paxos

I have already listed suppliers of the Map Booklet who (apart from FOI) are the best sources of villas and apartments to rent. These same agencies will also arrange flights and ferries.

If you want to travel independently, you can, of course, book flights on the Web.

ExcelAir www.xl.com do reliable flights (beware, they often take-off before the scheduled flight-time!) to Corfu from Gatwick and Manchester. There are other, sometimes cheaper, flights and from other UK airports (we find cheaper Charter Flights tend to be more subject to delays). All operate only between May and early October.

For some reason which I don’t understand, nearly all flights to and from Corfu/UK seems to be concentrated on Mondays. There are, I believe, a few on Fridays but the rest of the week seems to be largely blank. Allow at least an hour to collect your luggage at Corfu Airport. At busy time it can be chaotic!

BAdirect starting operating flights on Fridays and Saturdays which were very good but they have now sold out to EasyJet and may not be so reliable.

It is worth noting that not all airlines list CORFU as such. Some refer to it a Kerkira and some, BA included, as Kapodistria. It all makes life more complicated!

All the above are basically Charter Flights as Corfu is not apparently recognised as an International Airport. If you want a Scheduled Flight, you will have to use Athens which mean another ‘hop’ by Greek Airlines, Athens/Corfu or (and we’ve never done this but have met others who have) you can get a ‘bus to Paxos! This will take you to the Greek port of Patras and from there a scheduled ferry connects to the Ionian Islands. I suspect it will take you an extra day each way.

In the past, flight/ferry conflicts have often meant spending a night in Corfu. Currently the Atlantis Hotel, immediately opposite the pedestrian gate to the New Port, seems to be the most convenient place to stay overnight, should it become necessary.

Ferries from Corfu can usually be booked down at the New Port (get a taxi from the Airport and ask for the Paxi ferry.) and only the high-speed hydrofoils are usually full. (Book them through the Agencies above or phone [Corfu] 26610/38690).

The first ferry usually leaves quite early in the morning (which is fine if you have come in on an overnight flight). There is usually another about 14.00hrs. but if you miss that you might have to wait until about 19.00. There are also SEA-TAXIS, high speed speedboats carrying about 10 passengers and luggage. VERY expensive but useful if all else fails. Telephone 6932/232072 or 6977/623033.

Note that all ferry sailings can be affected by the weather. In rough conditions you may have to wait for the big, vehicle, ferries which go via Igoumenitsa and take up to 3 hours. It is a pleasant sail though.

Next Page