What to do in Corfu?

[quanmama]

We have reserved a private taxi tour in Corfu. Although the guide has received excellent reviews and it seems to be the most ideal way to tour, the price is a bit steep for us. It is 40 Euros per hour so if we go for a full day tour, that is 320 Euros. Since it is a taxi with 4 passengers, we cannot share the tour because there are 3 of us. I like to hear what folks have done at this port. Did many of you just head to the beach and chill out? Any specific sightseeing? Is it easy to get around town on your own?

 

Thanks!

[texancruzer]

I have to chime in here !!!! We actually did a ships tour while visiting Corfu. Don't normally like to do those but we had a great day !

 

The island is really pretty, very green and not what you envision when you think of Greek islands. Usually rocky and mostly barren. But since it is so far north and west it gets alot more rain than other areas and hence is very green. There are over a million olive trees on the island. They call it the Emerald Isle.

 

We really enjoyed the mountains and the lush green and the views were stupendous. We went to the monastary, a few small villages in the mountains and then a village by the sea for lunch. Then back to Corfu town for some free time to shop etc..... from there you could ride the bus back to the ship or get back on your own ( not really far) if you wanted to stay longer.

 

so a little of both worlds.....allowing us to see some of this beautiful island and spend some time in town. Very unique architecture since the Ventians were here for some time and the buildings reflect that.

 

I think it is a good thing to get out and see some of the island...... but be sure to save some time for town too.

[Podie]

Have you considered renting a car for the day? That's what we're doing.

[quanmama]

I have to chime in here !!!! We actually did a ships tour while visiting Corfu. Don't normally like to do those but we had a great day !

 

The island is really pretty, very green and not what you envision when you think of Greek islands. Usually rocky and mostly barren. But since it is so far north and west it gets alot more rain than other areas and hence is very green. There are over a million olive trees on the island. They call it the Emerald Isle.

 

We really enjoyed the mountains and the lush green and the views were stupendous. We went to the monastary, a few small villages in the mountains and then a village by the sea for lunch. Then back to Corfu town for some free time to shop etc..... from there you could ride the bus back to the ship or get back on your own ( not really far) if you wanted to stay longer.

 

so a little of both worlds.....allowing us to see some of this beautiful island and spend some time in town. Very unique architecture since the Ventians were here for some time and the buildings reflect that.

 

I think it is a good thing to get out and see some of the island...... but be sure to save some time for town too.

 

Texancruzer--thanks for the shareing. Which ship tour were you on?

[quanmama]

Have you considered renting a car for the day? That's what we're doing.

 

Hmm..not sure if my hubby wants to drive in a foreign country (he just wants to sit back and relax!). I personally think it is a good idea but I do not want to be the only person driving.

[texancruzer]

Texancruzer--thanks for the shareing. Which ship tour were you on?

 

We were on Royal Caribbean (Brilliance) in Nov. 2007. We did this one

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do;jsessionid=00009krqjZc8H_F_GqnAmFGlkQm:13hldio7n?sourcePage=shorexByPort&ProductCode=CG06&DestinationCode=EUROP

 

Very reasonable price for 7 hours PLUS lunch. Enjoyed lunch as it was really good. The owner of the restaurant did 2 or 3 traditional Greek dances for us too.

[quanmama]

We were on Royal Caribbean (Brilliance) in Nov. 2007. We did this one

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do;jsessionid=00009krqjZc8H_F_GqnAmFGlkQm:13hldio7n?sourcePage=shorexByPort&ProductCode=CG06&DestinationCode=EUROP

 

Very reasonable price for 7 hours PLUS lunch. Enjoyed lunch as it was really good. The owner of the restaurant did 2 or 3 traditional Greek dances for us too.

 

Thanks for the information. We have to sit and think about it. We have asked to cut down the tour to 6 hours so to decrease the cost a bit. It is good for us to have a shorter tour since after touring all the other ports, we might get "tour out" by then!

[PC168]

We will be in Corfu on Tues. July 20 from 7 to 1pm. Can we do our own tour in this country such as take the public transit etc. Are they near by from the cruise port? What are the sightseeing highlites? Please share this info if you ever had done this before. Perhaps a transit and city map would be helpful.

 

Thanks in advance. Appreciated.

[Hlitner]

We found that renting a car in Corfu was both easy and quite cheap. There are several rental car companies right at the port and we were able to get a car for about $50 for the day. Corfu is an easy island to navigate and we simply drove ourselves around a good part of the island stopping at various beaches, cafes, etc. Total cost for 2 for the entire day was about $70 (car plus gas) plus a few additional Euros for food and drink.

Other than driving the island, Corfu Town is best explored on foot and is within walking distance of the port or a short shuttle ride. After we finished driving around the island we parked our car in Corfu Town, did some shopping, and than dropped the car at the port before returning to the ship. We are not sure what is to be gained by a "tour" of this island other than a guide saying, "this is a beach," "this is a small town," etc.

 

Hank

[happy_travellers]

We found that renting a car in Corfu was both easy and quite cheap. There are several rental car companies right at the port and we were able to get a car for about $50 for the day. Corfu is an easy island to navigate and we simply drove ourselves around a good part of the island stopping at various beaches, cafes, etc. Total cost for 2 for the entire day was about $70 (car plus gas) plus a few additional Euros for food and drink.

Other than driving the island, Corfu Town is best explored on foot and is within walking distance of the port or a short shuttle ride. After we finished driving around the island we parked our car in Corfu Town, did some shopping, and than dropped the car at the port before returning to the ship. We are not sure what is to be gained by a "tour" of this island other than a guide saying, "this is a beach," "this is a small town," etc.

 

Hank

 

Hank did you go north of Town while on your drive. Can you give me an idea of a driving tour? What car rental did you use? Thanks Karen

[dogged]

Renting a car in Corfu is a great way to get around and very affordable. We rented a small jeep just outside the port gates -- drove to the beaches for a while, then continued on a circle around the island. It was a very easy drive - good roads, good signage. We stopped when the mood hit us to grab an ice cream or to stop at an internet cafe to phone home. You would really miss the essence of the island if you are on a ship's tour.

[Hlitner]

Hank did you go north of Town while on your drive. Can you give me an idea of a driving tour? What car rental did you use? Thanks Karen

 

Sorry to be so long in responding but we are out of the country and do not have access to our maps and notes. When we rented on Corfu we did explore the area North of the cruise port where there are many small villages, beaches, etc. On that most recent visit we were a bit off-season (April) so the beaches were still desserted and not in use. For us, it was just a matter of a long drive where we stopped at various cafes for breaks and just enjoyed the landscape. To be honest, we have no idea about specific driving tours since we consider "tour" to be a four letter word :)

 

Hank

[Terpnut]

I also recommend renting a car. It's the easiest and cheapest way to get around the island! Why spend 40Euro/hr on a taxi driver when, for perhaps 5-15 Euros more, you can have a nice car to yourself and do what you want for the entire day?

[fllchick]

I'll be in Corfu in September and I love the idea of renting a car and driving around on our own! Do any of the car rental companies have automatic? Neither of us know how to drive stick.....Thanks!

[Hlitner]

I'll be in Corfu in September and I love the idea of renting a car and driving around on our own! Do any of the car rental companies have automatic? Neither of us know how to drive stick.....Thanks!

 

That could be a real problem as it is very difficult to find automatics in many parts of Europe. My suggestion would be to use the internet to find most of the rental car companies in Corfu and than send them e-mails asking if they can rent you an automatic. Be prepared to pay more money. Your other alternative is to find a friend at home who has a stick and have him/her teach you to use a manual. It's actually quite easy and most can learn within an hour.

 

Hank

[OceanJeanie]

There's an old fort in town which in itself is moderately interesting, but the view at the top gave us a great overview of the city and surrounding area. Jeanie

[agabbymama]

Corfu Town is easy to walk around, but getting from the pier to the town is about 2 miles. Taxi's are at the pier, and when we were there in '08, charged 10 EUR each way. The streets are a maze of small alley like streets. There is the fort, but there is also an old church. And when you reach the main square, there are carriage rides lined up.

 

We took the carriage ride around town for 40 EUR, then just walked the streets on our own. We passed a Hagen Daz ice cream parlor, and they had a sign outside of an iced coffee with caramel. We went in, decided to have one. It was the best coffee either of us has ever had. It was prepared like an ice cream sundae, only with coffee, and caramel was dripping down. Scrumptios!!!

 

Then in the main square, taxi's are in a queue to take folks back to the ship, but we missed lunch, so went to the burger stand by the pool. It was a nice relaxing day. Enjoy it!

[CRUIZE1]

I'll be in Corfu in September and I love the idea of renting a car and driving around on our own! Do any of the car rental companies have automatic? Neither of us know how to drive stick.....Thanks!

We are renting from Corfu sunrise and they do have automatic cars - although it is more expensive, I think.

[floridafolks]

We walked from the pier to the bus stop and headed to Paleo beach and lounged around and took the grotto boat ride there. When we were ready, we headed back on the city bus and then walked around fort area and Old Town-sampling the kumquat liqour along the way. We then walked back to the ship. -----Very easy, relaxing, enjoyable day. Our cruise was very port intensive so it was nice to have a low key day.

[crusingmickey]

We walked from the pier to the bus stop and headed to Paleo beach and lounged around and took the grotto boat ride there. When we were ready, we headed back on the city bus and then walked around fort area and Old Town-sampling the kumquat liqour along the way. We then walked back to the ship. -----Very easy, relaxing, enjoyable day. Our cruise was very port intensive so it was nice to have a low key day.

 

 

This sounds like what we want to do too!! Was it difficult to get the bus. How did you figure out what bus to take? Any help is appreciated.

[floridafolks]

This sounds like what we want to do too!! Was it difficult to get the bus. How did you figure out what bus to take? Any help is appreciated.

I had gone online to find where the bus terminal was located(not a big station) It was on the way from the pier to Old Town--app. midway. --very easy to find -just a block off the main road as you walk from pier to Old town. (sorry, I do not have the address but I remember I just googled and got it) When we got to the station the bus was waiting(we even got the bus schedule online so we knew it would be there waiting). You buy tickets from a machine- but we couldn't really understand the greek, so the locals helped us figure it out. We got on the bus and away we went---EASY! There will be several buses waiting so just ask which one goes to Paleo Beach. When we got to the beach we asked the driver where to be to catch the bus back and what the schedule was--it is even posted at the bus stop, but I always ask. This helped us plan how long to spend at the beach and when to take the grotto boat trip and lunch etc It is a very relaxing day- no crowds-- just beautiful water!

[happy_travellers]

That could be a real problem as it is very difficult to find automatics in many parts of Europe. My suggestion would be to use the internet to find most of the rental car companies in Corfu and than send them e-mails asking if they can rent you an automatic. Be prepared to pay more money. Your other alternative is to find a friend at home who has a stick and have him/her teach you to use a manual. It's actually quite easy and most can learn within an hour.

 

Hank

We have rented a manual for 45.Eur from Sunrise. They quoted 10 Euro more for an automatic.

 

Thinking of trying to go as far north as Kassiopia any thoughts? Karen

[crusingmickey]

I had gone online to find where the bus terminal was located(not a big station) It was on the way from the pier to Old Town--app. midway. --very easy to find -just a block off the main road as you walk from pier to Old town. (sorry, I do not have the address but I remember I just googled and got it) When we got to the station the bus was waiting(we even got the bus schedule online so we knew it would be there waiting). You buy tickets from a machine- but we couldn't really understand the greek, so the locals helped us figure it out. We got on the bus and away we went---EASY! There will be several buses waiting so just ask which one goes to Paleo Beach. When we got to the beach we asked the driver where to be to catch the bus back and what the schedule was--it is even posted at the bus stop, but I always ask. This helped us plan how long to spend at the beach and when to take the grotto boat trip and lunch etc It is a very relaxing day- no crowds-- just beautiful water!

 

 

Thanks so much!

Lisa

[KerriCornell]

We have rented a manual for 45.Eur from Sunrise. They quoted 10 Euro more for an automatic.

 

Thinking of trying to go as far north as Kassiopia any thoughts? Karen

 

We just reserved a rental car as well with Sunrise. It was 55 euro for an automatic and they meet you at the pier. Seems like an excellent deal!

 

Does anyone have any experience exploring the island via rental car? Any particular beaches, towns, cafes, etc that were memorable?

[KerriCornell]

We have rented a manual for 45.Eur from Sunrise. They quoted 10 Euro more for an automatic.

 

Thinking of trying to go as far north as Kassiopia any thoughts? Karen

 

We just reserved a rental car as well with Sunrise. It was 55 euro for an automatic and they meet you at the pier. Seems like an excellent deal!

 

Does anyone have any experience exploring the island via rental car? Any particular beaches, towns, cafes, etc that were memorable?