How to Get from Athens to Kefalonia (2026 Ferry & Flight)
Flying directly is the recommended way to reach Kefalonia from Athens. This 2026 guide also explains the alternative route involving a drive to Kyllini and a ferry crossing for those preferring land travel.
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Published: October 30, 2024
| Updated: May 19, 2026
•By Pavlos Inglesis
•
16 min read
•
GreeceKefalonia
You 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 take 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!)
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. Kefalonia is not very well connected to Athens and the best way to get there is to fly directly
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 want to spend a few days in Athens, obviously).
So, if you have to go through Athens, then here are the 2 options you have:
Poros port in Kefalonia is pretty small but it’s where the ferries from Kyllini town will drop you
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 in the northern part of the Peloponnese.
You can always search directly from here for the available ferries to Kefalonia:
Ferryhopper is the largest and safest 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)
It goes without saying that whatever I am detailing in this post also applies to the return trip from Kefalonia to Athens. Levante Ferries are the ones that will take you from Kyllini to Poros New Port in Kefalonia
The best way to get from Athens to Kefalonia is 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 old-fashioned and chaotic (see below how to get there)
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. The best is to just take the KTEL Bus for 27 euros, that do NOT include the ferry ticket
The 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 written in 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 toKefalonia: 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 in visiting Athens, I highly recommend you fly directly to Kefalonia from a European city. 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.
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 from Kefalonia to Athens):
Athens to Kefalonia Ferry Schedule
Levante Ferries are the best to take you to Kefalonia Poros port (from Kyllini) and they are pretty big and modern
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 a typical Ferry Schedule from Kyllini to Kefalonia in the summer months (May, June, July, August, and September);the trip is 1.5 hours long
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.
If you book your ticket through Ferryhopper you are going to get a link through email where you can download the tickets with the barcode that looks like this (it will open up in your browser, and you can just screenshot it); this ticket will have your seat number as well, and it is individual for every passenger, so kids and vehicles will have their own barcodes and separate ticketsLevante ferries take 1.5 hours to get you from Kyllini to Kefalonia (Poros Port)Levante ferries are comfortable and modern from the insideThere is a small cafe with snacks in the Levante Ferries
BUS FROM ATHENS TO KEFALONIA
There is a KTEL bus from Athens to Kefalonia that can take you straight to Kefalonia, but it’s just a ride from Athens to Kyllini port and then a ferry and a 30-minute ride to Argostoli town in Kefalonia; you can take them from the KTEL Central Bus Station in the Kifissos area in Athens
The Kefalonia Local Bus company operates a route from Athens to Kefalonia, which is basically a bus that will take you from the 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:
This is the route of the bus from Athens to Kefalonia with all of its stops in the 7.5-hour trip that will take you to Argostoli town (including the ferry from Kyllini)There are usually three buses a day from Athens to Kefalonia – Argostoli (it’s through Kyllini port), and the ticket does NOT include the 13 euro ferry ticket
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 in Kifissos is a very old building that’s pretty much the same since the 50’s but…it does the job, I guess; there are several bus bays for each prefecture in GreeceAthens Bus Station is located in the 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.
There are lots of KTEL Buses that depart from Kifissos central bus station in Athens but there is also another smaller KTEL Bus Station in Athens called Liossion Bus Station, where some other buses depart (mainly for Volos, Larisa, Karditsa, and Trikala towns in northern Greece). The ticket area of Kifissos Bus Station has kiosks for every destination (there is no central office you can go to; you have to find the one that operates your destination)The ticket area of Kifissos Bus Station can become very busy a few minutes before departure, so make sure you arrive well in advance as you need the printout ticket to enter the bus (not in every bus, though, as some of them accept the electronic ticket) Don’t expect any luxuries in Kifissos Bus Station, and apart from a coffee shop that sells Greek pasties, you won’t find much foodThe coffee shop area in Kifissos has a few tables where you can sit and have something to eat or drinkEvery bus bay has a sign on top for the destination/prefecture that it serves; you have to find yours and wait there to enter the bus, as there are no announcements or electronic displays to show departures.There are lots of buses that go to almost everywhere in Greece in the Kifissos Bus StationThere are Athens Local Buses that will drop you literally at the Kifissos bus stationThe interior of the KTEL Buses is pretty standard and most of the buses are quite new actually.
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
This is the route of the express bus X93 from Athens Airport to Kifissos Bus Station (it’s a 45-minute ride and the ticket costs 6 euros)
From Piraeus Port to Kifissos Bus Station: you have to take the 420 Bus
This is the route of the 420 Bus from Piraeus Port to Kifissos Bus Station (it’s a 30-minute ride and the ticket costs 1.60 euros)
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). Kefalonia’s airport has recently been renovated and it’s located just a few minutes drive from Argostoli town
A few useful info to have in mind when booking your flight to Kefalonia:
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 Flightsas 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 the same airline with a different brand name)
Kefalonia Airport (EFL) has plenty of space and the check-in process is relatively easy and quick.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.
Kefalonia airport has plenty of restaurants and Duty-Free Shops
I honestly believe that it’s 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.
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, Nottingham, 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.
Tags:GreeceKefalonia
Last updated: May 19, 2026
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