💰 This page covers the street-level details of spending money in Corfu: Corfu Town's Liston and Old Town, the green and blue buses, hiring a boat on the north-east coast, the day trip to Albania, and which machines to use. For Greece-wide ATM tips, DCC warnings, tipping norms, and exchange rate advice:
Read the Greece Money Guide →🎧 Order Euros Before You Fly
Land with euros for the buses, boat hire and beach bars. Insured delivery, 2–5 days.
Order EUR → CEI Currency ExchangeDo You Need Cash in Corfu?
A moderate amount. Corfu Town is card-friendly in its restaurants, shops and museums, and the big resorts at Dassia, Gouvia, Ipsos and Sidari take cards without fuss. The island's cash needs come from its transport and its coastline: the green KTEL buses, small boat-hire operators, sunbeds, and the family tavernas in the hill villages and on the quieter west coast. Around €50 to €100 in your pocket covers it; the Greece money guide names the machines worth using.
Where You Will Need Cash
The green KTEL buses around the island. Sunbeds and umbrellas at Paleokastritsa, Glyfada and Agios Gordios. Small boat-hire operators and water taxis on the north-east coast. Village tavernas in places like Pelekas and Old Perithia. Kumquat liqueur stalls and market stalls. Tips.
Where Cards Work Fine
Hotels and resorts. Restaurants and shops in the Old Town. The Liston cafes. The Achilleion and the Old Fortress ticket offices. Car hire. Taxis, which must carry a card terminal by law. Ferry agencies at the New Port.
The Liston, the Spianada and the Price of the View
The Liston is a row of arcaded buildings designed under French rule and modelled on Paris's Rue de Rivoli, facing the Spianada, Greece's largest square and, improbably, a cricket ground. The cafes under its arches are Corfu Town's living room, and they charge for it: a coffee or a ginger beer (tsitsibira, a British-era survival) costs roughly twice what it does a few streets back, and cocktails more. Menus are posted outside each cafe. It is worth doing once.
The Old Town behind it is a warren of Venetian lanes, the kantounia, and prices drop the deeper you go. Family tavernas around the Jewish quarter and the streets towards the Old Port serve pastitsada, sofrito and bourdeto, the island's Venetian-influenced dishes, at everyday prices, and many take cards.
Cruise days change the maths. Corfu is one of Greece's busiest cruise ports. On days when several ships are in, the Old Town fills by mid-morning, cafe tables near the Spianada are at a premium, and the independent cash machines near the port and the Old Town do brisk business with passengers who did not bring euros. If you are staying on the island, do your Corfu Town visit in the late afternoon, after the ships sail.
Hiring a Boat on the North-East Coast
The north-east coast, facing Albania across a narrow strait, is lined with coves that are easiest to reach by sea. At Agios Stefanos, Kalami, Kouloura and Kassiopi, operators hire out small motorboats for the day that can be driven without a licence, within limits on engine power.
What to agree before paying. Ask whether the price includes fuel, which is sometimes charged separately on return, and what deposit is taken. Some operators want a cash deposit, others a card hold or your passport. Check what the rental covers if you scrape a rock, and photograph the boat before setting off. Prices rise with engine size and in August.
Water taxis and beach bars. Smaller operators run water taxis between the coves, usually paid in cash, and many of the beach tavernas you can only reach by sea take cards but prefer cash for drinks.
Day Trip to Albania: Saranda and Butrint
Albania is thirty minutes away. Fast ferries cross from Corfu's New Port to Saranda several times a day in summer, and agencies sell day trips that include a coach to Butrint, the Greek, Roman and Venetian ruin that is a UNESCO site. Take your passport; Albania is outside the EU, although EU and US citizens do not need a visa for a short visit.
Your euros still work, at a price. Albania's currency is the lek, but in Saranda restaurants, cafes and shops used to Corfu day-trippers take euros, often at a round rate that favours the shop, and give change in lek. Entry to Butrint and some other sites may be priced in lek. A card with no foreign transaction fee is the cheapest way to pay, and a bank machine will dispense lek if you need it. Our Albania money guide covers the details, and spend or exchange leftover lek before the ferry back, because nobody on Corfu will take it.
Paying by Card in Corfu
Corfu divides between a card-friendly town and east coast, and a west and north where cash stays useful.
The Old Town and Liston
Restaurants, the Liston cafes, jewellers and shops take cards. Small kumquat and olive-wood stalls and the cheaper snack bars may want cash.
Gouvia, Dassia and Ipsos
The resort strip north of town. Hotels, marinas and restaurants take cards; beach bars are mixed.
Kassiopi and the north-east
Upmarket villas and tavernas that take cards, and boat hire and water taxis that often want cash deposits.
Sidari and the north
Busy resort with British bars and the Canal d'Amour. Bars take cards; sunbeds and small shops lean on cash, and the independent machines here charge fees.
Paleokastritsa
Monastery and boat trips to the caves. Boat trips are often cash; restaurants take cards.
Hill villages and the south
Pelekas, Old Perithia, Lefkimmi and the southern beaches. Family tavernas and village shops where cash is simplest, and few machines.
ATMs in Corfu
Look for these logos. Any of these four in Corfu Town gives a fair rate with nothing added at the machine.
National Bank of Greece
Piraeus Bank
Eurobank
Alpha BankATM Locations
Corfu Town has branches of all four banks around the Spianada, on Theotoki Street and near San Rocco Square (Saroko). The larger resorts, including Gouvia, Kassiopi, Sidari and Kavos, have at least one bank machine, and more independent ones. Withdraw in town before a day on the west coast or the south. Greece has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner.
⚠ Euronet by the Port and in the Resorts
The independent machines closest to the cruise terminal and along the Sidari and Kavos strips charge their own fee and offer to convert into dollars or pounds. Use a bank machine and choose euros. See our DCC explainer.
Paying for Buses, Taxis and Hire Cars
Two bus companies, two colours. The blue buses are Corfu Town's urban network, reaching the suburbs, the Achilleion and the airport on route 15, with low fares. The green KTEL buses leave from the terminal near the New Fortress for the resorts and villages, with fares by distance. Both are simplest paid in cash; some routes sell tickets at kiosks.
Taxis. Corfu's airport is only a couple of kilometres from the Old Town, so the taxi into town is short and the fare modest, although the island's taxis have a reputation for rounding up to a flat price in summer. Every Greek taxi must have a card terminal, and you are entitled to a receipt; ask for the meter or agree the fare before setting off.
Hire cars. Rental desks take a credit card for the deposit. The island's roads are narrow and winding, and summer parking in Corfu Town is paid at the car parks near the New Port and the Spianada.
Tipping in Corfu
The Greece guide sets out the national custom. On Corfu, leave 5 to 10 percent in cash for good table service, as terminals rarely offer a tip line. Corfu has decades of British holidaymakers, and bar and hotel staff in the north-east and Sidari are used to tips; it is welcome, not required. Boat crews on cave trips and guides at the Achilleion appreciate a few euros.
Prices in Corfu
Corfu is mid-range for the Greek islands: cheaper than the Cyclades stars, pricier on the Liston and in the north-east villa coves.
| Item | Price (EUR) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee on the Liston | €4–7 | $4.60–8 |
| Coffee a few streets back | €2–3.50 | $2.30–4 |
| Pastitsada at a taverna | €12–18 | $14–21 |
| Dinner for two with wine | €40–70 | $46–80 |
| Blue bus fare in town | around €1.50–2 | around $1.70–2.30 |
| Green KTEL bus to Paleokastritsa | €2.50–4 | $2.90–4.60 |
| Small motorboat hire for a day | €80–150 | $92–173 |
| Two sunbeds and an umbrella | €10–25 | $11.50–29 |
| Achilleion palace entry | around €10–12 | around $11.50–14 |
| Day trip to Albania with Butrint | €60–90 | $69–104 |
| Bottle of kumquat liqueur | €8–15 | $9–17 |
| Mid-range hotel night in summer | €90–170 | $104–196 |
USD estimates use approximately €1 = $1.15. Rates fluctuate.
Day Trips from Corfu Town
Saranda and Butrint, Albania (30 minutes by ferry)
Passport, a card and a few euros. Expect change in lek, and spend it before you leave.
Paxos and Antipaxos (1 to 1.5 hours by boat)
Day cruises from Corfu Town and Kavos take cards at the kiosks. Paxos has a few machines in Gaios; Antipaxos has beach tavernas and no machine at all.
Paleokastritsa (40 minutes)
Cash for the green bus, the cave boats and sunbeds. The monastery is free, with a donation box.
The Achilleion (20 minutes)
Empress Sisi's palace takes cards at the ticket office, and the blue bus from town is the cheap way there.
Corfu Quick Reference
| Destination | Cards? | Cash Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liston cafes | ✅ Yes | Double the usual price | Check the posted menu |
| Blue town buses | ❌ Cash | Low fares, route 15 to the airport | Carry coins |
| Green KTEL buses | ❌ Cash | Fares by distance | Terminal near the New Fortress |
| Boat hire | Sometimes | Deposit and fuel | Agree the total first |
| Albania day trip | ✅ Card best | Euros accepted, lek change | Passport required |
| Taxis | ✅ By law | Short hop from the airport | Ask for a receipt |
| ATMs | NBG, Piraeus, Eurobank, Alpha | Withdraw in town | Avoid Euronet at the port |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash in Corfu?
Some. Corfu Town's restaurants, shops and hotels take cards, as do the resorts. Carry 50 to 100 euros for the green KTEL buses, beach sunbeds, small boat-hire operators, village tavernas and tips, and withdraw in Corfu Town or a large resort before heading to the quieter coasts.
How much is a coffee on the Liston in Corfu?
Expect to pay several euros for a coffee and more for a cocktail at the cafes under the Liston arcade facing the Spianada, roughly double a cafe a few streets away. You are paying for the setting, which is one of the finest in Greece. Menus are posted outside; check before you sit.
What is the difference between the green and blue buses in Corfu?
The blue buses are Corfu Town's urban network, including the number 15 to the airport, and fares are low. The green KTEL buses run from the terminal near the New Fortress to the resorts and villages around the island, with fares by distance. Both are cheapest paid in cash; carry small notes and coins.
Can I hire a boat without a licence in Corfu?
Yes. On the north-east coast, around Agios Stefanos, Kassiopi and Kalami, small motorboats of limited power can be hired without a licence. Operators take a deposit, sometimes in cash or as a card hold, and fuel may be extra. Ask exactly what is included before you pay.
Can I use euros in Albania on a day trip from Corfu?
Mostly yes. In Saranda, restaurants and shops used to day-trippers accept euros, but change often comes in lek at the shop's rate. Entry to Butrint and some other sites may be priced in lek. A no-FX-fee card is the cheapest way to pay, and Albanian bank machines dispense lek.
Which ATMs should I use in Corfu?
Machines at National Bank of Greece, Piraeus Bank, Eurobank and Alpha Bank branches, which cluster in Corfu Town around the Spianada, Theotoki Street and San Rocco Square, and in the larger resorts. Avoid the independent Euronet machines by the cruise terminal and in the resorts.
Pay Smart in Corfu
The Wise card converts at the real mid-market rate, handles boat-hire deposits and hotel bills in euros, and works in Albania too, where it pays in lek at the real rate.
Get the Wise Card →Hero photo: Corfu Old Town and Mandraki harbour from the Old Fortress, by Radosław Botev, CC BY 3.0 pl, via Wikimedia Commons.