You basically have two ways to get from Athens to Kefalonia: drive to Kyllini (or take the KTEL Intercity bus from Athens) and then take the ferry or just fly directly. It’s usually best to fly, but I am explaining everything below.
Honestly, I believe that the Best Way to get from Athens to Kefalonia is by taking the 1-hour direct flight and avoiding buses and ferries overall.
Alternatively, if you are just flying from anywhere within Europe to Greece, chances are there might be a direct flight from a European city to Kefalonia as there are a lot of direct international flights to Kefalonia from all over Europe every year. This applies basically to every Ionian island, like Corfu and Zakynthos.
A direct flight from a European city (other than Athens) is usually a much better option than flying to Athens first and then trying to get the bus/ferry to Kefalonia, so I highly recommend you check that first (unless you really want to spend a few days in Athens obviously).
So, if you really have to go through Athens then here are the 2 options you have:
| How Long It Takes | Cost* | |
| Bus to Kyllini & Ferry (bus/drive to Kyllini port and then ferry) | 7.5 hours (it’s only 3 hours drive to Kyllini port but the KTEL bus makes it in 6 hours & the ferry from Kyllini is 1.5 hours) | 27 euros bus to Kefalonia (ferry price is NOT included, and it costs 13 euros additionally) |
| Flight (from Athens Intl. Airport) | 1 hour | 100 to 250 euros |
There are no direct ferries from Athens to Kefalonia so you have to reach the town of Kyllini and then take the 1.5-hour ferry to get to Kefalonia. But I think that this is too much hassle if you only have a few days on the island of Kefalonia so I highly suggest you just take the direct flight from Athens International Airport to Kefalonia. However, if you do decide to get the bus to Kyllini and then the quick ferry, you will see some beautiful areas on the northern part of Peloponnese.
You can always search directly from here the available ferries to Kefalonia:
- Ferryhopper is the largest and most safe website in Greece to book your ferry tickets from Athens to Kefalonia, but you can also use it just for checking timetables and prices between Athens and all greek islands.
- Booking.com Flights has all the available options for flights from Athens to Kefalonia or Cephallonia (PAS is Paros’s airport code) with all possible airlines (Aegean, Olympic, Sky Express)
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It goes without saying that whatever I am detailing in this post also applies to the return trip from Kefalonia to Athens.
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ATHENS TO KEFALONIA TIPS:
- You basically have 2 options for getting from Athens to Kefalonia: by bus & ferry or by plane.
- Best way To get From Athens to Kefalonia: by direct flight (1 hour) because it’s just a lot faster; the ferry might be worth checking though if money is an issue or if you cannot find a flight ticket
- Best Website for Ferry Prices & Timetables: Ferryhopper
- There is no direct ferry from Athens to Kefalonia but you have to get to Kyllini port first (3.5 hours drive from Athens)
- Bus from Athens to Kyllini: you have to take it from the Central KTEL Bus Station (on Google Maps) which is unfortunately one of the worst in the country and really old-fashioned and chaotic (see below how to get there)
- Kyllini Port on Google Maps
- Poros New Port (in Kefalonia) on Google Maps
- Between April-October there are usually 4 ferries from Kyllini to Poros New Port in Kefalonia
- How long is the ferry ride from Athens to Kefalonia: there is no direct ferry, but you have to drive to Kyllini first (3.5 hours) and then take the 1.5 hours ferry to Kefalonia
- How much does it cost to take a ferry from Athens to Kefalonia: there is no direct ferry from Athens but the ferry from Kyllini costs around 13 euros but the best is to just take the KTEL Bus with 27 euros that DOES NOT include the ferry ticket though
- Where to Get the bus from Athens to Kyllini/Kefalonia: from Kifissos KTEL Bus Station
- Best Way to Get From Athens Airport to KTEL Kifissou Bus Station is by taking the Express Bus X93 (see its route here)
- Where to Book the Bus from Athens to Kefalonia: from KTEL Kefalonias website
- You must book your ferry online and you can then enter the ferry with the barcode that will be on the email that will be sent to you. This will be clearly written on the email you will receive from Ferryhopper and it is now the system that most ferry companies use BUT some smaller companies may ask you to get a printout from a kiosk that is outside of the ferry and it is this print out that will allow you to enter the ferry. As a rule of thumb, if your ticket you got through email from Ferryhopper has a barcode then you can enter the ferry directly.
- How long is the flight from Athens to Kefalonia: the flight is 1 hour long, and checking in is usually quick but you have to be 2 hours in advance at the airport, as with any flight in the world.
- Direct International Flights to Kefalonia: there are many international flights to Kefalonia from all over Europe and if you have no interest on visiting Athens, I highly recommend you fly directly to Kefalonia from a European city. Actually, if you are flying from the US or Canada, I recommend you fly to a European city first (London, Amsterdam or Paris) and then take a direct flight to Kefalonia. Taking the bus from Athens might be too much of a hassle.
- The Best Airline to fly from Athens to Kefalonia is Aegean Airlines (Check flights on Booking.com Flights)
- Strikes in Greece: strikes can happen anytime in Greece and for any means of public transportation within short notice; usually, they may happen on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays; yes, they may mess up your trip but they are necessary for the hard-working people of Greece so that they can have decent salaries and benefits for their lives. So, get over it and try to find some alternatives for your trip (a taxi is usually the best option).
- Strong Winds – Ferries Cancellations: in case there are strong winds (which can be pretty common in August in Greece), then the Greek Port Authorities may stop all ferries from departing, so bear in mind this is also a possibility that can mess up your trip; as an average there might be 4-5 days during the summer months that this can happen so get prepared
- Punctuality of ferries in Greece: in general, all ferries in Greece depart on time with no delays, and they won’t wait for you if you are late; however, they don’t always arrive on time as there are weather or other conditions that may affect their route to the islands along the way
- The Ferry Schedule for all greek islands is announced only 2-3 months before the actual trips, so if you cannot find any scheduled ferries for your trip 3 years from now, please check again 2 months before your actual trip.
Ok, so let’s see all the available options from Athens to Kefalonia (that also apply to the return trip Kefalonia to Athens):
Athens to Kefalonia Ferry Schedule
Let me be clear first: there is no direct ferry from Athens to Kefalonia nor from Kefalonia to Athens. You have to get to Kyllini port first.
The Ferry Schedule from Athens to Kefalonia is only announced a few months before the actual dates of the trips, which means that the times for the busy summer months of May, June, July, August and September are only announced around February or March of the same year.
These ferries only connect Kyllini to Kefalonia (Poros Port), so you have to get to Kyllini first!
Here is an example of a Ferry Schedule from Athens to Kefalonia in September from Ferryhopper:
This is just an example of a ferry schedule though!
For the latest Ferry schedule, always check on Ferryhopper.
The winter ferry schedule is less frequent, probably 1-2 ferries daily.
BUS FROM ATHENS TO KEFALONIA
The Kefalonia Local Bus company operates a route from Athens to Kefalonia, which is basically a bus that will take you from Athens Central Bus station in Kifissos to Kyllini to take the ferry and then drive you to Argostoli town in Kefalonia. The whole journey has plenty of stops and it can be tiring in my opinion as it may take up to 7.5 hours.
Here is the Athens to Kefalonia bus Route:
You can book the ticket for the Athens to Kefalonia Bus here
The whole bus ride takes about 7.5 hours of which the 1.5 hours is on the ferry from Kyllini. Once you reach the port of Poros, there is a 1 hour ride to the central bus station of Argostoli town through many villages and small towns on the island.
ATHENS BUS STATION (KIFISSOS)
Athens Bus Station is located in Kifissos area and it’s probably the worst in the country with very old facilities and amenities, that is also pretty difficult to reach as it’s not close to anything.
Here is Kifissos Bus Station on Google Maps.
HOW TO GET TO KIFISSOS BUS STATION
There are only Athens buses that serve Kifissos Bus Terminal in Athens and there is no metro connection.
So here are the possible ways you can reach the station:
- From Athens International Airport: you have to take the X93 Express Bus
You can also see the details of X93 Route and timetables on the official website of Athens Buses.
- From Piraeus Port to Kifissos Bus Station: you have to take the 420 Bus
FLIGHTS TO KEFALONIA
The best and cheapest website to book or search for flights to Kefalonia is Booking.com Flights, as it has all the available options (including any available low-cost airlines like Ryanair).
A few useful info to have in mind when booking your flight to Kefalonia:
- Kefalonia Airport on Google Maps
- Athens Airport Code is : ATH (Athens)
- Kefalonia Airport Code is: EFL (Cephalonia)
- Every plane that lands on Kefalonia, takes off after 1 hour to fly back to Athens.
- The exact times of the flights change and they are not the same throughout the year, so make sure you get the right times from Booking.com Flights as it will give you all the available flights immediately.
- There are more flights from Athens to Kefalonia between April – October (high season)
- If you book your tickets well in advance (6 months) you could probably find some very good deals with return tickets.
- The cost of the flight from Athens to Kefalonia may come up to 250 euros during the high season (April-October)
The airlines that fly from Athens to Kefalonia (April-October) are:
- Aegean Airlines (Olympic Air is basically the same airline with a different brand name)
- Sky Express
I highly recommend you fly to Kefalonia instead of taking the bus and ferry from Athens.
There are flights to and from Kefalonia from pretty much anywhere in Europe. This is extremely helpful, in my opinion, as it’s much better to fly directly to the island from somewhere in Europe instead of wasting time with the bus and the ferry.
I honestly believe that, it’s definitely worth flying to Kefalonia and you should do it instead of taking the bus and the ferry from Kyllini. You will be on the island within 2.5 hours in total (1 hour flight and 1.5 hours for the check-in process at the airport) and you will avoid dealing with the bus and the ferry after all.
Check the latest available flights to Kefalonia on Booking.com Flights.
Kefalonia Airport is International, which means there are direct flights from London, Milan, Rome, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Brussels, Tel Aviv, Berlin, Warsaw, Glasgow, Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Nottigham and many more European destinations.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long is the ferry ride from Athens to Kefalonia?
There is no direct ferry to Kefalonia from Athens, so you have to take a bus that will take you to Kyllini port first, which takes 4 hours and then the ferry takes 1.5 hours to get to Kefalonia. The journey might take more than 7 hours overall and is not worth it, in my opinion. A direct flight to Kefalonia is much more convenient and faster (but more expensive).
What is the best way to travel from Athens to Kefalonia?
The best way to travel from Athens to Kefalonia is by direct flight because it is quicker and easier than getting on the 7-hour bus and ferry. The flight is only 1 hour on the air and Kefalonia Airport is modern and easy to get to.
Is it better to fly or ferry to Kefalonia?
It is better to fly to Kefalonia because in order to take the ferry, you need to get to Kyllini port first, with a 7-hour bus ride from Athens. The bus and the ferry to Kefalonia might be a better option if money is an issue and you are looking for the absolute cheapest way to get to the island.
CONCLUSION
You basically have 2 options to get from Athens to Kefalonia: by plane or by a bus and ferry. I recommend taking the flight instead of the bus and ferry because the bus and ferry takes ages. Flying is the best option if you also have a family with young kids (no way they are going through a 7.5 hour road and ferry trip…good luck with that!)
