Getting from Symi to Corfu

If you are heading to Corfu from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to an island in the Ionian Sea with a UNESCO World Heritage Site town and a lush green coastline, on the opposite side of Greece.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Corfu. No Dodecanese island is connected by sea to any Ionian island. Getting there means taking the ferry from Symi to Rhodes, which takes around 50 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes and runs multiple times daily, and then flying from Rhodes to Athens and then Athens to Corfu, or driving northwest to Igoumenitsa for the ferry across to Corfu, which takes around 1 hour 30 minutes and runs multiple times daily.

Getting there by air

Corfu has an international airport with daily connections from Athens. Symi has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Taking the ferry from Symi to Rhodes, flying from Rhodes to Athens and then Athens to Corfu takes around 1 hour on the second leg. Total journey time is around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the ferry from Symi to Rhodes and fly from Rhodes to Athens, then fly from Athens to Corfu. It is the fastest and most practical approach. Note that Symi is car-free so if you are traveling with a car it would already be in Rhodes, from where you can board the overnight Piraeus ferry in reverse and drive northwest to Igoumenitsa for the ferry across to Corfu, which gives you a vehicle on the island for exploring the coastline and interior villages.