Getting from Crete to Igoumenitsa

If you are heading to Igoumenitsa from Crete you are making your way to the main gateway port of northwestern Greece, a practical and underrated city on the Epirus coast that serves as the departure point for ferries to Corfu and Paxos and for international crossings to Italy.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Crete to Igoumenitsa. The two are not connected by sea. Getting there by sea means taking the overnight ferry from Crete to Piraeus and then travelling by road northwest to Igoumenitsa, which takes around 5 to 6 hours from Athens via Patras and the Rio-Antirrio bridge.

Getting there by air

Igoumenitsa has no airport. The nearest airport is Ioannina, around 83 kilometres to the east. Flying from Crete to Athens takes around 50 minutes and then Athens to Ioannina takes around 50 minutes, followed by a bus or taxi to Igoumenitsa taking around 1.5 hours. Total travel time is around 4 to 5 hours.

Your best option

Fly to Ioannina via Athens and take the bus to Igoumenitsa. It is the fastest approach and gets you there in under 5 hours from Crete. If you are heading to Igoumenitsa to connect to Corfu or Paxos, ferries to Corfu run up to 18 times daily year-round with the trip taking around 1 hour 20 minutes.